Lombok · Beaches
Seven beaches in thirty-five minutes.
A different beach every day of the week — and one of them is in front of the villa.
South Lombok has the best beaches in Indonesia — that is not marketing copy, it is what guests tell us at breakfast after their first morning here. The coastline between Mangkung and Kuta is a series of horseshoe bays separated by green headlands, with white sand, clear water, and almost no development. From the villa you can drive to a new beach every day for a week and still have one or two left over.
Below are the seven beaches within 35 minutes of the villa, ranked by drive time. Each entry tells you what to expect: how the sand and water feel, whether it is good for swimming, how busy it gets, and what to bring. Our own beach — Pantai Serangan — is at the top, because that one is a 6-minute walk from the front door. Further down, we include one beach that is worth a much longer drive.
Beach by beach
Seven beaches, by drive time.
In front of the villa
Our beach — Pantai Serangan
0 min
A 1.2 km strip with the villa at the centre. Surfboards on the sand at sunrise, kids in the shallows by mid-morning, golden hour to ourselves. The reason we built here.
- Sand:
- Soft white-gold sand, broad at low tide
- Swim:
- Excellent — protected by an offshore reef, gentle shore break
- Crowd:
- Empty most mornings; a handful of locals and surfers later
- Food:
- The villa kitchen, or a 10-minute walk to small warungs
~10 min drive
Selong Belanak
10 min
A wide horseshoe bay backed by green hills. The most photographed beach in Lombok and still the easiest place in the country to learn to surf. Bring sun protection — the bay is long and shade is mostly under thatched parasols you can rent for IDR 50,000.
- Sand:
- Powder-fine white sand, the longest beach in South Lombok
- Swim:
- Calm and shallow — ideal for kids and weak swimmers
- Crowd:
- Busy with surf schools mid-morning and afternoon; quiet at sunrise and sunset
- Food:
- A dozen warungs along the back of the beach; coconuts, grilled fish, fresh juice
~20 min drive
Mawun
20 min
A perfect crescent bay, hugged by two green headlands and almost completely undeveloped. The water is glass-clear on the right tide. If you want one beach day with a swim, this is the one.
- Sand:
- White sand, broad and clean, a natural amphitheatre
- Swim:
- Excellent — sheltered by headlands on both sides, calm even when the coast is swelly
- Crowd:
- Quiet weekdays; weekends bring a few Indonesian families and day-trippers
- Food:
- Two or three small warungs; coconuts, mie goreng, ice-cold drinks
~35 min drive
Tanjung Aan
35 min
The trademark beach of the Mandalika area, just east of Kuta. A long, gently curving bay with two viewing hills (Merese Hill at sunset is worth the climb). Pair with a lunch in Kuta on the way back.
- Sand:
- Two-tone — coarse "pepper" sand on one half, fine white on the other
- Swim:
- Very good — calm, shallow, with a long flat bottom
- Crowd:
- Busy by 10 AM in high season; arrive early or late
- Food:
- Several warungs and a few full restaurants; Boho Beach Hut is a popular sundowner
~20 min drive
Mawi
20 min
A heavy left-hand reef break and a beautiful piece of coastline. Stunning to walk in the late afternoon when the surfers are out. We mention it for the view; for swimming, choose Selong Belanak or Mawun.
- Sand:
- White sand fronting a reef
- Swim:
- Not for swimming — this is a serious surf beach with a strong current
- Crowd:
- Surfers in the line-up; non-surfers watching from the beach
- Food:
- A small cluster of warungs at the access point
~25 min drive
Tampah
25 min
A gorgeous, almost-undiscovered bay framed by cliffs. Great for a long walk and a sunset. A handful of small developments are starting to appear, but for now it still feels wild. Best paired with a stop at Don-Don viewpoint on the drive in.
