How To Visit Nunggalan Beach and its Shipwreck

Nunggalan Beach isn’t like your typical beach in Bali. It’s uncrowded – likely because you have to hike to get there – and it has a shipwreck…

Graffitied by local artists, these lost fractions of history make Nunggalan one of the most unique beaches I have visited in Bali.

You can’t swim there due to the harsh currents, but I had an incredible afternoon hiking there and back, taking pictures around the shipwreck, and sipping on a cold fizzy drink from the one stall on the beach.

In this blog post, I’ll cover how to visit Nunggalan Beach – and whether it’s worth it – as well as what you can expect from the hike, beach conditions, and facilities around the beach.

Looking to explore some other offbeat beaches in Bali and Nusa Penida? Check out my guides to Bias Tugel Beach (the Padangbai Secret Beach) and Suwehan Beach Nusa Penida.

Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. If you decide to click through and make a qualifying purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you – thanks for your support.

Where is Nunggalan Beach?

Nunggalan Beach is on the Bukit Peninsula, a round stretch of land at the very south of Bali.

Also known as Uluwatu, the peninsula is famous for its beautiful sandy beaches, dramatic cliffs and beach clubs.

Many of the beaches on the peninsula are only accessible on foot due to the high cliffs.

Nunggalan Beach is on the south coast of Uluwatu, around a 25-minute drive west of Melasti Beach (the location for the sought-after Sunday’s Beach Club) and a 10-minute drive east of Nyang Nyang Beach.

If you’re staying in the centre of the peninsula or in the area immediately surrounding Bingin Beach, expect a 15-minute drive to Nunggalan Beach Bali.

If you’re making a day trip from elsewhere in Bali, Nunggalan is an hour and a half’s drive away from Canggu and an hour and 45 minutes’ drive away from Ubud.

Is Nunggalan Beach Worth Visiting?

Nunggalan Beach wouldn’t be my first pick for a relaxing beach day. However, if you’re keen to explore and don’t mind hiking, this is a good place for it.

To access Nunggalan Beach Uluwatu, you must hike down a steep path through the forest with some makeshift stalls and monkeys.

For most people, this only adds to the adventure but if you’re the type who wants to pull up on your scooter and be on the sand in a matter of seconds, it won’t be for you.

The most interesting thing about the beach is its shipwreck, which is split into two different sections and graffitied by local artists.

I believe that they are two sections from the same wreck and that a third, different shipwreck was swept away years ago and never seen again.

The scenery on the beach is also great, shipwrecks aside. The white sand backs onto steep cliffs with dense trees, so it almost feels like you could have been shipwrecked yourself.

There aren’t any signs of civilisation aside from two villas high up on the clifftop.

There are also hardly any people on the beach. Many of the beaches in Uluwatu are packed with crowds, but that’s not the case at Pantai Nunggalan.

During my three hours on the beach, I came across only eight other people.

That’s not counting the small handful of stalls set up by entrepreneurial locals in the forest and beachside.

If you’re lucky, you might have the beach to yourself or, at the very least, share it with a couple of handfuls of people.

The only downside to Nunggalan Beach Uluwatu is the rubbish. Most of the plastic is swept onto the sand by the ocean, so it’s bound to increase in quantity as the years go on.

Unfortunately, this is a problem all over Bali, so this beach is no different.

If you can, you might want to consider packing a plastic bag and using a stick from the forest to pick up some of the litter and deposit of it back at your home/hotel. If we all chip in, we can make a difference.

How to Get to Pantai Nunggalan

Getting to Nunggalan Beach is pretty straightforward.

Firstly, you need a scooter or car to reach the parking area for Nunggalan Beach (Grab will suffice). The road there is well-maintained and it isn’t steep or potholed.

If you use the widget above, Google Maps should take you directly to the parking area.

A group of opportunistic locals have set up the car park and will charge you 5,000 IDR to park a scooter.

There’s a warung located a two-minute walk uphill, which has a basic (but mosquito-ridden) toilet that you can use for 5,000 IDR per go.

This is the only toilet you will see during your time at Nunggalan, so be sure to use it if you need to.

The locals will direct you down the path to the beach, but if perchance they’re not there, you can just head downhill out of the car park.

There is a tarmac lane that goes down the right-hand side of a gated villa – you’re on the right track.

The hike to the beach requires a sturdy pair of shoes, as it consists of a mix of steep gravel, mud, and makeshift stairs. 

The hike takes approximately 25 – 30 minutes downhill.

Hiking back up takes longer: up to 45 minutes depending on your pace.

There is one warung early into the hike. It has views over the beach and sells basic Indonesian dishes such as nasi goreng and mie goreng.

A few other stalls sell coconuts, water and fizzy drinks along the way.

Towards the end of the trek, you will come to a fork in the path. The signposts both point to Nunggalan Beach.

Both paths lead to the beach, but the path to the right is slightly quicker and it emerges closer to the shipwreck.

Facilities at Nunggalan Beach

Nunggalan Beach Bali isn’t built-up. However, there are some facilities on the trek and beach.

The first warung is located at the top of the car park. However, the second and most scenic warung is located a short, five-minute walk into the hike to the beach.

The warung is run by a friendly old man who lives and sleeps there (according to him), and it has incredible views over the waves below.

There are two or three more stalls on the path to the beach selling limited snacks, drinks and souvenirs.

On the beach itself, when I visited, there were two competing stalls selling coconuts, cold drinks and souvenirs, but no food.

There are no toilets at Pantai Nunggalan. The only toilets are located at the top of the car park and cost 5,000 IDR.

Can you Swim at Nunggalan Beach?

I don’t recommend swimming at Nuggalan Beach. It’s prone to powerful rip currents. On my visit, I actually saw a woman get quickly swept out from a shallow area of the beach.

Luckily, she was deposited onto a sandbank and made her way back to shore.

However, there are no lifeguards on the beach, so I’m not sure what would have happened if they didn’t get lucky.

There’s a mix of reef and sand at Pantai Nunggalan, so another hazard is the sharp coral.

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I hope you found my guide helpful! Let me know in the comments if you visit this beach.