Gunaksa Lake, Klungkung: Entry Fee, Busy Hours, Is It Safe to Swim?

There is no entry fee at Gunaksa Lake. A detikBali report from June 2026 mentions no ticket booth or operator, and we found no official tariff when we checked in October 2026. The lake is a flooded "galian C" sand and gravel quarry inside the Pusat Kebudayaan Bali (PKB) zone in Gunaksa village, Dawan district, Klungkung. Locals call it Danau Gunaksa, Danau PKB, or Danau Viral, because it has been all over social media since mid-2026.

What is there to see?

A wide sheet of calm water with Mount Agung in the distance. Local vendors say the land was rice fields before years of excavation left a basin that filled with water. On a Saturday afternoon in mid-June 2026 hundreds of people lined the shore, and vendors sell snacks and drinks from their cars every afternoon. Nearby, an abandoned pier on the Gunaksa coast has become a favourite spot for anglers (detikBali, May 2026).

When is the best time to go?

There are no official opening hours. It is busiest in the late afternoon, especially on weekends. The PKB area is baking hot until about 4 pm, so aim for 4.30 pm until sunset. Mornings are quieter, but the vendors are not there yet.

Is it safe to swim in the lake?

No. This is a quarry pit, not a swimming spot. Its depth and bottom profile have never been published, there are no lifeguards, and the quarry edges can drop off steeply. The Klungkung coastline is rough too: in late August 2026 a married couple was swept away and killed by waves at Goa Lawah Beach a few kilometres east, and the regency is only now planning a lifeguard unit (Balawista).

Downsides to know about

• Part of the former Gunaksa quarry is being used to bury shredded organic waste trucked in from Denpasar. By 26 September 2026 the dumping pits had grown from two to four, with dozens of truckloads arriving every week (detikBali).
• Construction of the PKB complex is scheduled to resume from November 2026, so access and the stalls around the Red Bridge (Jembatan Merah) may change.
• The access track is rocky dirt with almost no shade. In the 2026 dry season, 2 hectares of dry grass in this area caught fire (July 2026).

How to get there

• From Denpasar take the Ida Bagus Mantra Bypass east into the PKB Klungkung zone. At the Red Bridge keep left towards the former quarry and follow the dirt road towards the coast. The lake is at the end of the road near the beach.
• Location: View on Google Maps (search "Dermaga Gunaksa", as detikBali suggests).
• Tickets: no official fee published (checked October 2026). No booking needed.
• Recent photos and conditions: search on Instagram.

For a similar view from higher ground, Bukit Lingga in Dawan Kaler is about 15 minutes' drive away. For food, the grilled fish and opokan at Warung Mek Gempuk in Kusamba are on the way east.