- Sand:
- White sand, wide and undeveloped
- Swim:
- Good on calm days; can pick up swell and current — check before swimming
- Crowd:
- Often empty; a hidden gem
- Food:
- Almost nothing; bring water and snacks
~30 min drive
Are Guling
30 min
A peaceful little bay between Mawun and Selong Belanak. Skipping it is fine if your time is short, but it is a lovely, low-key alternative on a busy day at Selong Belanak.
- Sand:
- White sand, calm bay
- Swim:
- Good — gentle waves, sandy bottom, no reef
- Crowd:
- Quiet — mostly visited by surfers heading to the right point break
- Food:
- A small warung or two
Worth the long drive
Pink Beach — a full day each way.
On the southeast coast of Lombok, around three hours from the villa, sits Pantai Tangsi — Pink Beach. The sand is genuinely pink, tinted by red coral crushed into the white sand. The water is clear, shallow, and protected by an offshore reef. Snorkelling here is excellent.
It is a long day, but a worthwhile one — best paired with a snorkelling stop at Gili Petelu on the way back. We arrange the trip as a private boat charter from the southeast coast; see the experiences page for current pricing.
See island toursChoosing a beach
A short cheat sheet.
If you have one beach day and want a swim — go to Mawun. If you want to learn to surf — Selong Belanak. If you want a sundowner with a view — Tanjung Aan, then up Merese Hill at golden hour. If you want to feel like nobody else is on the planet — walk down our sand path before sunrise.
For non-swimmers, stay on the four protected beaches: Serangan, Mawun, Selong Belanak, and Are Guling. Mawi and Tampah are stunning but they are surf beaches first; admire them, do not paddle out unless you know what you are doing. The surf is real here.
Bring reef-safe sunscreen — the south coast is on the equator and the sun is direct. Bring water; warungs sell it but it is not always cold. Bring a hat. Bring nothing valuable: cars left at beach access points are usually fine, but we lock everything important in the villa safe.
One last note. The beaches change with the tide and the season. A bay that is shallow and glassy in July can have a moderate shore break in February. We update guests every morning on what conditions look like, and we adjust suggestions to the day. If a beach you wanted is windswept, there is always another one a short drive away.
Frequently asked
Beach days, answered.
Which beach is best for swimming with kids?
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Selong Belanak is the easiest answer — long, shallow, sandy bottom, surf schools running soft-board lessons. Mawun is the second choice and quieter. Our own beach (Serangan) is also kid-safe at low tide because the offshore reef breaks the swell.
Is the water always calm?
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Most days, on most beaches in our area — yes. The south coast does pick up swell from May to September which makes the surf beaches more powerful, but Mawun, Selong Belanak, and our own beach stay swimmable year-round. We keep an eye on conditions and tell guests where to go each morning.
Can I snorkel from these beaches?
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Yes, but the better snorkelling is from a boat. The beaches above are mostly sand-bottomed; the reef life sits a few hundred metres offshore. We arrange private boat charters to several routes — see the snorkelling and island tours on the experiences page for details and prices.
Are the beaches public?
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All beaches in Indonesia are public by law — there is no such thing as a private beach. What we have is a 6-minute walk from the villa to the sand and a stretch of coast where almost nobody else is staying. The result is a beach that feels private even though it isn't.
Do the beaches have lifeguards?
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Selong Belanak has occasional informal lifeguards (the surf schools watch the water during lessons). Tanjung Aan has none. Mawun has none. South Lombok beaches are uncrowded and safe most of the year, but the rip currents on surf beaches are real. If you are not a confident swimmer, stay on Selong Belanak, Mawun, or our beach at low tide.
What about the Gili Islands?
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The famous Gilis (Trawangan, Air, Meno) are off the northwest coast — about a 2.5-hour drive plus a 20-minute boat. Worth a day trip from a north-Lombok base, but not from us. The "south Lombok Gilis" — Gili Nanggu, Gili Sudak, Gili Kedis — are closer (90 min) and far quieter. We organise these.
Want a beach plan for your stay?