So, you’re heading to Canggu but you want to know a little more about this slice of our paradise island? We can’t blame you, it’s the most popular spot in Bali and we’re sure you’re raring to get to know it better.
We’ve come up with 15, we think, fascinating facts about the area that should help you prepare for your holiday without weighing you down with too much useless trivia.
15 Fascinating Facts About Canggu, Bali
The Rice Fields Have Become A Hipster Heaven
Canggu (you pronounce that “Chang-oo” and not “Kang-oo”) was a collection of small farming villages surrounded by lush rice fields and it was an agricultural center with most locals growing rice, tending to cows and mainly living a simple Balinese life.
The main beaches of Canggu aren’t great fishing spots compared to elsewhere on the island, though, as they have some fairly harsh currents. This didn’t deter the surfers of Bali from starting to sniff out that epic surf the area is famous for and word began to spread fast about Canggu’s charms.
Today, it’s a lot different from the humble villages of yore. It’s a large urban town, though there are still some rice fields dotted around here and there – there are fewer each year, and there are resorts, hostels, hotels and villas galore.
These are supported by bars, restaurants, cafes, boutique stores, coworking spaces, FINNS Beach Club, and so much more.
Canggu is now a hotspot for digital nomads, foodies, yogis, surfers, and pretty much everyone that wants to enjoy a great place in Bali. The town is holding onto its roots, but it definitely has a new haircut to show off.
The Surf Scene Is Legendary
We mentioned surfing before and that’s because Canggu is a legendary location for surfing here in Bali. It’s the perfect place on the island to get started with the sport, but there are challenges here for even the best surfers too.
Batu Bolong and Berawa Beach are ideal beginner’s locations and you can easily get surf lessons from a local surf school and hire a board to get going with.
Echo Beach, on the other hand, is a stiff challenge and on its fiercest days, it’s best left to the advanced surfer looking to hone their skills prior to tackling the pro-surf of Uluwatu.
Canggu’s Rice Paddy Paradox
The rice paddies here aren’t just for show and for tourists to share on Instagram. They’re the lifeline of the island. Bali has lived in almost perfect balance with nature for over 1,000 years thanks to the “Subak System” which connects every rice field in the land to a centralized irrigation system.
However, in Canggu we have the “rice paddy paradox”, people visit the area because they love the rice fields, but the more people come, the fewer rice fields there are as the land is quickly repurposed for accommodation, coworking and the like.
The good news is that some farmers in this part of the island are tough nuts and they’re not giving up their farms any time soon – they’re bringing in eco-investments to preserve this essential part of Canggu’s heritage.
The Best Vegan Destination In Bali
Canggu is an all-around amazing place for food but if you love plant-based eating, you can’t go wrong here in Canggu.
Nearly every other cafe is outright vegan or vegetarian and if it’s not 100% plant-based, you’ll find that they have veggie-friendly meals on their menu.
Hit up The Shady Shack, I Am Vegan Babe, Nalu Bowls, etc. and you’ll soon find yourself loving the plant life of the island too.
The health conscious boom is down to the yoga studios, wellness resorts and easy access to tasty fresh food from the island’s farmers.
You might find it interesting to know that the word “warung” (often used for a local restaurant or cafe) comes from Javanese. The warungs of Canggu often have vegan versions of Balinese dishes on the menu such as vegan nasi goreng.
The Spiritual Side Of Canggu – Pura Dalem Canggu
The spiritual nature of Canggu is not as evident as the spiritual side of say, Ubud, but it’s definitely here and one place everyone should visit is Pura (Temple) Dalem Canggu.
This Hindu place of worship has been in Canggu far longer than every hipster hangout and it’s a place where the locals come to leave offerings of flowers and incense, particularly if there’s a ceremony on.
If you’re lucky you might even catch a glimpse of a ceremony when you go and see a burst of bright colourful parasols moving to gamelan orchestra music.
The Scooter Swarm
If there was a symbol of Canggu, in 2025, it would be a scooter. The streets here are alive with swarms of scooters, as the locals expertly weave through traffic and intrepid tourists wobble nervously on them, and everyone’s moving, slowly around.
Scooters are very practical transport in Canggu thanks to narrow roads and a dearth of parking but we confess, we don’t recommend riding them – accidents are all too common and hospital bills can get very expensive.
Bali’s love of scooters began with imported scooters from Japan back in the 1970s and today, there’s a rental shop on almost every street. We would note, helmets are mandatory, the terrible road surfaces here have a tendency to open unprotected heads.
The Black Sand Beaches
This area is all about black sand beaches and that means they’re made of volcanic rock that has been smashed to pieces in the water. The rock mostly comes from the island’s two active volcanoes Mount Agung and Mount Batur.
The volcanic ash from these volcanoes is one of the reasons that Bali is so fertile and produces such agricultural bounty.
Balinese folk say that there’s a special energy to black sand and it’s occasionally used in traditional medicines here.
But most of all black sand beaches look awesome at sunset and make the perfect backdrop for your holiday photos.
