Jimbaran: the bay where dinner is on the beach

Jimbaran Bay curves south from the airport, a shallow arc of grey sand with calm water and a line of seafood restaurants at the top of the beach. Behind it, the land rises into the limestone cliffs where Bali's most expensive resorts have built their villas. The two worlds share a postcode and very little else.

The village is still a fishing village. Boats go out at night and come back at dawn, the catch is sold at the Kedonganan market, and some of it is grilled that evening a few hundred metres away. That short chain is the reason to come: dinner here is as close as Bali gets to eating on the boat.

The bay and the beach

Jimbaran beach is wide, grey and mostly flat, with a shallow bay that stays calm even when the west coast surf is up. It is good for swimming and for children, though the sand is not the white sand of the brochures. At low tide you can walk a long way out on the flats, and the water stays warm well after sunset.

The northern end, near Kedonganan, is the fishing village: boats, nets, ice boxes and the market. The southern end, below the Four Seasons and the InterContinental, is where the resort beaches begin. Between them are the seafood restaurants, which is where most visitors spend their evening. A single narrow road runs behind all of it, and walking is usually faster than driving.

Dinner on the sand

The Jimbaran seafood dinner is a set piece: tables on the sand, a grill, a menu of snapper, prawns, squid and clams, and a sunset that arrives somewhere between the starter and the main. Restaurants such as Menega and Lia are the best known, and the price is by weight, so ask before you order.

Expect Rp 300,000 to 600,000 a head with drinks, more at the places with the better view. The fish is fresh and the cooking is simple — grilled with a garlic-chilli butter or a Balinese spice paste. It is not the best meal in Bali, but the setting is unbeatable, and the theatre of the whole beach eating at once is part of it.

The Kedonganan fish market

If you want to see where dinner comes from, go to the fish market at Kedonganan in the morning between six and nine. Tuna, snapper, sardines, squid and the occasional reef fish are laid out on tarpaulins, sold by the kilo, and loaded into ice boxes for the restaurants and hotels along the coast.

It is not a tourist attraction and nobody will perform for you. Wear shoes you do not mind getting wet, ask before taking photographs, and buy something if you are going to take up space. The market is the most authentic hour you will spend in Jimbaran, and it explains the town better than the restaurants do.

The cliffs, the resorts and the Rock Bar

South of the bay, the coast turns to limestone cliffs and the big resorts take over. Ayana, the Four Seasons, the InterContinental and a handful of others sit on the cliff tops with private beaches and panoramic views. The Rock Bar at Ayana is the famous sunset spot: a bar built on the rocks at the base of the cliff, reached by a funicular.

You do not have to stay at a resort to visit. The Rock Bar is open to non-guests, with a minimum spend and a queue at sunset; the cliff-top restaurants at the other hotels are also open for dinner. If you are staying in the village, a taxi to the cliff is ten minutes and Rp 50,000.

Where to stay

There are three tiers. The cliff resorts are the top: Rp 5,000,000 and up, with private beaches, several restaurants and a spa. The beachfront hotels in the middle are Rp 1,500,000 to 3,000,000. The village guesthouses and homestays, set back from the beach, start around Rp 500,000 and are the best value if you want to be near the restaurants without paying resort prices.

The village is quiet at night, and that is part of the appeal. There is no nightlife to speak of, the roads are dark, and the beach empties after dinner. If you want bars and clubs, stay in Seminyak and come here for dinner; if you want to sleep with the sound of the sea, Jimbaran is the place.

Getting there and what to do with a day

The airport is 6 km away, 15 to 25 minutes by car, which makes Jimbaran the most convenient beach for a first or last night. A taxi is Rp 100,000 to 200,000. Uluwatu is 30 minutes south, Kuta 20 minutes north, and Seminyak 40 minutes. If you have a late flight out, ask the hotel for a day room: the beach clubs on the cliff will store your bags, but a shower before the airport is worth the money.

A day here is simple: market in the morning, beach and swimming in the afternoon, seafood dinner at sunset. Add the GWK Cultural Park and the Uluwatu temple if you want a sightseeing day, or a boat trip from Kedonganan if you want to snorkel. Otherwise, do very little, which is what the bay is for.

• Morning: Kedonganan fish market before nine, breakfast at a warung.
• Afternoon: swim at the northern end, walk the beach to the cliffs.
• Evening: seafood dinner on the sand, booked for 17:30 in the dry season.
• Ask the price per kilo before ordering; the bill at the beach restaurants is by weight.

Questions people actually ask

Is Jimbaran beach good for swimming?

Yes. The bay is sheltered and stays calm when the west coast is rough, and the slope is gentle. It is one of the better swimming beaches in south Bali, especially for children.

Which Jimbaran seafood restaurant is best?

Menega and Lia are the best known and are reliable. The difference between the beach restaurants is small; the view and the freshness matter more than the name. Ask the price per kilo before ordering.

Do I need to stay in Jimbaran to eat there?

No. It is 20 minutes from Kuta and 40 from Seminyak, and taxis are easy. Book a table for sunset and arrange a car back, because the beach road is quiet at night.

Is Jimbaran or Nusa Dua better for a resort stay?

Jimbaran for sunsets, seafood and a village feel; Nusa Dua for a self-contained resort with calm water and family facilities. Both have cliff-top luxury, but Jimbaran feels more like a place.