The Seranagan surf spot is one of the best performers for all levels on the east coast of Bali, which works best when the wet season is in full flow between November and March. It’s a touch tricky to access but the reefs offer all sorts of different peaks.
An introduction to Serangan surf
Serangan is actually a separate island to Bali, but it’s joined by a permanent causeway that comes in from the south end of Sanur and the north end of Nusa Dua. There are rumors flying around that the whole place is about to be developed into a mega luxury resort. We’ve even heard reports that the roads in were blocked off and surfers were being stopped from getting to the paddle out points. Sad times.
If you can find access then there’s a pretty nice set of peaks that form on the outer reefs just off Pantai Serangan, the main beach. The corals and stones lie deep here, but they pull in good S swell sets to make for excellent wet-season riding. The variety is what we like the most – some are hollowish rights, others cruisy lefts. The crowd is usually friendly enough, and a whole load more welcoming than you get in Keramas or Sanur.
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Seranagan at a glance
The good…
The bad…
What’s in this guide to Seranagan?
Where is Serangan?
The Serangan surf spot lies on the eastern side of Serangan island. That’s just a stone’s throw off the shores of southeastern Bali, about 15 minutes’ drive from the airport in Denpasar. To get here from Kuta and the rest of the big resort towns of the south coast, you’re looking at a 40-minute taxi and maybe even more, because the traffic is often horrific!
If you manage to make it to Serangan itself, hotel barriers and whatnot aside, then the best way out back is to enlist the help of one of the local boats. They’ll carry you past the reefs and negate the need for a nasty paddle out.
Serangan surf spots
You can see the various peaks breaking something like 100m out from the main beach here, known as Pantai Serangan. Other spots worth having on the radar are to the north and south, all of which tend to work best in the same wet season.
Sanur
Because you can’t actually stay on Serangan itself (unless you’re a gazillionaire and have enough for whatever fancy resort they’re planning), we think it’s worth mentioning the beaches of Sanur in this guide, since they are within easy reach from the main bridge to Serangan itself and offer something a little different on the surf front. The famous wave here is a right-hand reef that can rifle barrels over shallow rocks on mid tide and up. It’s a wet-season rarity but does happen.
We have a complete guide to surfing in Sanur
Serangan
Serangan is a bit of a surf playground. It bucks the Bali trend in that it packs in something like five or six separate peaks on normal swells. They include an inside A-frame that’s pure fun. It’s close to the beach and shines on a high tide, offering fun, low-gradient faces that suit just about anyone who’s surfing down the line. There’s a cruisy left in the mix there too, along with a lippy little right than can get hollow on bigger days. Talking about the biggest days, Serangan seems to consolidate when it’s 12 foot or more in the S channel and turn into a singular right hand reef that’s fast and barreling, but not as hardcore and nearby Sanur at any stretch.
There are usually crowds here but they’re nicer than the folks on the Bukit.
Nusa Dua
The Ulu of the east coast, Nusa Dua has a heavy, pounding right reef break on its outside that gets swell every, single day of the wet season. Seriously, we don’t think we’ve ever seen it completely flat there, or close to that. It’s not for the faint hearted, since it’s a shifty peak into a fast and hollow wave that will dump you on live coral without a moment’s thought. There are some other, friendlier waves in the area, but that’s the star of the show.
Where to stay when surfing in Serangan?
Last time we checked, there simply weren’t any places to stay on the beachfront side of Serangan Island. There is, however, one little bit of town on the northern side of the island. They are the closest places to stay – still a 25-min walk from the beach but usually well linked to the main breaks by boaters willing to help you get out there.
Turtle Island Homestay
Simple Turtle Island Homestay reminds us of somewhere we would have stayed in Bali 20 years back, or in Lombok 10 years back. It’s a charming, local hotel that gets you right by where the boats moor up, for hitching a ride out back to Serangan Beach.
Villa Shima
Groups who come to the east coast can bed down in Villa Shima to put themselves within striking distance of not only Serangan but also Sanur and Nusa Dua. It’s a gorgeous pad, with room for 12 people and a whole pool to itself.
Ari Putri Hotel
A boutique hotel with some classic Bali vibes, the Ari Putri Hotel sits up at the end of the Sanur beaches. It’s not overly pricy, has its own spa, and a pretty garden pool.
Step-by-step guide to planning your serangan surf trip right now
Step one: Book flights to the serangan surf…Lately, we like Omio for searching flights. It’s a nice interface and has lots of airline options. We also use Skyscanner because that sometimes offers deals that even beat going direct to the carrier!
Step two: Book your surf camp. Book Surf Camps is the numero uno online booking platform for fully-fledged surf-stay packages on the internet right now. Then there’s Booking.com. That has consistently unbeatable rates for hotels and a nifty map feature that lets you check EXACTLY how close your hotel is to a surf break.
Step three: Rent a car. If you’re surf camping then you might not need wheels. If you’re not then we’ll just say this: We’ve never been on a surf trip that wasn’t improved by having our own car. Use RentalCars – they’re the best.
Step four: Enjoy!
When to surf in Serangan?
The wet season is when Serangan shines at its best. The switching of the swell from SW to SE helps push more sets up through the Bali Sea, angling perfectly to catch the reefs that string along this outer island. They are the same swells that will light up Sanur – to the north – and Nusa Dua – to the south. During the dry season is when you can chase the smaller waves in these parts. It won’t be the best quality on account of the onshore E trades, but you might catch it emptier when the crowds are fixed on Uluwatu and Dreamland.
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!
