Crystal Bay Nusa Penida is one of the most popular beaches – if not the most popular beach – in Nusa Penida. This stunning cove is known for its incredible snorkeling, palm tree-lined beach and laidback atmosphere.
If Crystal Bay Nusa Penida is part of your Bali bucket list, keep reading for all the information you should know before you visit.
Best time to visit Crystal Bay Nusa Penida
Crystal Bay Nusa Penida can get very busy, so we recommend you try and get there as early as possible. If crowds don’t bother you then sunset is also a magical time to visit Crystal Bay, as the beach faces directly west making it a banger spot for sunset.
How to get to Crystal Bay Beach Nusa Penida
A great way to visit Crystal Bay Nusa Penida is by scooter – this island is just not made for cars. Most accommodations will be able to arrange a scooter rental for you, and if you hire for multiple days you can usually haggle down to around 60,000 IDR per day. If you’re not comfortable driving a scooter, a popular option is to hire a car with a private driver.
Join a tour:
If you plan on swimming with the Nusa Penida manta rays, then that same tour should take you to Crystal Bay Nusa Penida by boat.
By scooter:
Crystal Bay is one of the best beaches close to town, and can be reached by scooter/car. Simply follow this Google Maps pin or put in Crystal Bay Nusa Penida into your navigator and it will lead you there.
How To Book A Tour: Crystal Beach Nusa Penida
You can join a public tour at the harbour, but we recommend booking a tour well in advance with a reputable company. We arranged our Crystal Bay snorkeling tour with Island Time Bali. They were recommended to us by a friend and are well known in the Nusa Islands.
Their Nusa Penida Land & Sea package will take you to Crystal Bay, Manta Point and Gamat Bay, as well as other popular stops on land. There are other companies you can go with, but we recommend you check out Island Time Bali first.
What to bring for snorkeling Nusa Penida
Prepare for your trip for snorkeling Nusa Penida with our must-have travel essentials. (Click for prices)
If you’re interested in photography and/or videography this is the gear we can’t live without:
-Professional camera: Sony a7iv
-Underwater camera/phone housing: Aquatech & AxisGO Housing
(use code AF-CARSONMOODY-USA for 10% off entire order)
-GoPro: GoPro HERO10 Black
Related post: What's in our camera bag
Click here to see our complete camera gear
Crystal Bay Nusa Penida Snorkeling Price
Prices start at 1,150,000 IDR per person and include pick up and drop off at your hotel, all the snorkelling gear, snacks, food and the best vibes from Blackie, your trusty guide.
If you decide not to go with a tour or you want to go back to Crystal Bay another time by yourself, there is a 5000 IDR parking fee.
BOOK A TOUR: Snorkeling with Manta Rays
Click here to contact Island Time Bali
What to expect at Crystal Bay Nusa Penida
We boarded our Island Time boat at Toya Pakeh Harbour just before 7am and headed out to Manta Point first to swim with manta rays. You will do this first so that you can beat the crowds that all come for the manta rays.
Related post: Manta Point Travel Guide
Click here to read Manta Point
After the manta rays we made our way to Gamat Bay for a little more snorkeling, before heading to Crystal Bay Nusa Penida. If you want to know more about Gamat Bay, check out this guide here.
Related post: Gamat Bay Travel Guide
Click here to read Gamat Bay
Crystal Bay was the third stop on our tour and the perfect chance for us to relax a little. We were pretty exhausted from swimming for so long that we jumped at the chance to chill out in the sun, atop the boat’s roof.
Carson and Blackie made their way to the shore to get a closer look at the beach, where they also sent the drone up for a bird’s eye view. The beach itself has been developed for tourism, but was still charming, especially so early in the morning with no other tourists.
We decided to skip snorkeling at Crystal Bay Nusa Penida as we were all tuckered out, but one thing we noticed was how many dive boats were out on the water. There must’ve been a dozen divers under the surface, so it’s safe to say Crystal Bay is quite the underwater attraction.
If you have the time and want to explore beyond Crystal Bay Nusa Penida, there are two coves with pristine, untouched beaches, right next to Crystal Bay. The first is Pandan Beach and the second, further along, is Puyung Beach.
They are not easy to get to by land, but it is possible to reach them by hiking over the ridge at Crystal Bay to Pandan Beach first, and then over the second ridge to Puyung Beach. It looked far more achievable by boat, but we were heading back to mainland Bali later that day and ran out of time.
Where to stay in Nusa Penida
Related post: 12 Best Beaches in Uluwatu
Click here to read the 12 best beaches in Uluwatu
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