Things to do in Bathsheba
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Bathsheba
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
High season: dry, breezy, best surf watching; book inns early.
Warm and quieter; good value.
Hot; less consistent surf but the village is empty.
Hurricane season fringe; lowest rates, brief heavy showers.
What's on
- Soup Bowl surf competitions Winter season
International events when the swell is up.
- Oistins Fish Festival Easter weekend
The island's biggest fish fry, a 30-minute drive.
- Barbados Food and Rum Festival October
Island-wide, with east-coast events some years.
Best things to do in Bathsheba
Soup Bowl
Barbados' premier surf break; come to watch, not to swim.
Bathsheba Beach
Giant rock formations in the shallows; walk it at low tide.
Andromeda Botanic Gardens
Six-acre garden with orchids, palms and a lily pond.
Flower Forest
50-acre garden in the hills with Scotland District views.
St. Nicholas Abbey
1658 plantation house with rum distillery; book the house tour.
Where to stay in Bathsheba
Bathsheba village
Elsewhere on the east coast
Base on the west coast instead
Think twice about
- Lodging you cannot walk to in the dark
No street lighting to speak of; stay close to where you will eat, or drive.
- The Soup Bowl rocks for swimming
Heavy surf break water; Tent Bay is the swim spot.
- The east coast road in heavy rain at night
Narrow, unlit, steep drops in places; drive it in daylight.
Best restaurants in Bathsheba
Dina's Bar & Cafe
The village lunch counter: Bajan plates, cold beer, cheap.
Zemi Cafe
Small garden cafe near Tent Bay; a solid lunch alternative.
Outdoor things to do in Bathsheba
Tent Bay
The sheltered swimmable cove; swim here, not at the Soup Bowl.
Coco Hill Forest
Reforestation project with guided rainforest walks; book ahead.
Hackleton's Cliff
The east coast's panoramic viewpoint; drive up for sunrise.
Best hotels in Bathsheba
The Atlantis Historic Inn
1880s inn over Tent Bay; the Sunday Bajan buffet is an institution.
Round House
Clifftop restaurant with five guest rooms above the Soup Bowl.
ECO Lifestyle & Lodge
Eco-minded lodge near Tent Bay with yoga and a pool.
Is Bathsheba expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | BBD 300 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | BBD 650 a person |
| Splurge | BBD 1,400 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- St. Nicholas Abbey: a few days ahead
- Coco Hill Forest: a few days ahead
- The Atlantis Historic Inn: weeks ahead
- Atlantis Sunday buffet: book ahead, it sells out.
- St. Nicholas Abbey house tour: book ahead.
- Round House: check seasonal hours before going; they vary.
Is Bathsheba safe?
- A quiet, safe fishing village; the danger is the ocean, never swim at the Soup Bowl. Emergency: 911.
Bathsheba travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Expecting a beach holiday: the east coast is for watching the ocean, not swimming, outside Tent Bay.
- Secret beach tours sold on the west coast: Bathsheba is a public village, no tour needed.
Getting around Bathsheba: public transport and more
- Rent a car; east-coast buses are infrequent and west-coast taxis are expensive.
- The village is walkable: Soup Bowl viewpoint, Tent Bay and the beach are close.
- Drive the east coast road in daylight; it is narrow and unlit.
Who Bathsheba suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | OK |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | OK |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Bathsheba your trip
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