Guyangan Waterfall & Blue Stairs Hike on Nusa Penida

Guyangan Waterfall, also known as Peguyangan Waterfall, is a mix of everything. It’s famous for the characteristic blue stairs leading to it – and those stairs are a real workout. The coastal cliff views are spectacular and a trademark of the island. Add some tradition and culture of the sacred temple, which is a pilgrimage site, and you have this epic blend in one spot.

Guyangan Waterfall
Photo by Holidify

Get a local SIM card. While getting around we relied heavily on Google Maps for directions. We recommend Airalo eSIM, so you’ll have data transfer as soon as you land.
Note! Your mobile phone has to be eSIM compatible to use this option.

How to get to Guyangan Waterfall

Guyangan waterfall and the Blue Stairs are located in the middle of South-Western cliffed Coast of Nusa Penida. 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 Guyangan Waterfall 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.

Guyangan Waterfall Site
Photo by Nomadicated

The hike begins underneath a little arch. If you don’t spot the way to it right away, ask the parking lot attendant for the direction. And then you begin your journey down the Blue Stairs! They’ll be winding down the side of the cliff, cutting back and forth.

The Famous Blue Stairs

Guyangan Waterfall and the Blue Stairs leading to it are one of the most epic places in entire Nusa Penida. We have no clue as to why the stairs are painted blue, but just like the yellow bridge of Nusa Ceningan, they are memorable!

The Blue Stairs themselves are widely known for
1) offering majestic views of the surrounding cliffs and vast Indian Ocean below,
2) being bright blue in colour and
3) being an insane workout to hike.
That said, there’s one more thing you should know about those stairs. They are, mildly said, an adventure to walk.

The steps are in many places corroded, meaning they might not give you a 100% feeling of safety you’d desire when descending over 100 meters down. They’re also surprisingly steep, some parts being almost ladder-like. There are usually more people climbing the steps at the same time. We’d advise against the Blue Stairs hike if you’re suffering from vertigo or are in any way afraid if heights.

Some people claim the Blue Stairs are the hardest hike in Nusa Penida – in comparison to the Diamond Beach Cliffside Stairs and Kelingking Beach dirt path, that’s a heavy accusation.

Guyangan Waterfall Blue Stairs Banner

Guyangan Waterfall

Some disappointment we’ve heard of is that the waterfall is actually not really a waterfall. It is. In fact, far from a traditional waterfall cascading down the cliff. You will only see a small waterfall coming from the overflow pipe of a water tank, which is used to pump the spring water that is later distributed throughout the island. 

When arriving to the bottom of the stairs you’ll see a temple. Keep walking past the temple and you’ll notice semi-natural infinity pool, sculpted into the rock of the cliff! The water(fall) pouring down is small and hidden.

Infinity Pool

Enjoying a bath with a fantastic ocean view is incredibly refreshing, relaxing and peaceful – especially after the hike you’ve just pulled off! The atmosphere is simply amazing.

The pool is generally safe whenever the ocean is somewhat calm. However, occasionally giant waves will be coming in, especially in moodier ocean. We would advise extra caution since the waves can sweep you off your feet and throw you against the rocks. Multiple cases of people getting cut, hit, bruised or worse are known. In case of really wild ocean waves, we’d advise against getting close to the pool at all, since the whole area gets washed multiple times.

Additional warning: the stones before the infinity pool are slippery. We’d advise against bringing smartphones or cameras into the pool, but if you’re a proud user of GoPro adventure camera, definitely go for it! The pictures will be amazing. *dodaš hyperlink na GoPro za kupit*

Guyangan Waterfall Pool

Tips:

  • Bring your own sarong to avoid spending money for renting it.
  • If you plan to dip into the infinity pool, wear the swimwear beforehand so you’re not changing into it next to the sacred temple.
  • Bring a towel.
  • Wear closed shoes (meaning – not flipflops). Many people get uncomfortable hiking the stairs in flipflops since they’re flopping around. Taking them off and continuing barefoot is not a smart idea either – the steps are metal and, in many places, corroded.
  • Bring plenty of water with you – the stairs will claim it!
  • The whole adventure-site is facing to the west, so mornings hide the stairs and the waterfall/pool in shadow. Afternoon, however, it gets really sunny. That’s nice when you’re enjoying the pool, but might be uncomfortable when hiking the stairs back up.
  • Don’t bring cameras or smartphones into the infinity pool. Take a GoPro instead.

General information about visiting Guyangan Waterfall and the Blue Stairs:

  • Rp 5000 parking fee for scooter, Rp 10 000 for car
  • No entrance fee
  • The entire area is actually a sacred place and a temple, so wearing a sarong is mandatory. You can either bring your own or rent one for Rp 15,000 with the parking lot attendant.
  • There are around 700 steps.
  • The hike down takes anywhere between 20 and 35 minutes. Back up very much depends on one’s fitness and pace, anywhere between 25 and 40 minutes.
  • You will notice multiple water pipes while hiking the Blue Stairs and enjoying the scenery below. Guyangan Waterfall is actually one of the 2 springs that supply Nusa Penida with fresh water. That’s what the water pipes are for – for further distribution. They’re not exactly photogenic, but they serve a purpose.
  • There are a few nice warungs close to the parking lot. Food is basic, but cheap. You can purchase drinks or water, either to take it down with you or to refresh yourself after the hike.
  • There’s approximately 45-minute drive from the main harbour Toya Pakeh to Guyangan Waterfalls.
Guyangan Waterfall Descent

Manta Ray Point

Driving towards the Guyangan Waterfall there will be a sign on your left for Manta Ray Point. When arriving or leaving the Waterfall area it is worth taking this little detour. It takes around 8 minutes’ drive (2 kilometres) to arrive to the white temple. Behind the temple there’s a majestic view from the cliff on Manta Point. Manta Rays come here regularly to clean off the parasites from their bodies. Manta Ray season is between May and October, but here, you’re likely to see them even outside those months. Dive centres come here as well, since encountering Manta Rays is practically guaranteed.

If you’re lucky you will see some of those majestic creatures from the cliff! 

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.