Echo Beach Bali – Canggu’s Hip Hangout
Are you planning to visit Echo Beach Bali?
We live in Canggu and come to this beach almost daily for sunsets, to hang out with friends and watch surfers rip the waves!
Echo is one of the most popular beaches in Canggu, and it’s situated in the heart of this bustling coastal town. It’s a must-visit place if Canggu fits on your Bali itinerary and in this post, we will give you all the inspiration and tips!
Where Is Echo Beach Bali?
Echo Beach Canggu is situated at the end of Pantai Batu Mejan Street. It is one of the three most popular Canggu beaches and it’s nestled between Pererenan and Batu Balong Beach.
The beach is most famous for being home to the boho La Brisa Beach Club tucked amongst a patch of lush palm trees and for the Echo Beach surf break.
What To Expect At Echo Beach Canggu?
As you arrive at the end of the street, there is a parking fee of 2k IDR per scooter charged all day long. You can then go left to find a space for your motorbike.
If you’re coming by car for sunset, then you most likely won’t find a parking space, so just don’t. Walk or take a Go Jek instead, and you will be glad you didn’t take the car!
The parking gets really chaotic, especially at sunset time and on Sundays when La Brisa hosts the weekly Canggu farmer’s market.
The entrance is just across the street, go right where you find a small staircase, and you’ll find yourself on Canggu Echo Beach Bali. Immediately, after the stairs, there is a large rocky area; this is where La Brisa is located.
If you walk past La Brisa, you’ll find a sandy stretch of the beach with more beach bars and shacks selling drinks and snacks and renting sunbeds and parasols.
If you go to the left from the entrance, you will find Pura Batu Mejan Temple. Locals also refer to the beach as Pantai Batu Mejan named after the temple.
You will also find here a set of large concrete stairs, which is a local spot for watching the sunset. It is a place for social meetups where you can come and mingle with friends. We sometimes come here for a quick sunset stop, when we don’t want to pay for drinks at the beach warungs.
Things To Do At Canggu Echo Beach
🌴 Spend the day lazing on a sunbed
One can rent sun loungers for 50k IDR for a whole day. If you prefer not to pay for the rental, you can sit on one of the bin bags for free as long as you buy a drink.
Echo Beach, while a stunning place, is not ideal for swimming due to its challenging conditions. The beach is known for its strong currents and a surf break close to shore, where big waves are a common sight.
This, combined with a rocky sea bottom, makes it more suitable for experienced surfers rather than casual swimmers. Although the sea might appear more approachable at low tide, you should be careful!
🌴 Watch the sunset
Sipping fresh coconut and chilling on a colourful bean bag at sunset is one of the best things to do at Echo Beach Bali Canggu! This is one of our favourite activities. ❤️
Bali’s sunsets are stunning, and even on a cloudy day, you may be surprised by an unexpectedly epic sunset. Coconuts in Bali are cheap (about 25k IDR) and so tasty, and they contain natural electrolytes, which will help you to hydrate. When you order one, don’t forget to ask for a spoon, and after you drink the water scoop out the coconut meat!
🌴 Go surfing
Bali Echo Beach is a black-sanded beach and one of the best surfing spots in Bali. The most sought-after wave is just in front of La Brisa and it’s more for advanced surfers, but if you’re not into surfing yourself, it’s still cool to watch other surfers showing off some incredible skills sipping fresh coconut or Bintang.
If you’re interested in taking surfing lessons or are a more intermediate surfer, then head to Batu Balong Beach which is just a walking distance to the left from Echo Beach Bali. This is where we usually surf.
Batu Balong is particularly good for beginners in the mornings with more gentle waves. There are plenty of surfing schools to choose from and surfboard rentals.
The going rate is 50k IDR for the board rental (guys at Batu Balong don’t really count the time, so in theory, you can go and surf all day, but we doubt it’s actually humanly possible). 50k IDR is like $3 which is sooooo cheap! We paid $25 in Costa Rica.
LOCAL INSIGHT: In Canggu, if you damage your board or someone else’s, you are expected to pay for the repair, but it’s not expensive at all. I once ripped a massive hole in someone else’s board (ooops), and the repair was only like $30.
If you want to book a class, which we highly recommend, we paid 350k IDR ($22) for a 2-hour lesson per person, including a surfboard and rash vest.
🌴 Chill at La Brisa Beach Club
Their grounds are super cute with lush greenery, a pool and fancy seats overlooking the ocean. Every Sunday, they organise a market which is also a fun thing to do in Canggu.
🌴 Eat roasted corn on the cob
Roasted corn is our favourite snack on the beach. You can buy it from a local vendor and they glaze the cob with sweet and sour barbecue sauce – so yummy! They are a real treat and only cost 15k IDR.
🌴 Watch the surfers from the concrete stairs
This is a great activity to get a taste of the local life, it’s completely free and the concrete steps are one of the the two prime locations for watching the pro surfers ripping away through the Canggu waves.
Best Hotels Near Echo Beach Bali
AMAR BOUTIQUE HOTEL
Located close to the beach, this property offers a variety of bohemian-style rooms, complete with a swimming pool, a wellness centre and a free breakfast that includes a selection of healthy choices.
ECHO BEACH VILLA AND APARTMENT
This property offers a selection of contemporary apartments, as well as two-bedroom villas. Guests have access to a communal pool, an airport pick-up service, and the option of breakfast for an additional fee.
KOS ONE HOSTEL
Kos One Hostel features a charming swimming pool with views of the rice fields, alongside a bar and a café that offers nutritious meals. The dormitory rooms provide spacious beds, with options for female-only rooms.
How To Get Around Canggu?
