Sanur Beach, Beach in Denpasar, Indonesia

Sanur Beach is a 5.1 km coastal stretch on Bali's east side, running from Matahari Terbit Beach to Mertasari Beach; part of it was reclaimed in 2008. The sand is dark and granular, and the water stays calm behind the offshore reef. Along the shore stand low wooden tables with slatted tops and attached benches, closed umbrellas on poles, and simple wooden benches. Painted outrigger boats with cream hulls, red, green and yellow stripes and a curved prow topped by a red finial float offshore.

Dutch painters discovered the area in the 1930s because of its special morning light, but larger accommodations for travelers only appeared three decades later. The area shifted from a fishing village into a quieter destination for those avoiding the crowds of Kuta during the 1960s.

Sanur takes its name from the Balinese words pasih sanur, meaning "Sanur beach"; the old spelling Sanoer appears in older texts. Near the beach stands Pura Blanjong, home to the Blanjong Pillar, a 9th-century stone column inscribed in Sanskrit and Old Balinese, the oldest such column on Bali. The 5.1 km shoreline from Matahari Terbit Beach to Mertasari Beach was reclaimed in 2008.

A paved promenade runs along the coast from Matahari Terbit Beach south past Sindu, Karang and Semawang to Mertasari, used for jogging and walking. The 5.1 km stretch from Matahari Terbit to Mertasari was reclaimed in 2008. The beach lies 10 to 15 km from Ngurah Rai airport, about half an hour by road, and taxis serve the area.

The reef allows you to walk across wide flats at low tide and explore small pools where shrimp and crabs hide. In some spots, bleached coral pieces lie scattered on the sand, washed ashore during storms.