Are Guling Beach
Best for. Travellers who want a quiet, low key cove and surfers after a gentler wave away from the crowds at the famous breaks.
Best spot. A simple warung at the back of the sand with the whole pale cove in front of you, often nearly empty outside peak hours.
Know this. Facilities are minimal and there is no lifeguard, so come self sufficient and read the water before you swim.
Are Guling is the cove most people drive straight past on their way to somewhere more famous, and that is precisely its charm. Tucked on the south coast between the wide crescent of Selong Belanak and the powerful break at Mawi, it does not announce itself. There is no dramatic clifftop reveal, no headline daybed scene, just a clean pale cove between low green headlands, simple and quiet. In a part of Lombok that increasingly hums with surf camps and tour vans, Are Guling has kept the unhurried, slightly overlooked feel that the bigger beaches lost years ago.
The honest read is that this is a beach to come to for the quiet rather than the spectacle. Visually it is pretty but modest, and it will not stop you in your tracks the way Tanjung Aan or Mawi can. What it offers instead is room and calm. The water here is generally gentler than the heavy surf coves either side, with a manageable right hand wave that draws less experienced surfers looking for a softer ride away from the crowds, and on settled days the cove is calm enough for a careful swim close to shore. Conditions still shift with the swell and there is no lifeguard, so this is a read the water and use your judgement kind of place, not a guaranteed easy paddle.
Set your expectations to low key and Are Guling delivers exactly what it promises. Settle in at a simple warung with the cove in front of you, watch a handful of surfers trade the gentle wave, and enjoy having space that the famous beaches rarely allow. Bring your own water and sun cover, since facilities are minimal, and treat it as the calm, uncrowded counterpoint to the busier south coast names. Pair it with Selong Belanak for the wide sand and Mawun for the prettiest horseshoe, and Are Guling becomes the quiet middle of a fine south coast day.
Clubs on this beach
Are Guling has no beach club, just a warung or two, and the quiet is the point. For a daybed and a full club day, the south coast at Kuta Lombok and Tanjung Aan is a short drive east. Opening hours and any minimum spends are to be confirmed.
Beachfront warungs
The whole of the scene at Are Guling is a warung or two behind the sand, serving cold drinks and simple plates to the few surfers and travellers who find it. It is the easy, cheap way to settle into one of the quietest coves on the coast. Hours are informal and to be confirmed.
Photo: Lalu Pujo Basuki via GoogleMandala Beach Club, Kuta Lombok
For a daybed and cocktail day near Are Guling, the south coast clubs at Kuta Lombok and Tanjung Aan are a short drive east, with Mandala Beach Club among the easier choices. Pair the quiet of Are Guling with a club afternoon for the fuller version of the day. Day use is to be confirmed.
South coast, Lombok
Are Guling sits west of Kuta Lombok on the south coast, around twenty to thirty minutes by scooter or car along the coast road past Selong Belanak. It is less signposted than its neighbours, so look for the turn, and a small parking fee is usually charged near the sand. There is no public transport.
Come for the quiet rather than the services and bring water, snacks and sun cover, since facilities are simple and natural shade is limited. Pair Are Guling with Selong Belanak to the east and Mawun further along for a relaxed loop of the south coast in a single day.
Photo: Areguling Beach Lombok via GoogleBook a beach club
Are Guling keeps it simple, so we will help arrange a daybed or table at a club nearby on the south coast at Kuta Lombok or Tanjung Aan. We reply by email.
We are an independent editorial resource. Booking requests are passed to clubs and operators, and some may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Prices, availability and opening status are set by the venue and are to be confirmed at the time of booking.
Common questions about Are Guling Beach
Where is Are Guling Beach in Lombok?
Are Guling is a quiet cove on the south coast of Lombok, set between the better known beaches of Selong Belanak and Mawi. It is a short drive west of Kuta Lombok on the coast road, less signposted and less visited than its neighbours, which is much of the reason to come.
Is Are Guling good for surfing or swimming?
Are Guling is best known as a gentle surf spot with a manageable right hand wave that suits less experienced surfers on the right day. The cove can also be calm enough for a careful swim near the shore, though conditions vary, there is no lifeguard, and the water should always be read on the day and treated as typical and never guaranteed.
Is Are Guling crowded?
Rarely. Are Guling is one of the quieter coves on this stretch, overlooked in favour of Selong Belanak and the famous breaks nearby, so it often stays calm and uncrowded. That low key feel is its main appeal, a simple pale cove where you can settle in without the bustle of the busier beaches.
Are there facilities at Are Guling?
Only simple ones. Expect a warung or two near the sand for drinks and basic plates, informal parking, and not much else, with no resort or large beach club. Shade is limited, so bring water and sun cover, and come prepared for a low key spot rather than a serviced beach day.
Is Are Guling worth visiting?
Yes, if you value quiet and a relaxed pace over facilities and a guaranteed scene. Are Guling is the kind of overlooked cove that rewards travellers who like to slow down, with a gentle wave, a pale sweep of sand and far fewer people than its neighbours. Pair it with Selong Belanak and Mawun for a full south coast day.
