Blue Stone Beach Flores is a very nice stop when you travel from Riung to Moni with a driver. It is not a beach where you plan a full lazy beach day. But after several hours in the car, getting out, hearing the waves and seeing all those blue and green stones was a very welcome break.
We left early in the morning from Riung after spending the night on a remote island just off the coast. Waking up surrounded by the sea and then starting a full travel day was quite a contrast. If you want to know what it is like to stay there, where to sleep and what to expect, you can read more in my previous blog about overnight sleeping in Riung.
From Riung we traveled across Flores toward Moni. Kelimutu was waiting for the next morning, but this travel day had enough going on by itself. Blue Stone Beach, a landslide and an unexpected village celebration in Moni made it much more than just a transfer day.
Traveling from Riung to Moni with a driver
The drive from Riung to Moni is around 180 kilometers and normally takes about 5.5 to 7 hours without long stops. On Flores, you quickly learn that distance does not say everything. The roads are narrow and curvy, and road conditions can change. With a driver, this part of the trip felt much more relaxed. You can look outside, ask for a quick stop and leave the driving to someone who knows the roads.
The landscape changes a lot along the way. We passed green valleys, jungle, rice fields, farmland and small villages, with goats casually walking along the road as if they belonged there. Rice, corn, cassava, coconut, cashew, cacao and coffee all grow on Flores, and you see plenty of local farming during the drive.
Bring water, snacks and cash for this route. There are places to stop, but not always exactly when you need one.
Lunch at Blue Stone Beach Flores
Around lunchtime we arrived at Blue Stone Beach, also known as Pantai Penggajawa or Pantai Batu Biru. The beach is in Nangapanda, around 25 kilometers west of Ende. After a few hours in the car, the timing was perfect. We could stretch our legs, get some sea air and have lunch before continuing to Moni.
The beach is known for the smooth stones along the shore in different shades of blue, green, gray and turquoise. I was lucky with the weather. With the sun out, the colors were easy to see and the sea looked very blue as well. What surprised me was how busy it was. Several buses had stopped there and there were quite a few other visitors. So do not expect a hidden beach where you will be completely alone. Blue Stone Beach is clearly a known stop on a Flores road trip.
We had lunch at Blue Stone Beach Restaurant. It was busy and we had to wait quite a while for the food. Luckily, the food was good and we had the beach view while we waited. After lunch, take some time to walk along the shore and look at the stones. It feels completely different from the small islands around Riung and makes a nice break before getting back in the car.
Use Blue Stone Beach as a short scenic and lunch stop rather than planning a full beach day here. Around lunchtime worked very well on our route from Riung to Moni.
What happens with the blue stones?
The blue stones are collected and sorted locally. Some are sold and used for decoration in gardens, walls, floors and bathrooms. When you see the colors, you can understand why people want them. But the beach is also special because the stones are still part of the coastline. Take your photos, walk along the shore and leave the stones where they belong.
Take your photos, but leave the stones on the beach. They are part of what makes this coastline special and are to heavy in your suitcase anyway!!
A landslide on the way to Moni
After lunch at Blue Stone Beach, we continued toward Moni. There were fewer planned stops during this part of the day, until we reached a landslide. Traffic could only pass during certain time slots, so we had to wait until the road opened again. Parts of the road were damaged and some small houses nearby had been affected too.
That was confronting to see. One moment you are enjoying the drive and the next you see how much damage a landslide can cause for the people living right beside the road. Road conditions on Flores can change quickly, especially around the mountain areas and after periods of heavy rain. It is another reason not to plan your arrival times too tightly.
Keep your planning flexible on Flores. Roadworks, landslides and slow traffic can easily change your arrival time. Luckily, my driver knew the time slots for passing the landslide area, which saved us a lot of waiting.
Arriving in Moni
Around 5 PM we arrived in Moni and checked into Santiago Bed & Breakfast. I paid around USD 17 for the night, before visiting Kelimutu, it worked perfectly for me. We had already passed the road toward the volcano area, but decided not to go up that afternoon. The weather looked better for the next morning and, after a full travel day, I was happy to leave Kelimutu until then.
The area around Moni is beautiful and there are also more eco-style places to stay if you want something surrounded by nature. For this night, Santiago was all I needed. If you are planning your own Flores road trip, you can check accommodation in Moni through Booking.com or Expedia. You can also check 12Go for transport options in Indonesia. For this particular route, I was very happy we had a driver.
A surprise evening at Mopi’s Place
There was not much time to sit around at the guesthouse because something was happening in the village. Mopi’s Place, a local hangout in Moni, was celebrating an anniversary when we arrived on October 15, 2025. There was a ceremony first and later the evening turned into music, food, dancing and Arak. My driver Iwan knew a lot of people there and was clearly very happy to see his friends.
I was welcomed too, offered food and ended up dancing with locals and a few other travelers. We had arrived tired after a long day on the road and I had expected to eat something and go to bed. Instead, I ended up right in the middle of the celebration. Flores also feels very different from Bali. The island has a strong Catholic identity and a long history of Portuguese influence. You still notice some of that in the churches, names and village life.
Around Mopi’s Place there was a relaxed reggae vibe, with kind people and great energy and vibes. It was just a really fun evening. I walked back to the guesthouse around 10 or 11 PM and put my earplugs in because Mopi’s was nearby. Very glad I packed them. The next morning was going to start early. Finally, it was time for one of the places I had really been looking forward to on Flores: the Kelimutu crater lakes.
Frequently asked questions about Blue Stone Beach Flores
Is Blue Stone Beach Flores worth visiting?
Yes, especially if you are already traveling between Riung, Ende and Moni. I would not make a full-day trip just for the beach, but it is a very nice stop for lunch, a short walk and a break from the car.
Can you swim at Blue Stone Beach Flores?
Yes, swimming is possible. I personally would not choose Blue Stone Beach mainly as a swimming stop. For me, it was much more about the stones, the sea view and having a break during the drive.
Do you need a driver from Riung to Moni?
You do not need a driver, but I would recommend one. The road is long, curvy and road conditions can change. For me, traveling with a driver made this day much more relaxed.
Let Me Inspire You Takeaways
The drive from Riung to Moni is a long travel day, but Blue Stone Beach makes a very good stop around lunchtime. Have some food, walk along the shore and take a look at the blue and green stones before continuing toward Moni. Traveling with a driver made this route much easier, especially when we reached the landslide and Iwan already knew when traffic would be allowed through. And then Moni gave us a completely unexpected ending to the day. Instead of an early dinner and bed, we ended up eating, drinking Arak and dancing at Mopi’s Place.
Next stop: Kelimutu. We were getting up early the next morning to finally see the crater lakes.
