Canggu Surf Guide – All You Need To Know
Ah, Canggu. Digital nomad mecca. The “cool” corner of the Bali south coast. Haven of yogis and laptop warriors. There’s lots to like in this part of the Isle of the Gods. There’s also lots to dislike (traffic, mainly).
Once upon a time, this was the untrodden land beyond the chic resorts of Legian. It was a patchwork of rice paddies and fishing shacks and black-sand beaches. You’d be hard pushed to find any hint of that any more.
Today, roasteries and organic vegan kitchens mingle with artisan bakers and lively sunset bars in the ever-growing web of narrow roads behind the shoreline. Canggu is booming and showing no signs of stopping.
One of the reasons for that is the surf. It’s not the best on Bali, that’s for sure. But, on good days, there’s lots going for it.
A series of spots string their way up the coast from south-east to north-west, starting with Berawa near Seminyak and ending with the challenging reefs of Echo Beach.
Variety is the keyword, because you get nice reef rights off off volcanic bottoms. You get glassy walls and A-frames that barrel on the various sandbars too. It can cater to all levels, pro to beginner, and suits a variety of board type, shorties to logs.
There’s fantastic infrastructure in Canggu these days – or at least there is by Balinese standards.
You can still expect mega jams on the roads in the morning and mid afternoon (when everyone’s returning from the waves). However, a HUGE selection of Airbnbs annd surf camps helps to balance that inevitable headache out.
Downsides include a growing localism attitude and kook slams on the beginner breaks.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
>>This is part of our greater guide to surfing in Bali
Canggu surf at a glance
The good:
The bad:
Where is Canggu?
Canggu is one of the main sections of the built-up south coast of Bali.
Head north-west from Kuta and you’ll pass through Legian and Seminyak – both major hotel areas – before arriving.
The transfer from the airport in Denpasar takes around an hour, but that’s mainly because the roads are usually clogged with traffic. You can book pre-paid rides to get there in the arrivals terminal. Fares should be about 225,000 INR (10-15 GBP). More on all that below…
How to get to Canggu?
Getting to Canggu wouldn’t be that hard if it weren’t for Bali’s infamous traffic.
As it happens, it’s not that hard anyway, but it can be 1.5 hours in the car if you jet into Denpasar – the main airport – at a peak time. We actually kinda like rocking up about 1am because it means we can dodge that.
Of course, you have to get to Bali first. Flights from all over Asia and long-haul links from Europe go there directly these days.
There’s always a cacophony of drivers waiting to drive you outside the terminals but we find it so stressful that we now always pre-book transfers. You can do that with a highly rated driver via Viator here or just use Gojek, which is generally the best value but can be a hassle.
The other option is rent your own car. That’s becoming more common in Bali since the local authorities moved to ban scooters.
Still, you’ll need to be super confident driving in very busy conditions, on pretty bad roads. It’s not for the faint hearted.
The best surf spots in Canggu
Okay, so there are a few secret waves still to be revealed in Canggu. We’re not gonna risk a scratched scooter to put them here. Hey, half the fun is scouting this lesser-known part of the Isle of the Gods to find them for yourself!
However, there are three spots which lead the way for Canggu surf. They’re all popular, so expect crowds. They’re also all very different in shape, power and character. We’ve also thrown in another that’s lesser known but sometimes shows some nice walls.
Echo Beach Left
The farthest spot from the town of Kuta is also the most challenging wave in Canggu. A left-hander with plenty of kick as it rolls into shallow reef sections at mid and low tides. Expect short but fast rides through mini barrel sections when it’s overhead. On more relaxed swells, wax down the <6″ for the potential rippable walls. Hazards are underfoot rocks and rips. Some localism. NOT for beginners. Other peaks stretch up the beach too but these change with the sandbanks. Can be fickle so know what you’re doing.
Batu Bolong
Hate it or love it, Batu Bolong is Canggu’s most popular spot. It’s actually a couple of peaks in one and the popularity is largely because of the fact it’s the go-to beginner wave in the area.
