Before 1970 if one heard the name of Sanur, the immediate horrifying thinking is black magic. The whole Bali knew this, that Sanur, especially certain person in the village had strong magic practitioners. It was not rare the rumor among people that during certain season it was a magic power war between magic masters of Sanur and those of Kamasan village in Klungkung regency. People only saw round glimmering fires swept above houses, or among trees than colliding and broken into flakes of fires or slowly flying red light diminishing into the dark, and many strange thing people said.

The first inscription disclosing the mystery of Balinese history was also found in Sanur, now preserved at the temple named " Pura Blanjong " This inscription dated back to 913 AD mentions the king Sri Kesari Warmadewa and "Walidwipa". Wali is the variation of " Bali " and dwipa means island. This is probably the origin of the name " Bali ", although other opinion holds that " Bali " originally " Wali " means " offering" or Balinese " Banten " It is believed that Sri Kesari is the founder of Warmadewa dynasty who ruled Bali for almost 425 yeas from around the year of 913 through 1345 AD. It was mentioned that the capital city of the kingdom is "Singhadwara" If Singhadwara is the port city which was probably Sanur itself, that means the place of the inscribed pillar must have been constructed just on the beach line. Now the position of the pillar is around 300 meters from the beach line. A team of archaeologists and geologists have the opinion that the sedimentation on the beach of Sanur was very rapid, in the past it was possible that the current of the sea around Sanur come from east part of Bali and just put the deposit of sediments on the beach which have made the beach longer and longer become more wider. Or a theory that the level of the sea has been going down recently, and will probably in certain period back to the level it was reached before. Before 1970, the village of Sanur was one of the village that produced lime stone for building materials. They collect the corals on the beach and burnt in a kiln resulting a yellow powder that sold to all areas of South Bali. Now this kind of industry has long been disappeared.

The beach of Sanur consist of bigger granulations of white to yellow sandy beach with wider shallow sea bed. During low tide the beach look very wide due to this natural formation. The beach is good for swimming, and during Sunday from 4 pm the beach of Merta Sari, just south to Bali Hyatt hotel is always full of local people with their family. While during certain months, usually December until February it is often that wave brings sea weed waste so the beach look dirty.

In 1996 a beach reclamation was don on the island of Serangan, just around 3 kms south of Sanur Beach. The reclamation causing the rerouting of the sea current to Sanur, as the deeper current is blocked. This have caused a great abrasion at some spots of Sanur beach.

Sanur has attracted many important persons to visit it's magic name since 1930s such as artists, anthropologists, and writers. To mention a few are Dr. Jack Mershon with his anthropologist wife Katherine, painters such as Walter Spies, Le Mayeur de Bruxelles, anthropologist Jane Belo, a writer Vicki Baum, and other important persons. Le Mayeur even built his house and studio in Sanur after marrying Balinese lady named Ni Polok. Now his house has become a museum and still preserved for public.

In 1965 was built the first biggest hotel in Bali that is The Grand Bali Beach Hotel. Then followed by Garuda Hotel (now Sanur Beach Hotel), Bali Hyatt Hotel, Sindu Beach Hotel, and various other big and small hotels. In it's later development Sanur not just for a comfortable overnight hotels, but has been developing also many leisure and sports activities such as sea-kayaking, outrigger, speed boats, water scooters, walking on sea bed, water skiing, diving, and many others.