Bingin beach is a short stretch of white sand on Bali’s Bukit peninsula. The ocean here is beautiful, and the soaring limestone cliffs behind the beach make for some stunning scenery, but Bingin has mostly gained its fame for one reason: surf.

Here, along the cliff, hundreds of hotels and villas have sprung up, offering accommodation at all levels. Several long flights of steps run down the cliffs to the beach, which is lined with simple restaurants overlooking the sand and ocean. Bingin is home to a top-quality left-hand wave that breaks heavily over a shallow reef, but is also very close to other world renowned surf spots, such as Uluwatu, Padang Padang, Impossibles, Balangan, and Dreamland.

This has made it a popular place for traveling surfers to stay and hang out. The beach is a great place to relax, even for those who have no interest in surfing, and there is always some low key action going on, with plenty of travelers looking to swap stories over some cold drinks. It is also not a bad place for families, but the steep cliffs, many stairs, and shallow reef make it a better option for those with older children. Swimming here is fairly safe, but is better at high tide, when there is more water above the reef, and swimmers would do better not to go in too deep.

Bingin is also a great place to have dinner and some drinks, watching surfers catch the last waves of the day as the sun sets over the Indian Ocean. It’s close to main roads but can be hard to find, as it can only be reached through a maze of small alleys leading to different access points. It’s a good idea to visit Binging with the help of a driver or taxi.