Cala Saona

Cala Saona is the rare Bali villa that was designed by its owners for their own family, and it shows in every detail. Spanish architects Beatriz Alejandre and Nacho Atienza of Biombo Architects completed this property in 2019, drawing on locally sourced Bali limestone, grey and black lava stones, ironwood shingles, and hydraulic cement tiles to create a home that feels rooted in its Canggu setting rather than imposed upon it. The result was compelling enough to earn a feature on ArchDaily, and in person the villa is even more striking. This five-bedroom configuration occupies the main house, making it the ideal option for families or groups of up to ten who want architectural substance without booking the full eight-bedroom estate.

The centrepiece of the main house is a nine-metre double-height indoor tropical garden that wraps around a sunken living area, creating a genuinely dramatic sense of arrival. Full-height glass doors retract to merge the interior with the pool terrace and rice field views beyond. The 17-metre lagoon-style swimming pool, finished in local marble with Caribbean-blue water and a sandy shore lined with coconut palms, is among the most distinctive in Canggu. A lower lounge beside the pool bar overlooks the paddies and, on clear days, offers distant volcano views that make sundowners here particularly memorable.

The five bedrooms are spread across three levels and each has its own ensuite bathroom. The master suite on the middle floor features a terrazzo bathtub set within the bedroom itself and interconnects with a children’s room fitted with twin beds, making it practical for families with young ones. The top-floor bedroom opens onto a wrap-around balcony with rice field panoramas, while the ground-floor and lower-ground rooms provide easy pool access and proximity to the dedicated spa and massage room. Every bedroom is air-conditioned and finished with the same considered material palette found throughout the house.

Cala Saona sits on a quiet lane off Jalan Pantai Batu Mejan, surrounded by rice paddies and temple grounds, yet Canggu’s dining scene is less than a five-minute walk away. Echo Beach and its surf breaks are a ten-minute drive, as is La Brisa beach club. The included staff team of villa manager, butlers, housekeeping, and security means daily logistics are handled without fuss, while a private chef can be arranged at additional cost. At $1,048 per night in low season, this is a genuinely architect-designed property at a price point that most Canggu villas of this calibre cannot match.

Cala Saona stands apart because it was built by architects for themselves, not as a speculative rental. That distinction is evident in the spatial ambition, the material quality, and the way natural light and greenery are woven through every level of the house. For groups who value design as much as comfort, this is one of Canggu’s most compelling options.