But be aware, black sand gets super hot during the day, always wear shoes, sandals, thongs or flip-flops when walking on the beach here.
Canggu’s Cow Connections
You won’t see many cows in Canggu today, well unless you head out towards Seseh on Jalan Pantai Seseh where they still occasionally hold up traffic.
But the area was once a big cattle trading and rearing center and you could once see them grazing around most of the rice paddies in the area.
If you do see them, make sure to send them some positive energy, they’re a testament to the staying power of Canggu’s roots.
The Digital Nomad Invasion
Canggu is the most popular spot in Indonesia with Digital Nomads and second only to Chiang Mai, Thailand in Southeast Asia.
There are coworking spots all over the island. Dojo was probably the first space to open here in 2015, but there have been more than a dozen open since.
Remote working is super popular in Canggu because it’s relatively inexpensive compared to the West, has relaxed vibes, awesome surfing and a great community feel to it.
The Graffiti Gallery Of Southeast Asia
Canggu is an artsy kind of place and you’ll find plenty to prove that if you take a wander around the side streets, back streets and even main streets of the area.
You can find murals on walls, fences, cafes, villas and just about everywhere else and they usually have local vibes and quirky characters.
YehPulu and Slinat are the big names in street art here but there are plenty of others waiting to be discovered.
And much of the art has a message to help others understand the challenges facing Canggu, today.
The Canggu Shortcuts
There is a famous Canggu Shortcut between Berawa and Seminyak which once helped to cut down the time between the two areas, but today is nowhere near as much fun as it once was and it’s often very crowded.
However, it’s something of a legendary piece of road and it’s a place that all scooter drivers seem to need to visit once.
There’s a second shortcut in town now, up by Jalan Raya Canggu, sadly they’ve fenced off all the rice fields in this area so you can’t see them anymore, which is a shame as it was actually prettier than the original shortcut until that happened.
The World’s Best Beach Club
FINNS is Bali’s party capital. Amazing swimming pools, happening DJs, the best entertainment of any beach club on Earth, cold cocktails, comfortable day beds, delicious food and so much more.
It’s regularly considered to be the World’s Best Beach Club and the best beach club in Bali too. It’s the most iconic place in Canggu and nearly 1 in 8 visitors to Bali will visit FINNS at some point.
Guessing Where The Name Canggu Comes From
Nobody knows what “Canggu” means. Some say it’s drawn from “Canggih” a world for “skilled” or “clever”. Others say it comes from an ancient Balinese word for “fish”. But nobody actually knows.
What we know is that “Canggu” is fun to say and it rolls off the tongue just right.
Trash Talking And The Fight Back
Canggu has some struggles with trash and the Balinese waste management system isn’t really the best. Fortunately, there are clean up crews all over the area fighting back and they’re winning.
You’re not likely to come across a Canggu beach all covered in plastic because people are out at the crack of dawn cleaning them up (often with the help of the FINNS robot beach cleaner, at least, in Berawa).
Plenty of local businesses in Canggu have also ditched single use plastic and the area has the most refillable water stations of any part of Bali!
Sunset Ritual Wonders
Canggu has the best sunsets in Bali and Bali sunsets are something special. They blaze oranges, reds, purples, yellows and more over the ocean and everyone in town loves to watch them.
Our favourite spot for watching the sunset is from the infinity pool at FINNS with a cold beer in hand, and there are plenty of great spots to catch the show from in the area.
Because Bali is super close to the equator, the sunset is nearly always at around 6.30 p.m. no matter what time of year you get to Canggu. Which makes it super easy to keep track of.
FAQs
Is Canggu Nicer Than Seminyak?
We think Canggu is nicer than Seminyak and that’s because while both towns are well developed, we think Seminyak verges on overdeveloped.
The beach is still nice and there’s plenty to see and do in Seminiyak, but the rice fields are long gone and if we had to choose? We’d choose Canggu.
We’d also note that Canggu is just a 20 minute drive from Seminyak, so you can see both towns wherever you decide to stay.
Is Canggu Or Uluwatu Better?
Canggu is better than Uluwatu in our book. That’s because Uluwatu’s surf is really for the highest levels of surfing skill and the area is super spread out.
Here in Canggu, we can walk to the local shop or cafe, in Uluwatu you need a scooter or a car to get there.
We also think that there’s much more to do in Canggu and it’s better positioned to explore the rest of the island from.
If we were booking a hotel, we’d book Canggu and then take a day trip to Uluwatu to see the things we wanted to see there before returning to Canggu.
Final Thoughts On Facts About Canggu
So, there we have it, 15 interesting (we hope) facts about Canggu. It’s an awesome place with a great mix of old-school Bali and the new-school-cool that tourism brings about.
The rice fields have Wi-Fi and scooters occasionally swerve to avoid cows, the traffic’s a challenge but the surf and FINNS Beach Club make it all worthwhile.
Why not book your trip to Canggu, today? You’ll be glad that you did.