City guide · Bali · Ubud
Ubud, Bali
An artists' village on the Island of the Gods: rice fields, temples, dance and daily offerings
Bali is the only mainly Hindu region of Indonesia, and every day you see small offering baskets along the roads. Ubud, in the hills of central Bali, is surrounded by rice terraces and forest, an artists' village of painters and dancers; Tanah Lot on the coast is the island's most famous sunset spot.
History
Los orígenes de la ciudad
Bali keeps its distinctive Balinese Hindu culture; the founding of Tanah Lot is attributed to Nirartha, a 16th-century religious figure who travelled the islands. The Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud has three temples built around 1350. In the 1930s Ubud Palace was among the first places to receive foreign guests; from 1952 the Spanish-American painter Antonio Blanco lived in Ubud until his death in 1999, and after the Dutch painter Arie Smit arrived in the 1960s the 'Young Artists' movement began, making Ubud an art centre.
- c. 1350The temple in the Sacred Monkey Forest was built
- 16th centuryThe founding of Tanah Lot temple is attributed to Nirartha
- 1930sUbud Palace began welcoming foreign guests
- 1960sArie Smit arrived and the Young Artists movement began
Stories
Historias de la ciudad
Leyenda · Tanah Lot
A holy man rested on the rock
Legend has it that the 16th-century religious figure Nirartha, deeply influenced by Hinduism, travelled through Bali, Lombok and Sumbawa spreading his teaching, and on the way spent a night on this rock in the sea. The founding of Tanah Lot is attributed to him, and today he himself is worshipped there.
Must see
Lugares imprescindibles
Bali
Island of the Gods, a soul's home of Hindu ritual and sunny beaches
Ubud Sacred Monkey Forest
A sacred forest on the edge of Ubud: hundreds of long-tailed macaques and three Hindu temples built about 700 years ago.
Tanah Lot
A temple on a rock in the sea, surrounded by water at high tide — Bali's most famous sunset spot.
Before you go
Normas que debe conocer en Ubud, Bali
Nyepi in Bali: a whole day of island-wide silence
- Stay in your accommodation all day, lights off and quiet
- Adjust flights and check-in or check-out dates in advance
- Going out into the street or to the beach
- Booking flights in or out of Bali on that day
Everyone on the island, including tourists, must comply; I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport closes for the whole day.
Verificado el 19 oct 2026Fuente: GOV.UK: Indonesia travel advice