Uluwatu, Bali

Uluwatu is a place on the south-western tip of the Bukit Peninsula of Bali, Indonesia. It is home to the Pura Luhur Uluwatu Temple and is the number four surf destination in the world for surfers of all abilities.

The name Uluwatu comes from ulu, meaning ‘lands end’, and watu, meaning ‘rock’.

Geography

Visible in the Bukit Peninsula are layers of tertiary limestone resulting from the tectonic subduction of the Indo-Australian Plate under the Eurasian Plate, bringing it above sea level. Uluwatu borders the Indian Ocean to the south.

Surfing

Uluwatu was "discovered" as a surfing destination in 1972, due to the making of Morning of the Earth, a 1971 classic surf film by Alby Falzon and David Elfick. The original goal of the film was to show waves around Kuta. After a few days of shooting around Kuta beach, they found Uluwatu. To get to Uluwatu requires descending down the temple and emerging through the two rocks at the base of the cave, at the beach of Uluwatu. At the time, there were no roads leading to the beach, which meant that surfers had to bring all the supplies they would need. Steve Cooney surfed the first wave in Uluwatu history, capturing it on film for the movie Morning of the Earth at age 15. After the movie's release on 25 February 1972, Uluwatu received immediate attention from surfers across the globe.