Suwehan Beach on Nusa Penida

Suwehan Beach is the epitome of Nusa Penida’s beaches. It’s still one of the wild beaches, but it’s becoming more popular – the road leading to it had some road works done a while ago and there was a brand-new staircase added leading down to the beach. Suwehan Beach is close to Atuh and Diamond Beach, so stop by when exploring those locations. The crystal-clear turquoise water, dramatic cliffs and lush greenery make Suwehan Beach a photographer’s paradise. It’s undoubtedly among the top sites in Nusa Penida, yet still not crowded.

Suwehan Beach is nestled beneath towering rocks. The Beach itself is secluded, accessible solely via weathered, steep staircase. The staircase was once brand new, but given the location and conditions it undergoes daily it’s no wonder it deteriorates so rapidly.

Despite the challenging access, the beach boasts pristine sands, although the final part of the path leading to the Beach is strewn with numerous stones.

During high tide, the beach becomes almost entirely submerged, revealing its rocky bottom and showcasing the power of the crashing waves that grace its shores. However, the unique beauty and tranquillity of the beach remain unchanged, offering a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Suwehan Beach Viewpoint

The Suwehan Beach Viewpoint is located on top of the cliff, just before you start descending down the steep stairs. The viewpoint overlooks a beautiful bay far below, boasting a dramatic landscape all around.

How to get to Suwehan Beach

Suwehan Beach lays on the far East Coast of Nusa Penida, little sister of more known Bali, Indonesia. The island is quite big and it can take over an hour to cruise from one side to another depending on where your accommodation is located.

We’ve pinned the location of Suwehan Beach on the map of Nusa Penida below, so you can see where it is in relation to either your accommodation on the island or other points of interest.

1. One of the best ways to visit many of the best Nusa Penida’s epic sites in one day is on this Ultimate Nusa Penida Day Trip Tour from Bali – they pick you up in the morning from your accommodation in Bali, take you across to Nusa Penida Island by speedboat, and then bring you back to Bali in the evening after an incredible day of adventures. Remember to tell them which spots are on your Nusa Penida Bucket List and they will make it happen!
2. You can also rent a scooter and drive around the island yourself.
   Price for rental: Rp 70k – 100k (US$5) a day.
   NOTE! The roads on Nusa Penida are, mildly said, in bad state. Lots of holes, ignorant van drivers, gravel parts… We’d avoid this option if you’re not experienced scooter driver.
3. The option we once did (and would highly recommend it) is you can rent a car on Nusa Penida with private driver – great option to visit multiple spots safely in a day with a group of friends.

More information about Nusa Penida Island.

Tips:

• Suwehan Beach is never crowded as many tourists choose to visit only Diamond Beach nearby. Therefore, the crowds are never an issue.
• It’s worth noting that after 3 pm, the sun dips below the horizon, making sunbathing a less viable option for visitors.  
• Bring enough water (or even food if you plan to stay longer), since you can only purchase it in the warung at the entrance, but not down at the Beach.
• If you’re flying a drone, we’d strongly recommend you do that from the top of the cliff due to GPS signal. The Beach below has little to zero signal so it might be hard to even start the drone, let alone fly it safely. The top of the cliff is okay.

General information about Suwehan Beach:

• No parking fee.
• Entranfee fee: we visited twice. Somebody was collecting an entrance fee the first time = Rp 5,000 per person, but the second time nobody was there, so we didn’t pay anything. Therefore, be prepared to pay Rp 5,000 per person, but not necessarily 🙂 the mentioned collection of entrance fee is probably not government regulated.
• There’s a small temple on site where you can park your vehicle.
• Take pictures from the viewpoint first – if you’re descending down to the Beach, you’ll look way less photogenic after.
• The descent to this hidden gem is devoid of railings, adding an element of adventure to the journey.
• It takes approximately 15 minutes to navigate down the staircase, while the ascent back up can range from 20 to 30 minutes, depending on one’s pace and fitness. There are approximately 350 steps.
• There’s around 1 hour drive from the main harbour Toya Pakeh to Suwehan Beach.
• Road from Diamond Beach to Suwehan Beach and vice versa: there are two ways to get from one point to the other. Be mindful – all the navigation apps will take you through the shortest route, which is also worn-out road that shouldn’t even be called that. Google Maps usually shows that the poor road takes 25 minutes. However, there is better, newer and safer way if you take the road all around – that one takes only 5 minutes extra (total time 30 minutes’ drive) and it’s way more comfortable to ride. Refer to the picture below for better understanding.
• Check the tide beforehand – the beach completely disappears during high tide, so at the bottom of the stairs leading to it is already water. Coming during low tide is an entirely different story.
• At the beginning of the trail, before starting the descend by stairs, are two local restaurants – warungs. Both have delicious and cheap food options, and very kind owners.
• The drive through the village to the entry point is very scenic!

Swimming at Suwehan Beach

Swimming on the gorgeous beach sounds dreamy, but is in reality quite dangerous. The waves and currents are often strong enough to swipe away even the most skilled swimmers. Occasionally, but very rarely, smack of jellyfish might wander into the bay, so before swimming ask the locals at the mentioned warungs about the situation.

Our advice: check the tides beforehand if you wish to swim on the beach and adjust your visit around that information.

We can confirm it’s awesome, especially on a hot day. The water is always fresh and almost always crystal clear as well.

We would advise against staying at the beach (not necessarily the viewpoint above) until dusk for two reasons:
1) ascend would be extra treacherous in low visibility. Perhaps bring a flashlight with you if that’s the plan.
2) If visiting with your own vehicle it might be dangerous to drive back to your accommodation in the dark. Although the roads are new, they’re still covered with holes and gravel, and there aren’t any streetlights. In general – just be careful. 🙂

BEST NUSA PENIDA DAY TOURS FROM BALI

If you are staying in Bali… you can join a group and take a day trip on a speedboat to explore the highlights of Nusa Penida. Trips usually take whole day, but everything is organised. So you can literally wake up in Bali, they pick you up in your accommodation, you grab a speedboat to Nusa Penida, you can snorkel with Manta Rays and visit lots of the amazing beaches and viewpoints … in just one day.

Manta Ray Snorkelling Tour on Nusa Penida (from Bali): Snorkelling with Manta Rays is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and one of the best wildlife encounters we’ve had in our lives. The Manta Rays are majestic and friendly animals with a wingspan of 5m. The gentle giants cruise around you while you snorkel amongst them.
This tour includes pick-up and drop-off from your accommodation in Bali and all transports and tickets are included.

Nusa Penida Highlights Tour (from Bali): This tour is the most highly reviewed Nusa Penida tour there is. You’ll visit all the best spots, like Angel’s Billabong, Kelingking (T-Rex) Beach, Broken Beach, Rumah Pohon Treehouse & Thousand Island Viewpoint. Also included is snorkeling at Crystal Bay! It’s a total win and we highly recommend it.

MORE NUSA ISLANDS BLOG POSTS

There are loads of adventurous things to do on Nusa Penida, but we also wrote detailed guides for all of the epic things you can do on Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan. You can explore more of our guides by clicking one of the links below.