Discover the island’s number-one snorkeling beach at Crystal Bay on Nusa Penida Island.
Crystal Bay is located on the northwest end of the island and is one of the most popular beaches. That’s because here, you’ll find incredible snorkeling and scuba diving, as well as a palm-tree-lined white-sand beach to soak up the rays.
In this quick guide, I’ll outline everything you need to know about visiting, with options for how to get here with some above and underwater photos from my visit.
About Crystal Bay
Even if you're not into scuba diving or snorkeling this beach is certainly worth visiting. It's close to the main port town of Toya Pakeh, making it an excellent option for a day trip or sunset location when staying on the island. Here's everything you need to know to plan a trip.
- You'll find Crystal Bay located on the western coast of Nusa Penida, making it great for sunset
- If you're staying near Toyapakeh, you can get here via a short 30-minute drive. The roads were pretty bad but have been fixed up lately.
- Snorkeling at Crystal Bay is included on the famous All Day Nusa Penida Tour from Bali.
- This incredible sheltered cove is world-famous in the dive scene as THE place to spot Mola Mola (the giant oceanic sunfish).
- If you're lucky enough to be visiting Crystal Bay Nusa Penida in the Mola Mola season (August to October) then I highly recommend booking a dive!
Entrance fee: There is no entrance fee to get to Crystal Bay. However, if you want to park your motorbike at the official car park, there is a 10,000 IDR fee.
How to Get to Crystal Bay Nusa Penida
By far, the best way to get to Crystal Bay and explore Nusa Penida is to rent your own motorbike. You can get on from your accommodation or the many rental shops at the harbor port.
A daily rental costs between 70,000 to 100,000 rupiah for a decent scooter.
The journey by scooter to Crystal Bay is only about 20 minutes from the harbor, making it one of the closest snorkeling beaches on the island.
Below I've pinned the exact location to help you find your way. The road here is generally pretty decent. Along the way, you'll pass beautiful palm-lined roads and quaint villages and roadside warungs.
Directions from Tokyapakeh Harbour:
- Drive southeast on Jalan Ped-Buyuk for 2.5 km.
- Turn right onto Jalan Crystal Bay and follow for 12 km.
- Continue straight to the parking area at the beach.
Location: 8°43'04.9"S 115°27'14.9"E
The final location is the beachfront, where you'll be asked to pay 10,000 rupiah to park your bike (standard on Nusa Penida).
Alternative: Crystal Bay From Bali
Alternatively, if you'd rather see all the best Nusa Penida highlights on a guided tour, then you can also do that. There are many different businesses running tours from Bali to Nusa Penida but when booking, you'll want to confirm a few things:
- Ensure its a fast boat
- Ensure all fees are paid upfront
- Pick one with snorkeling at Crystal Bay, Broken Beach and a visit to Kelingking Beach!
To save you the trouble of searching and haggling, I've linked the best-rated and most bang-for-buck trip that includes a visit to Nusa Penida's Crystal Bay for snorkeling below.
My Experience at Crystal Bay
Once we arrived at Crystal Bay, we noticed it was quite a busy spot. There were many tourists sprawled out on the sandy shores. Instead of joining them, we rented some snorkeling gear from one of the guys working at the small Bali-style beach bars. The cost was 50,000 per set (fins, mask, snorkel).
In the middle of the cove at Crystal Bay is a small, rocky island. We swam out to this island to check it out.
Also, if you take the slightly worn trails on the left side of the cove (looking out to sea), you can climb up to a vantage point that gives you a good view of the beach and island.
Unfortunately, my camera card was corrupted from this trip so I lost my great photos of Crystal Bay! Luckily I still have some phone and underwater shots from this spot!
Snorkeling at Crystal Bay
Snorkeling is definitely what it's all about at Crystal Bay! I was actually pretty mind-blown by just how pristine the coral reef was here. The further you swim out, the better your chances are of spotting a cruising manta ray and green turtle.
The best coral reefs are further out from the beach on the left side of the small island. The water here is quite shallow considering how far out it is.
Below are some underwater photos that I captured during my time snorkeling at Nusa Penida Crystal Bay.
Update: We returned to Crystal Bay as one of the snorkeling spots on the famous Manta Bay snorkeling tour. In my opinion, this is one of the best spots to snorkel on the trip.
Where to Stay Near Crystal Bay
Nusa Penida isn't a huge island, but there are several options to pick from when choosing where to stay. Below I've included my 3 picks for budget, mid-range, and luxury accommodation.
1. Adiwana Warnakali Resort Luxury
This isn't the most expensive luxury resort on Nusa Penida but it's definitely one of the best! This resort is waterfront located with large, luxury suites and an incredibly included breakfast.
2. Jukung Cottage Mid-Range
This epic, beachside resort-style cottage retreat offers great bang for buck. It features a restaurant, an outdoor swimming pool, a bar, and a shared lounge.
3. Hostel Bukit Sangcure Budget
This is the accommodation I chose in Nusa Penida. It's a cheap backpacker hostel that is close to the port and offers breakfast and bike rentals.
I hope you've enjoyed this quick travel and snorkeling guide. For more adventure inspo and travel guides, check out the links below! Oh, and if this guide needs any update, let me know in the comments below!
- Nusa Penida Travel Guide - explore the best of the island with this list of the top things to do!
- How to Get to Nusa Penida - complete guide with the best current options.
- Things to do in Lombok - visit the epic adventure island of Lombok after your trip to Nusa Penida.