8 Best Legian Beach Resorts and Hotels

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Stay west of Jalan Legian and the sand is a short walk away. The main road is loud and congested. The beach runs from Jalan Melasti in the south to Double Six in the north, and the walk to it is short from every street in between. Here’s where I’d book, depending on how near the water you want to sleep.

Legian Beach Resorts and Hotels

The Streets Around Legian Beach

The beach runs from Jalan Melasti, where Kuta ends and Legian Beach begins, north to Jalan Arjuna, where Seminyak begins. The streets that run to the beach are calmer than the main road.

• Jalan Legian: This is the main road, with the shops, cafes and most of the nightlife. It is busier and noisier than the streets that run to the beach, and it clogs with traffic.
• Padma Street: It leads to Padma Beach, a popular stretch of Legian Beach, where vendors sell drinks from under umbrellas. The street itself is known for bead and shell work.
• Garlic Lane: Officially Jalan Sahadewa, this lane packs fabric shops, cafes, restaurants, bars and live music into one lane. It runs from fabric shops by day to live music and bars at night.
• Double Six End: Jalan Arjuna, also called Jalan Double Six, marks the northern end of Legian Beach. Double Six Beach is about 500 metres long and has upmarket restaurants and bars.

Swimming and Surf Off Legian Beach

The sea here has waves and rip currents. Swim between the flags and treat red flags as a no.

• Flags and Lifeguards: Lifeguards staff several posts along the beach, but cover is partial, not the whole beach. Swim only between the flags, follow the lifeguards, and stay out of the water when red flags are up.
• Rip Currents: Strong waves and rip currents are part of this coast. Check the flags before every swim, not only on the first day.

Sunset on the Sand

Legian Beach is a popular place to watch the sun go down. Simple beach bars on the sand are where people sit for it.

• Beach Bars: Pull up a chair at one of the bars set along the sand and order a drink as the light drops. Some restaurants set out beanbags and low tables facing the water.
• Double Six Beach: Indonesia’s tourism board names it a popular sunset spot. Cafes and restaurants face the sea, and people sit on the sand or in chairs.

Getting Around Without a Scooter

Most of Legian is walkable, so you can skip renting a scooter.

• Beach Footpath: A paved footpath runs between the beachfront hotels and the sand, and it leads north toward the restaurants and bars at Double Six. Use it for the evening walk instead of the main road.
• Taxis: App-based taxis for cars and bikes work in the area, and so do metered Blue Bird taxis. Both are plentiful for anything beyond walking distance.

Dry Season, Wet Season and Peak Months

Legian has a dry season and a wet season, and the crowds follow the calendar.

• Dry Months: The dry season runs from May to October. The wet season runs from November to March.
• Busiest Months: June to August is the peak, with July the busiest month. A shorter spike comes at Christmas and New Year.

Airport Transfer to Legian

Ngurah Rai Airport sits close to Legian, so the transfer is short.

• Drive Time: Expect 15 to 30 minutes by car for the 5 to 6 kilometres. The main road clogs with traffic, so allow longer for a late-afternoon arrival.
• Official Taxis: A fixed-fare taxi counter in the arrivals area sells zone fares. You get a voucher and a driver, and you pay the posted fare.
• Telling the Driver: Give the hotel name and its street, such as Jalan Padma, Jalan Padma Utara or Jalan Melasti. Jalan Arjuna, at the north end, is also called Jalan Double Six.

FAQs

1. What happens on Nyepi in Legian?

Everything stops for 24 hours. The airport closes to all flights, beaches and streets close to everyone except security staff and emergencies, and shops and restaurants shut. Hotels stay open, but guests stay on hotel grounds. Nyepi follows the Balinese lunar calendar and falls around March each year and moves with the lunar calendar, so check the date before booking flights around it.

2. Is Legian Beach clean?

Legian’s beaches are cleanest outside the wet season. Rubbish washes ashore mainly from November or December to March, when monsoon winds and rain push debris onto south-west facing coasts. A visit between May and October falls outside those months. Check the weather before a December or January trip, since both months sit inside that window.

3. Is Legian good for families?

Family resorts, easy beach access and the Waterbom Bali water park nearby make Legian the family pick of the three beach areas. Kuta, to the south, is the busiest of the three. Seminyak is more upscale, with beach clubs, fine dining, boutiques and luxury resorts, and it is aimed at couples and friends. Legian sits between them.

4. Is Legian quieter than Kuta?

Yes, Legian is calmer and less crowded than Kuta, with a lively nightlife. Kuta has the most active nightlife of the three and draws backpackers, surfers and a younger crowd. Jalan Legian is the loud exception inside Legian, since the shops, cafes and most of the bars line that one road.

5. How far is Seminyak from Legian on foot?

From central Legian it is about 2.7 kilometres, or 20 to 40 minutes on foot depending on your starting street. The walk shortens to about 10 minutes along the sand from Double Six, where Legian Beach ends and Seminyak begins. A paved footpath behind the beachfront hotels leads toward the Double Six restaurants and bars. A taxi or scooter is quicker along the road.

6. Can you walk from Legian to Kuta?

It takes about 20 to 30 minutes to walk from Legian to Kuta, depending on where you start. Jalan Melasti is where Kuta ends and Legian Beach begins, so it makes a clear landmark to aim for. Beyond that point the beach and the streets belong to Kuta, which has the most active nightlife of the three areas. Hotels on Jalan Melasti start at that landmark.

7. Can beginners learn to surf at Legian?

Legian works well for beginner surfers because the waves are medium-sized and suit beginners to intermediates. Surf schools and board hire operate on the beach and along the roads that lead to it. Ask the school which part of the beach suits your level before you book a lesson, and stay between the flags afterwards.