Rent a Scooter
The most convenient way to get around Canggu and Bali is to rent a scooter. There usually are three types on offer a Scoopy which is a lighter bike, that looks more like a mopet and a bigger scooters like Vario and NMax.
The rental costs 50k to 110k IDR ($3-$7) per day depending on the model and age of the scooter. If you don’t have much experience, we recommend getting the lighter and slower Scoopy-style motorbike. We live in Canggu and see a lot of tourists coming in July and August, driving the biggest scooters with zero experience and these are the same people that often crush. Please, don’t be one of them! 😅
Petrol is widely available in Bali. Vendors sell it in glass bottles on the side of the road. If you ever wondered why they sell vodka on the side of the road everywhere, that’s not vodka but petrol in vodka bottles. Petrol currently costs 15k IDR per bottle, and a scooter holds about three bottles.
Use Gojek
Gojek is equivalent to UBER in Indonesia. It is super easy to use and very reliable. Download the app and see your location then just say where you want to go, and the app will send your driver. You can either get a car or a motorbike lift. If you don’t feel comfortable riding a scooter or plan to drink, please get a Go Jek. Around Canggu, the standard rate is 15k IDR which is only $1.
The payment is typically taken by cash unless you top up the app and it’s very affordable. You can even get a Gojek to pick up your groceries – we are guilty of doing it, especially in the rainy season! Please be generous with Go Jek guys and don’t forget to tip them, they are the true heroes! ☺️
Hire a driver
In Bali, there is no public transport, and most people just ride scooters. When it comes to a longer trip, you can hire a driver for a full day who will go with you to all the locations on your itinerary, wait for you and take you back to your hotel.
The rates start at 800k IDR for 8 hours. If you’re interested, just ask the reception staff at your hotel to recommend someone. Many people in Bali earn a living by taking visitors around the island so you will find a driver easily.
Bali Tours
Another great and convenient way to explore Bali is to book a tour. A tour is an excellent option if you want to tick off a lot of places but don’t have much time and don’t want to plan the logistics of the trip. Here are some best tours of Bali by Viator:
📸 Instagram Highlights Tour – perfect tour to take those killer shots for your feed. Check availability ➡️ HERE
🌄 Mount Batur Sunrise Hike – most epic adventure. Check availability ➡️ HERE
🏝️ Best of Nusa Penida – the most gorgeous clifftop views you can imagine. Check availability ➡️ HERE
🛕 Northern Charm of Bali Tour – includes Temple Ulun Danu Beratan and Insta famous Handara Gate. Check availability ➡️ HERE
Local Tips For Canggu
✅ Cash
Cash is king on the island. Ensure you always have some on you, especially at the markets and when buying things from small shops such as local petrol vendors.
Also, Bali’s cashpoints are a little unreliable, which basically means they often run out of banknotes. It also means that not every card works at every cash machine.
We know it probably sounds weird to you, but trust me, it is the case here. How we go about it, is we make sure we’ve got both – a Visa and a Master Card on us, and that way if one doesn’t work, we can use the spare one.
✅ Service Charges & Tax
Just to keep in mind, all the prices you see on menus in Bali and Canggu cafes and restaurants are exclusive of tax and service charges. Bali’s tax charges are 10%, and service charges are between 4% and 8% depending on the place. So, your final bill will always be around 15% more than the price you saw on the menu, and you don’t have to leave any tip because the service charge covers that.
I know for the US guys this is normal, but for us Europeans is very bizarre to get charged extra on top of what we see on the menu.
✅ Plastic
Bali is very serious about tackling the plastic problem, which means you won’t see plastic bottles, plastic shopping bags or plastic straws! The plastic problem’s severity is evident during the rainy season when all the trash gets washed out to the beaches.
We recommend booking accommodation in Bali that provides drinking water, which is not that hard to find! Bring your water bottle and refill it at your hotel.
✅ Water
Tap water in Bali is not drinkable, so you can only ever drink filtered water. We recommend bringing a reusable water flask with you that you can re-fill at your hotel for free and use throughout the day. Water is served free in most Canggu cafes as well, which is an excellent custom.
What To Pack With You
Day Backpack – for this adventure and many other ones, you’ll need a day pack. Mal’s favourite one is the stylish and minimalistic Kanken. It is made of durable materials and it’s super simple and super comfortable.
Mirrorless camera – We love Sony cameras! If you’re looking for an entry-level, compact camera that takes awesome photos, go for the Sony Alpha 6400, We’ve used it for years and took some excellent pictures with it. For a more advanced selection, we recommend the Sony A7iii, we couldn’t be happier with it, and we know lots of professional photographers and creators who use it too.
Power bank – power bank to charge our mobile phones saved our lives a few times, no kidding. It is handy if you’re using Google Maps which is a drain on the phone’s battery. We recommend choosing a lightweight one
Raincoat – We know you’re probably thinking we’re crazy, but trust me, the raincoat is essential, especially if you’re scootering your way through the island. We love RAINS, their jackets are a little pricy but also super stylish and durable.
Reusable water bottle – especially thermal ones, is so practical here in Bali. Many hotels and restaurants let their guests refill the bottles for free. We use LARQ bottles with UV light for self-cleaning.
Sun Cream – this is another essential to carry with you and frequently reapply. Choose an eco-friendly and vegan one to do your part for the environment.
Birkenstock Sandals – we both wear them and they are soooo comfortable! We love that they come in so many different styles and colours.
Echo Beach Bali: Wrap-Up
We hope you found our guide to visiting Canggu’s Echo Beach Bali helpful. We love coming to this beach for sunsets. We normally walk along the beach from our villa to Echo and reward our walking effort with a fresh coconut which is such a treat!
Happy beach going!
Mal & Robin 🌴
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