Pemuteran: a small bay with a rescued reef

Pemuteran sits at the north-western corner of Bali, where the island narrows towards the strait and the mountains of Java are visible across the water. It is a fishing village with a handful of small resorts, a black-sand beach and a reef that was badly damaged by fishing and bleaching in the 1990s.

What makes it unusual is what happened next. A community group, with the help of the Biorock organisation, began building artificial reefs using low-voltage electrical currents that accelerate coral growth. Twenty years later the results are visible from the surface: structures covered in coral, fish everywhere, and a bay that has become one of the best shore dives in Indonesia.

The Biorock project and the reef

The Biorock method uses a low-voltage current through steel frames in the sea. The current causes minerals to precipitate, which gives coral a substrate to grow on and speeds up calcification. In Pemuteran the frames were built by local fishermen and dive shops, and there are now dozens of them across the bay. The project is funded by the village, the dive shops and a small reef tax that some hotels add to the bill.

The result is not a pristine reef, but it is a living one. Snorkellers can see the structures from the shore in two to five metres of water; divers can go deeper to the older frames, where the coral is dense and the fish life includes cuttlefish, octopus, lionfish and the occasional turtle. The bay is also a nursery for reef fish, which is why the fishing village supports the project.

Snorkelling and diving from the beach

The great advantage of Pemuteran is that you do not need a boat. The reef starts a short swim from the beach, and the water is calm enough for beginners and children. Snorkel gear can be rented for Rp 50,000 a day from the dive shops, and a guide is useful for finding the best structures.

Diving is equally easy, with shore entries and a handful of dive sites in the bay. The nearby Menjangan island, 30 minutes by boat, has steeper walls and better visibility. Dive shops in Pemuteran run trips there and to the muck sites of West Bali, and the prices are lower than in the south. The best conditions are in the morning, before the wind picks up and the bay turns choppy.

Turtles, mangroves and the village

A small turtle hatchery at the eastern end of the beach releases hatchlings in the evening, and the village runs a mangrove replanting project in the lagoon behind the bay. Both are worth an hour. The hatchery asks for a donation, and the release is usually around five in the afternoon.

The village itself is quiet: a main road, a temple, a school, a few warungs and the dive shops. There is not much to do beyond the water, which is the point. The best evenings are spent on a beanbag at one of the beach bars, watching the sun go down behind the mountains of Java.

West Bali National Park and Menjangan

Pemuteran is the best base for West Bali National Park, a protected area of dry forest, savanna and mangrove that covers the western tip of the island. The park is home to deer, monkeys, hornbills and the last wild banteng in Bali, and the birdwatching at dawn is excellent.

The main reason most visitors come, though, is Menjangan island, the small island off the park's north coast with some of the clearest water in Bali. Boat trips leave from Labuhan Lalang, 20 minutes west of Pemuteran, and the crossing takes about 30 minutes. See the separate Menjangan page for the diving details.

Where to stay and what it costs

Pemuteran has small resorts rather than large hotels: garden bungalows, dive lodges and a couple of upscale villas, mostly between Rp 700,000 and 3,000,000 a night. They are quiet, well run and oriented towards divers and families. The cheapest rooms are in homestays along the main road from Rp 350,000; ask for one set back from the road, since the trucks start early.

The trade-off is that it is far from everything. The nearest town with a hospital is Singaraja, an hour east, and the airport is three to four hours. Come for three nights or more, bring what you need, and do not plan to commute to the south. The other consequence is that dining is limited to hotel restaurants and a handful of warungs, all of which close early.

Getting there and a three-day plan

Pemuteran is 3 to 3.5 hours from Ubud and 3.5 to 4 hours from Kuta, via Bedugul and Singaraja or via the west coast road from Tabanan. The drive is long but scenic, and it is worth doing in daylight. A private car and driver costs Rp 1,000,000 to 1,300,000 from the south.

Three nights is the minimum for the reef, Menjangan and the national park. Add a day for a trip to Lovina and the Banjar hot springs, or for a walk in the park with a guide. The best months are April to October, when the water is calm and the visibility is at its best.

• Day 1: arrive, swim and snorkel the Biorock frames, sunset on the beach.
• Day 2: Menjangan island, two dives or a snorkel trip, back for dinner.
• Day 3: national park walk at dawn, turtle hatchery in the afternoon.
• Bring reef-safe sunscreen; the bay is a protected restoration site.

Questions people actually ask

Is the snorkelling in Pemuteran good?

Yes, and unusually accessible: the reef starts a short swim from the beach, with coral on the Biorock frames and plenty of fish. Visibility is not as good as Menjangan, but you can snorkel every day without a boat.

Can you dive in Pemuteran without a certificate?

You can do a discover scuba dive with an instructor, but the better sites are for certified divers. The bay is calm and shallow, which makes it a good place to learn.

Is Pemuteran good for families?

Very. The water is calm, the reef is shallow, the beach has no surf and the resorts are small. The turtle hatchery and the mangrove project are good for children.

How far is Pemuteran from Menjangan?

About 20 minutes by car to Labuhan Lalang, then 30 minutes by boat. Most dive shops bundle the transfer into the trip price.