Devil's Tears and Dream Beach

Most of Lembongan's coast is reef and sand. The southwest corner is different: low limestone cliffs, worn into ledges and holes, that take the full force of the ocean swell.

Devil's Tears

Waves roll into a gap in the rocks, get squeezed, and burst upward in towers of spray. When the light is low you often see rainbows in the mist. It's at its most dramatic when the swell is big and at sunset, when the whole coast turns gold. It's a short walk from the road and free to visit.

It is also genuinely dangerous. The rock is uneven and wet, and the sets come in bigger than the waves before them. People have been swept off these rocks and drowned. Stay well back from the edge, and watch a few sets before you choose a place to stand.

Dream Beach

A short walk from Devil's Tears, a cove of pale sand below the cliffs. It's beautiful, but the shore break is strong: waves dump straight onto the sand, and there can be a pull back out. Swim only when the sea is flat, and watch where locals swim. On a big-swell day, enjoy it from the sand.

Sandy Bay

Just around the corner, another small cove, often a little more sheltered. A good place to sit out the afternoon before walking back to Devil's Tears for sunset.