The 5 Best Snorkeling Spots in Amed Bali.

Stretched along 14km of coastline Amed is home to some of the most beautiful and easily accessible snorkeling spots in Bali. The snorkeling, diving & quiet atmosphere is what attract tourists to this part of Bali.

Where is Amed in Bali?

Amed is on the east coast of Bali and from Ngurah Rai International Airport it will take a bit under 3 hours to reach by taxi. 

This charming little area is filled with accommodation options, restaurants, and also a few spas & yoga studios.

Amed isn’t a massive tourist hot spot and I hope it never becomes one. The beaches are so clean and not overcrowded, and the reef is literally right there! You won’t need to hire a boat or a guide to visit any of the snorkeling spots in Amed I’m going to recommend. It’s the perfect holiday destination for anyone who loves snorkeling and diving, regardless of their skill level. Also.  the water in Amed is incredible, you’ll see it and just want to jump straight in. I’ve been in many other areas in Bali and seen dirty water with big patches of rubbish floating by. But thankfully, Amed’s beaches are the cleanest & clearest I’ve ever experienced in Bali. 

There are plenty of places you can hire snorkeling gear from but it would just depend on what kind of quality you’re after. We brought our own with us and it was definitely the easiest option. 

And, we hired a scooter for the whole time we were in Amed and it cost 60,000IDR per day. This is a great option as there aren’t many taxis in this part of Bali.

If you’re ready to see some of the best marine life in Bali here are the….

5 Best Snorkeling Spots in Amed:

(in no particular order)

#1 Japanese Shipwreck:

This spot is awesome, and you really don’t need to be a scuba diver to get a great look at the shipwreck. Two black buoys are floating above the wreck for easy identification and from shore, it’s about 30 meters to swim out. We accessed the beach through Astungkara Warung. The owner was so lovely and more than happy to mind our bags while we were snorkeling (we just brought drinks from him afterward). A dive resort called Baliku would also be a great access point to swim to the shipwreck from.

#2 Jemeluk:

The highlight at Jemeluk bay is the underwater temple. If you’re looking at the water the temple location is on the far-right side and a white PVC tube sticks out of the water to indicate the exact point. The whole reef here is beautiful with so many big and colorful fish swimming around. The reef starts right at the water’s edge and it’s a safe and easy swim out to the temple. The beach is covered in black sand and rocks, with many restaurants. We spent the morning at Ombak Warung, we got free use of their sunbeds & wifi if we ordered from the restaurant. It was such a beautiful morning, in and out of the water, and easy access to everything we needed. 

#3 Lipah:

We had this spot all to ourselves. Here we saw stingrays, massive fish, and big mountains of coral. There’s a couple of block buoys indicating particularly good areas. The deeper the water was the fewer coral mountains, so there was no need to go out too far. The beach is covered in the most beautiful sparkly black sand I’ve ever seen. And, is one of the few beaches in Amed that doesn’t have rocks all over it. We entered via Pondok Vienna Beach restaurant. As long as we ordered something before we left, they were happy to mind our bags while we were snorkeling. 

#4 Amed Beach:

Not only is the snorkeling awesome from Amed Beach, but it’s also where you’ll see uninterrupted views of Mt Agung. Bali’s infamous active volcano towers over Amed and Amed beach are one of the best viewpoints. We entered Amed Beach via Warung Pyramid. There’s bike parking out the front, deck chairs in the shade, and the food was delicious. The struggle is real when it comes to getting to the water though. The beach is covered in rocks and in the hot Bali sun, they aren’t only uncomfortable to walk on with bare feet but burning hot too.

I wouldn’t say Amed beach was at all busy but there were more people here than any other beach we visited. The snorkeling was amazing, the water depth changed a lot, so that kept it interesting. At the back of the reef, there’s a large drop-off, so I’m assuming that’s what brings so many divers. Also, a few people had seen turtles while they were snorkeling.

#5 Selang Beach:

We stayed at Selang Resort so we could easily access this snorkeling spot from here. The resorts along this beach are all located upon the cliffs and all had stairs down to the water as ours did. This is a larger reef compared to many others in Amed and is far less protected. The sea can be a lot choppier here and at certain times of the day, there are a lot of local boats passing by. Selang beach was good but as a snorkeler, I don’t think we could see everything well, in some areas the water is rather deep. This was, however, the only place we saw a turtle. He would have been about 10 meters below and as soon as he saw us, he quickly swam away!!!    

The names of these beaches aren’t very well signed from the road, so I recommend having a map or taking note of the properties we had entered through. 

Bali is always a good idea & you’ll love the vibe in Amed, and especially the snorkeling!

Amed is very different from Kuta, Seminyak & Legian. It’s so quiet & laid-back, with very little shopping and no one begging for your business. If you’re after a quiet, relaxing destination with plenty of things to see under the sea, then Amed is perfect.

I’ve always enjoyed Bali but I fell in love with how peaceful Amed is! We visited in November, so I think it was more quiet than usual, but it was perfect. Snorkeling spots to ourselves, no traffic, and sensational weather every day. I found Amed to be very environmentally friendly too compared to other areas in Bali. No rubbish around and not one restaurant we went to used plastic straws. 

While you’re in Bali I definitely recommend also checking out some of the more touristy areas and sights. Click here to read my full Bali travel guide, and it’s especially helpful for first-time visitors. 

Thanks for reading, 

Happy Travels.