Mushroom Bay Nusa Lembongan
- 3.5
(193 Reviews)
- Nusa Lembongan Island
Mushroom Bay Nusa Lembongan: The Island's Calmest Stretch of Sand
There’s a specific kind of relief that hits when you step off a scooter and see Mushroom Bay Nusa Lembongan for the first time a wide crescent of white sand curling around genuinely calm, clear water, protected by a natural reef that keeps most of the swell out. After the drama of the island’s southern cliffs, this western-facing bay feels like a different pace of the same place. It’s a completely different mood from the dense, quiet channels of the Mangrove Forest Nusa Lembongan, and a world away from the crashing spray further south here, the water barely moves.
The bay stretches about 200 meters, sheltered enough that it’s regularly rated one of the safest spots on Nusa Lembongan Island for swimming and just floating around doing nothing in particular.
1. A Quick Note on Arriving by Boat
Mushroom Bay is also one of the island’s active fast boat harbors, with direct crossings running to Sanur Harbor on the Bali mainland. If your boat happens to dock here, be ready for a wet landing there’s no jetty or pontoon, so you’ll step straight off the boat into knee-deep water. Wear shorts and sandals you don’t mind getting soaked, and keep valuables in a dry bag. It catches a lot of first-timers off guard, but honestly, it’s part of the charm nobody arrives at Mushroom Bay looking dry, and nobody seems to mind.
2. Getting Here by Scooter
If you’re staying elsewhere on the island or arrived through Jungut Batu Port, Mushroom Bay is an easy add-on about 2.3 to 2.5 km away, roughly a 7 to 10-minute ride along a smooth coastal road lined with upscale resorts. It’s a straightforward loop to build into a day that also covers the Yellow Bridge Nusa Lembongan further south, since the bay sits conveniently on the western side while the bridge anchors the southern tip.
3. Costs and Practical Access
The beach itself is free no ticket, no gate. Scooter parking in front of the beachfront restaurants and rental shops is generally free too, though at some of the central public parking areas you might be asked for a small voluntary cleaning contribution, around IDR 2,000. Fair warning: it’s optional in name, but locals appreciate it, and it goes toward keeping the sand clean.
The beach is open around the clock, but the real activity ticket counters, boat departures, rental stands runs from about 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM WITA.
4. What There Is to Do
The beach itself is free no ticket, no gate. Scooter parking in front of the beachfront restaurants and rental shops is generally free too, though at some of the central public parking areas you might be asked for a small voluntary cleaning contribution, around IDR 2,000. Fair warning: it’s optional in name, but locals appreciate it, and it goes toward keeping the sand clean.
The beach is open around the clock, but the real activity ticket counters, boat departures, rental stands runs from about 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM WITA.
5. When to Visit for a Quieter Bay
Between 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM, the bay is genuinely busy fast boats arriving and departing, day-trippers everywhere. Once the last afternoon boat pulls out for Sanur around 3:30 PM, the whole place shifts. The crowd thins fast, and what’s left is a quiet stretch of sand that barely resembles the same beach a few hours earlier.
Because Mushroom Bay faces northwest, it’s also one of the better sunset spots on the island the sun drops low over the water and lights up the local boats anchored in the bay. Stick around for it, then continue the evening eastward toward the Yellow Bridge Nusa Lembongan if you’re not done exploring yet.