We sigh at the sheer amount of people in the lineup some days. It’s gone a bit off the gauge. Flying foamies and drop ins are the diet to expect.
Rise for a dawn patrol and you could be rewarded with room for manoeuvre.
Decently long rides come with the walling rights but there are also some peaks with fast lefts. Good for the longboard on slower days.
Underfoot is pebble and sand with some stone. The surf schools – and the crowds – will flock in the mid morning.
There’s an uber-beginner break just in front of Old Man’s Beach Club.
Berawa (Pantai Berawa)
Berawa is one of my personal favorite spots in the whole of Canggu.
It comes off an open river mouth and a series of reefs down towards the south-west end of Canggu. It’s bit more effort to get to from the middle of Canggu, so the crowds will thin out a little here but that doesn’t mean it’s a secret.
The main wave is a slow peeling beach break wedge that has long rights and super bowly lefts. It’s literally smack dab in front of the famous Finn’s Beach Bar and is seen as one of the best beginner/low-intermediate waves around when swells are under 7 foot.
There’s a small reef break on both sides of Berawa. I’d reccomend not surfing either unless you know exactly what you’re doing, as they are deceptivley shallow reefs.
The Ledge is the most famous of the two. It only fires on low tides and bigger swells aroudn the 5-8 foot mark, when it’s a hollowish right barrel that shoots straight into a paddle channel. We’ll say it again: That’s not for beginners!
Batu Belig
Hardly a soul goes here to surf, but it’s not a secret spot per se. It’s more that it takes more for Batu Belig to get working and surfable. Look for S-SW swells and nothing over a metre and you could be in for some neat walls with challenging drop ins over a sand bottom. You’ll never have a long ride here. What’s more, leave the swell pick up too much and closeouts are the norm. I think I saw one rental shack on the sand last time I was around (2023) – maybe.
When to surf in Canggu?
Don’t worry, Canggu surf pumps all year round! There’s rarely a time when there’s no wave available. The real question is what sort of wave you’re after. How high? Punchy and strong? Day-to-day consistency? With questions like that there’s really two seasons in play:
Monsoon/Wet season (November-March)
The ‘monsoon’ in Bali actually refers to the wind, not rainfall. In fact, the time from Nov to March can actually be pretty dry. It is wetter overall, but showers tend to be quick and heavy. Most will burn themselves out overnight in most cases.
The monsoon season actually sees the power of the waves decrease on the Bali west coast. Most of the serious surfers will head over to Lombok or the far side of Bukit to chase barrels. Canggu surf December time is probably the lightest of all, with mush aplenty in Old Man’s for the beginners. Still, there are often big days you’ll need to beware of and hollow conditions are still known – this is Bali, after all!
Dry Season (April-October)
Dry season in Bali starts in earnest around April time. Surfers set their clocks to the moment the E-SE trade winds start purring, because that breathes life into breaks like Ulus and Padang Padang over in Bukit.
It’s also good news for Canggu surf, but not because of the wind. This is also the time that the dominant Indian Ocean and Southern Ocean S-SW come across, feeding high swells with long periods all over this part of the island. Keep those winds in mind, though, because they’re actually crossshore in Canggu so stronger days could be better at dawn before the gusts get up.
It’s boardshorts and rash vests all year long in Canggu folks. Some bring a 1mm-2mm rubber vest for extra protection as you’ll be surfing every day if you wanna’. It’s super, super important to nail down your sunscreen game.
Where to stay when surfing in Canggu?
Surf camps in Canggu
Nowhere else in Bali has the same array of surf schools as Canggu these days, save perhaps for the Bukit peninsula in the south. The town has branched out from its original digi nomad vibe and is now considered the top place to learn on the island.
That has upsides and downsides. First, the bad news. The water can be murky in the wet season and bouts of Bali belly are regular occurances. It’s also pretty busy. The good news is that the best surf instructors in the islands are attracted here, and the surf schools need to do a lot to stay ahead of the crowd, which means quality is the key word.
