Jimbaran Fish Market

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The Jimbaran Fish Market is located south of Kuta and is just a quick 40-minute drive from Canggu (our Bali basecamp). This gigantic market is a worthwhile day trip if you love seafood as it offers some of the freshest around (most caught by the local fisherman that morning)! The market is tricky to locate once Google gets you to the site so just follow the smell to some small wooden stands covered in tarps and you’ve reached this seafood paradise.

We spent about 30 minutes walking around the market and surveying the various types of marine life. It made us feel seriously guilty that we were about to eat some of it! Once you’ve had the chance to see whats on offer, you can walk up to any kiosk and ask for a price. After a bit of bargaining (priced per kg) they’ll “prep” (yes, gut) your purchase on the spot and bag it for transport to the grills outside.

We decided on a 1 kg red snapper(40,000 IDR/2.80 USD) and a 1 kg tuna (60,000 IDR/4.20 USD) to split. We then made our way to the beach where locals have set up grilling stations to prepare your lunch for you. We opted for a grill near a small restaurant as they let you sit down and eat once it’s ready. The grilling, which includes delicious spices and sambals, costs an extra 40,000 IDR/ (2.80 USD) which brings our grand total for lunch to 140,000 IDR (9.80 USD)! We enjoyed some of the freshest seafood we could ask for on a beautiful beach in Bali for under $10 USD. It doesn’t get much better than that!

After lunch we opted to spend some time on the beach checking out the traditional fishing boats before heading back to Canggu. We walked the pier to checkout the locals fishing while also watching the planes take-off and land at the Kuta Airport. That happened to be the first day that the airport reopened after the volcano so there was plenty to watch while we digested our delicious lunch!

If you’re not a seafood fan then this market can be skipped. However, compared to the swanky and overpriced seafood restaurants lining the beach just steps from the market, this is the only way to eat!