Two waves that work on different tides, delicious food and lush green rice fields at your doorstep – welcome to Medewi! Having spent some time in Bali already on previous trips, that was our first visit to the little town in the west of the island of gods. Surfing in Medewi means surfing Balinese waves, away from tourist crowds in Kuta or Canggu. The following article will show you around the sleepy town!
How to get to Medewi
Easy! Fly to Denpasar and hop in a taxi! If possible use Go-Jek or Bluebird at least to check prices in advance for having a benchmark for bargaining.
If you are traveling on a budget there also leaves a bus at Ubung Terminal in Denpasar heading to Java passing by Medewi.
Medewi was for me one of the places where you feel at home right away. The delicious food at Nal’s with the lovely ladies and the good vibes in the town. All that made it a place where I would have loved to stay longer. I hope this article helped you to prepare for your stay. Have fun while surfing in Medewi.
Surf Spots in Medewi
Generally speaking, there are multiple options to surf in and around Medewi, but I will cover the two main spots in order to keep it simple.
The looong left
Medewi’s main spot is a well-known point break and a long left-hander wave. It can get big and wild but in general, the wave breaks slow and mellow. Here, all surfers can have a lot of fun in the water. On smaller days the takeoff is comparatively easy and the wave itself still rewarding as it breaks slow and long. On smaller days I saw longboarders having the fun of their lives while surfing in Medewi, whereas I had to paddle like crazy to get on the wave.
Keep two things in mind! The paddle to get to the wave is long, the way back can be really painful. Make sure to save some power for the way back! Ideally, you prepare your body before surfing here with a dedicated surf training to avoid sore shoulders.
Secondly, booties can be helpful! Sea urchins could ruin your trip, so better be safe than sorry. Especially during lower tides, you will most likely step on a stone on the sand to make your way out of the water.
The beach break
Close to the hotel ‘Sea Medewi’ and just in front of Warung Ana with sunbeds directly at the beach a super nice beach break is located. In contrast to the aforementioned point break, which works best on lower tides, the beach break likes a bit more water.
Thus, the two spots contemplate each other pretty well!
I wore reef booties also here but seemed to be the only person, so I might have been a tiny bit overcautious here.
Waves were a lot of fun here and getting out was fairly easy. Even with decent waves, I was often alone in the water, enjoying the ‘call for prayers’ sitting in the lineup. Yep, didn’t know as well! In this part of Bali, the majority is Muslim.
Best time to surf in Medewi
In Kuta area, where Medewi also belongs, as it is located in the west the best time to surf is between March and November. During this time of the year, the wind is predominantly off-shore. Between June and September, waves, especially at the point can get bigger.
So, tell me – who and when?
In Medewi you will pretty much always find a wave to surf. During a couple of days, I was pretty unlucky and the point break didn’t produce a lot of waves. That was in February. Locals said that it normally doesn’t get so small and that you normally can surf year-round.
The rule per thumb says that during the European summer, the ocean produces more powerful waves in Bali. Here, more experienced surfers will be rewarded with some long rides. During the rest of the year you can also learn surfing in both spots easily. And the good thing in Bali: If Medewi gets to big, you can hide at other beaches closer to Kuta.
Waves too small? Balian is close by and a real swell magnet!
Surfboards and Surf Equipment in Medewi
As we traveled three months through wonderful Indonesia I decided to travel without board. That made traveling significantly easier but I was always dependent on shops that rented surf equipment at the same time.
While surfing in Medewi I rented something close to the main point and got a great price for board and booties for a week (5€ for both per day). Tied at the scooter and let’s go!
Where to stay while surfing in Medewi
When travelling we always prefer small hostels or homestays over bigger hotels. In this case, we found a great offer in the Sea Medewi, so we couldn’t say no. Including breakfast, we paid not even 20€ for a spacious apartment including breakfast.
If you don’t have a problem with staying in a bigger ‘hotel complex’ that could also be in Mallorca, Sea Medewi is a good choice. Not only because everything was clean and nice but also due to its privileged location (basically in front of the mentioned beach break).
Just in front of the beach break, the Surfcamp Anara is located. We’ve just heard excellent things about it and people who stayed there loved it.
➳ Further accommodation in Medewi can be found here*.
Best food in Medewi
Now, it actually gets a bit embarrassing for us! We researched many supposedly good restaurants before and where super eager to test all of them. Most sounded really nice and had excellent reviews.
Nevertheless, we found our favorite restaurant on our first day and went here every day twice. Nal’s Kitchen is run by a handful lovely ladies who serve incredible food. On top of all that the food is incredibly cheap, so that we sometimes had a bad feeling just paying to little for fresh lobster and the best Nasi Goreng. So, we just tipped higher. Even the pizza was good! Certainly we recommend going here! You’ll find loads of food to give something back to your body after paddling.
Things to do in Medewi
Besides surfing in Medewi you could also consider trying surfing in Medewi! Kidding aside, we didn’t do much in our time beside being in the water. Everything is a bit slower in Medewi and the town has a great vibe, so even non-surfers will have a nice and slow time. One thing you have to do though is to rent a scooter and explore the beautiful rice fields and hidden surf spots around Medewi!
We are pretty sure, that you will have a blast in Medewi! Let us know, if we forgot something or if you are keen on sharing your favorite tips!
*Affiliate-Link | When booking, we receive a small commission, without any extra costs for you!
More saltwater?
➳ Surfing on Nusa Lembongan – The tiny island with crystal clear waves
➳ Surfing in Northern Sumatra – Get barreled in pristine nature
➳ Surfing in Sri Lanka – Surfing in the Indian Ocean
➳ Puerto Escondido – Mexican’s Pipeline and his small brother
➳ Surfing in Nicaragua – Off-Shore Paradise in SJDS
➳ Surfing in Peniche – The European Surf mecca!
➳ Surfing in Spain – When you travel in September, this might be your choice!