It’s not for nothing that we feature quite a few Canggu camps in our guide to the best surf camps in Bali and the best surf camps in Indonesia as a whole. Hell, we even have a dedicated guide to best surf camps in Canggu itself, which runs through the five top options right now.
Here are our two fav at a glance…
- Pelan Pelan Bali – The 15-day package at Pelan Pelan might cost around $1,500 per person, but it’s a doozy of a surf camp option that offers luxury at home and real quality out on the water. There’s surfing every weekday in Canggu, run by locals who know the breaks like they were born by them (becuase they were). Meditation and yoga kick-start the day. There’s also day trips around Bali included. It’s a cracking package.
- Mondo Lifestyle Resort – Mondo is probably better suited to more casual travelers and backpackers. They operate out of a stunning new property in the heart of Canggu. It’s got lush gardens and a big pool. The surf training is accessible but intense, with two hours per day and video analysis afterwards.
The best hotels (for surfers) in Cannggu
One of the upsides of the unceasing development that seems to be going on in Canggu is that there are now loads and loads of awesome hotels to pick from.
We’ve chosen just some of our favourites. They’re cracking stays with a touch of that Bali luxury. But – crucially – they also offer good proximity to the best surf breaks up and down Canggu beach.
- COMO Uma Canggu – This is exactly the sort of high-luxury spot that Canggu is about these days. Slickly designed with a mix of modern and traditional Balinese elements, it opens onto Echo Beach’s surf breaks with a glimmering swimming pool and bamboo-shaded sun terraces. Rooms are Scandi cool with mod cons like flat-screen TVs. Some even have private decks right by the swimming pool – perfect for morning dips!
- Surf Lodge Canggu – A series of pretty lux cabin-villas and classic hotel suites centered around thier own pool, sat less than 15 mins’ walking from the main surf breaks.
- Kos One Hostel – Whoever said hostels have to look like hostels? Chic, cool, and downright luxurious, this channels a little bit of its namesake Greek island and mixes it with Balinese charm. The dorm rooms are beautifully done with pod-style beds, but it’s the curvy pool set between the emerald rice paddies outside that really takes the biscuit. It’s also a great place to meet and mingle with other surfers.
We also have a complete guide to the best surf hostels in Canggu – it’s a must-read if you’re planning a surf trip here on a tighter budget.
Surf lessons in Canggu
There are more surf schools in Canggu than you can shake a puri offering at. They’ve mushroomed up here in the last decade to cater to the ever-growing crowd of casual surfers and beginners who come this way.
For that reason, they offer some great packages for those who aren’t yet ready to commit to a full on surf camp for a week. They last between two hours and a full day, and are a great way to see if surfing is the thing for you.
Sadly, for every great school there are like five bad ones. That’s why we’d pre-book one of the following:
- 2-hour surf lesson with We Surf Bali – We Surf are a leading name here. They’re fantastically reviewed and have garnered a rep for offering simple but effective surf lessons to total beginners on the Canggu beaches. What we love is that they do the basics right. The equipment is good and well maintained. The instructors keep it accessible and easy to follow. We’d probably try these first, and if they’re busy go for…
- The funniest surf lesson in Canggu – Curly, a local ripper with 17 years of experience on the waves here, certainly makes lessons fun! He’s a great guy, super knowledgable about the waves, and really energetic. His methods are unorthodox but the session will live up to its name!
Surf shops in Canggu
Canggu has stacks and stacks of surf shops.
Most of them cluster between the cafes and bars of Pantai Batu Bolong on the way to the most famous breaks. But there are also others scattered up as far as Jalan Raya Canggu in the north.
- BGS Bali Canggu – Need some wax, leave with a wax and a flat white. That’s just how it is in this coffeeshop-surf shop mishmash in the depths of Canggu. Super chilled and super cool, the spot is all polished concrete and minimalism. The range of stock is small but well curated. Short boards, fish tails, leashes, and some surf fashion is the name of the game at BGS Bali Canggu.
- Onboard Store Bali – Stacking a fantastic array of CI stuff, this Onboard outlet also has board bags, fins, etc.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
