Atuh and Diamond Beach
Atuh and Diamond Beach are among the most beautiful beaches in Nusa Penida, easily accessible by a brand new road.
If you want to discover the most beautiful beaches on Nusa Penida island, go and visit Atuh and Diamond Beach. These beaches are now easily accessible with a brand new road. It takes about an hour to get to Atuh Beach from Toyapakeh harbour. Or, if you’re coming from Crystal Bay, about an hour and 15 minutes. Diamond Beach is now even more famous than Atuh Beach, with its famous staircase carved into the cliff. These two beaches are in my top 5 of awesome sites to see in Nusa Penida.
How to get to Atuh and Diamond Beach
There are two roads that go to Atuh Beach. Each road will take you to a different side of the beach. My recommendation is to take the road that leads you to the right side of the beach. Because from here, you can see Atuh Beach, Diamond Beach and the Tree House at the same time. Also, the road is brand new. You can find this road to Diamond Beach on Google Maps. However, the road signs can be confusing as they often indicate two different directions for Atuh Beach. Make sure to follow the sign pointing to the right each time.
How do you get from Bali to Atuh Beach ?
You can find all the information on how to get from Bali to Nusa Penida island, including which ports and fast boats to choose, the time tables and prices on this page :
Diamond Beach
You will probably visit Diamond Beach first. Because when you walk down after leaving the parking lot, the famous staircase is the first thing you see, on the right side of the path. The first part of the staircase is really easy to descent and very spectacular too. It was indeed built by carving out the limestone from the cliff. Workers from Java did it because Balinese were too scared !
The last part of the staircase is a little bit more tricky and for some a bit scary. You can decide for yourself if you’re up for the challenge and want to go all the way down to the beach. Or to go back up to the top of the cliff. You might also want to preserve your forces to go down to Atuh Beach. Atuh beach is indeed a better option if you want to relax or eat on the beach.
Down at the beach, local people offer different options to take amazing photos for your social networks. There is also a swing and a small kiosk that offers soft drinks and snacks.
What is the best time to go to Diamond Beach ?
Diamond beach faces East and is located right at the bottom of a huge cliff. This means that in the afternoon, the beach is overshadowed by the cliff. Therefore, I would suggest to go there in the morning. The sunrise at Diamond and Atuh Beach is furthermore very spectacular. But that means getting up early to be there before 6 am …
Atuh Beach
In 2016, the local people of Nusa Penida built a concrete staircase (on the right side of the beach) that allowed you to go – almost! – all the way down to Atuh beach. The construction might not be very pretty, but it is rather practical. In 2016, the last step of the stairs was almost two meters! The staircase is now finished with a total of 166 steps. The way down is easy enough.
Going back up is a little bit more tiring, especially since some steps are very high. The staircase on the left side of the beach is a little bit shorter so you can reach the beach from the top in less than ten minutes. But if you want to see Diamond Beach as well, you will have to climb all the way up on the other side of the beach …
What to do at Atuh Beach ?
You will find parasols and deckchairs on the beach. There are also some small warungs that serve fruit juice, grilled fish and basic Indonesian dishes. Like everywhere in Nusa Penida, watch out for strong waves and currents when you go for a swim. Atuh Beach is not yet part of the daily tours sold to tourists. It therefore remains very pleasant to spend the day there if the weather is nice. Especially when the tide is not too low, because then you will find small rocks instead of sand when you enter in the water.
What is the best time to go to Atuh Beach ?
There is sun all day because the beach is not, like Suwehan Beach or Diamond Beach, located right under a huge cliff. So you can go to Atuh Beach at any time of the day. However, if you plan to visit Diamond Beach on the same day, consider going to Diamond in the morning and to Atuh Beach in the afternoon.
Tree house
Tree house has also become a nice place to visit. You will pay 10 000 rupiahs as entrance fee and another 50 000 rupiahs to be allowed to take photos and videos during 3 minutes on the wooden staircase leading to the actual Rumah Pohon “Tree House”.
What’s next ?
For deserted beach lovers, the nearby beach of Suwehan Beach can be an alternative or a second destination (on the same day). Please check itinerary ideas for Nusa Penida island.
Other places to see in Nusa Penida
My top 15 places in Nusa Penida
After 30 visits to Nusa Penida I updated my list of 15 awesome sites so see in Nusa Penida : beaches, temples, cliffs, dive sites and many more !
Kelingking Beach
Kelingking is a spectacular rocky outcrop into the sea. The rock looks like the backbone of a dinosaur that drinks in the sea, in a bay called T-Rex Bay ! The view is exceptional but if you have the courage and the time, you MUST go down to the beach. Get good shoes and once down to the beach, watch out for waves and currents. Believe me, it is worth it !v
Crystal Bay
Crystal Bay Beach combines the attractions of a sandy beach easily accessible by road and a spectacular rock planted in the middle of the bay. The beach faces west and the sunsets are spectacular. Crystal bay is also a renowned site for scuba diving. and for snorkeling But be careful not to exceed the limit of the boats anchored in the bay, as the currents can be violent.
Questions about Atuh beach or Diamond Beach?
Email me or post a comment at the bottom of this article if you still have questions. It will be a pleasure to answer you !