By Adi Wirawan · Updated May 25, 2026

Best beaches in Lombok

Lombok has more beaches than the typical visitor has time for. This is a short list, organized by what each beach is actually good for, so you can plan a week without wasting half of it on the wrong coast.

Selong Belanak — best for first-time surfers

Wide horseshoe bay on the south coast, twenty minutes west of Kuta Lombok. The wave is a beach break that reforms continuously across the sandy bottom, which means there is always a beginner-friendly section somewhere along the bay. Multiple surf schools rent boards and run lessons; a half-day private lesson runs about 250,000 to 400,000 rupiah depending on season.

For non-surfers, the beach itself is what most people imagine when they picture Lombok: powder-white sand, turquoise water, basically no buildings. There is one beach club (Sempiak) and a row of warungs. Get there before 10am to have most of it to yourself.

Tanjung Aan — best for swimming and photographs

Two adjoining crescent bays separated by a rocky promontory, about fifteen minutes east of Kuta. The water is calm, shallow, and protected — among the best swimming on the island. Climb the small hill between the two bays for the postcard view down both crescents.

The east bay (closer to the hill) has finer sand; the west bay has the famously distinctive “peppercorn” sand that is round-grained rather than crystalline. Pack reef shoes if you have them — there are sea urchins along the rocky outer edges.

Mawun — best for solitude

Horseshoe bay similar to Selong Belanak but more remote and less developed. Twenty minutes by scooter from Kuta along a winding hilly road. No surf, calm water, two warungs and a small parking area at the entrance. If you want a beach essentially to yourself outside of Saturday afternoons, this is the answer.

Gili Trawangan, Meno, Air — best for snorkeling and turtles

The Gili Islands sit a short fast-boat ride off Lombok’s northwest coast. They are technically three separate islands: Trawangan is the party island, Air is the family island, Meno is the honeymoon island. The reef around all three has visibility good enough to see turtles, reef sharks, and the occasional manta ray at the right time of year.

Gili Meno’s east side has the best shore-accessible snorkeling — walk in from the beach, swim out fifty meters, and you are in healthy reef with turtles that are habituated to swimmers.

Areguling and Mawi — best for advanced surf

South coast, fifteen to thirty minutes west of Kuta. Reef breaks rather than beach breaks, with consistent overhead surf during the dry season (May through September). Mawi specifically gets a hollow left that is one of the best on the island for experienced surfers. Not for paddling out on your second-ever lesson.

How to get to all of these

Renting a scooter is the only practical way to chain multiple beaches in one day; expect 80,000 to 100,000 rupiah per day plus fuel. Most beaches charge a small parking fee (5,000 to 10,000 rupiah). The roads connecting the south coast beaches are paved but narrow and shared with delivery trucks; ride defensively, especially around blind curves.