Salt of the North Coast

Updated 21 October 2026

How villages further along Bali's north-east coast still make sea salt by hand, from seawater and sun.

Villages further along Bali's north-east coast, towards Amed, still make sea salt by hand from seawater, dark sand and sun. No machines, no factory. Our own stretch of shore is pebble, but a little further along the beach turns to fine dark sand, and that is where the work happens.

How is the salt made?

Seawater is carried up from the shore and poured over the dark sand, then left to dry in the sun. As the water goes, the salt stays behind in the sand. The salt-rich sand is gathered and rinsed with more seawater, which filters through it into a strong brine. That brine is left in shallow troughs, often hollowed from palm trunks, until the water lifts off and clean crystals are left.

Why this stretch of coast?

The work needs strong sun, dry air for much of the year and long beaches that hold the heat. The dark sand draws the sun and speeds the drying, which is why the practice took hold along the coast towards Amed and Kusamba.

Can you see it?

Yes. Ask the concierge about time with a local salt maker a short way along the coast, where you can see the troughs and try the work first-hand. See the salt of Tianyar for details.

VELA Tianyar is eleven canvas lodges behind Saga, our restaurant, a few steps from the pebble shore at Tianyar Barat, north-east Bali.