Echo Beach & Batu Bolong Beach

Echo Beach (Pantai Batu Mejan) is Canggu's wild, untamed surf beach — a kilometer of black volcanic sand lined with Warungs with plastic chairs serving freshly grilled fish while surfers dance in the surf. The waves here are powerful and consistent: A reef break that produces left and right waves at mid-tide, attracting advanced surfers from around the world. For beginners, Echo Beach is too strong — the current and sharp reef beneath the surface do not forgive mistakes.

The atmosphere at Echo Beach is deliberately unpolished: No beach clubs with infinity pools, just simple wooden chairs in the sand, Bintang beer for 30,000 IDR (~1.75€), and the scent of grilled barramundi. The Echo Beach Club House is the only semi-upscale spot — a raised wooden terrace with cocktails and DJ sets at sunset (cocktails from 100,000 IDR/~5.80€). The Warungs along the beach serve whole grilled fish with sambal and rice for 60,000–100,000 IDR (3.50–5.80€) — one of the best value-for-money deals in all of Bali.

Five minutes' walk south lies Batu Bolong Beach — the more beginner-friendly, social beach. Here, the waves are gentler (a beach break instead of a reef break), the surf schools numerous, and the vibe sociable. Dozens of surf instructors offer lessons (from 350,000 IDR/~20€ for 90 minutes including board). Old Man's directly on the beach is the legendary bar of the scene: On Sundays, a live band plays, Wednesday is quiz night, and every evening the surf community gathers on the terrace for sunset (happy hour 3–6 PM, cocktails from 65,000 IDR/~3.80€).

At the southern end of Batu Bolong Beach stands Pura Batu Bolong — a small temple perched on a rocky outcrop, accessible at low tide over black lava rock. The name means "pierced stone" — a natural hole in the rock through which the sea rushes. At sunset, when the silhouette of the temple stands against the fiery red sky and the water foams through the rock, this is one of Bali's most photogenic spots.