The lively town of Oistins is a great alternative to the tourist beaches around Bridgetown. Oistins lives at its own pace, the streets are much more crowded with locals, but tourists head here for the beautiful beaches and weekend nightlife.

Oistins will also offer full tourist facilities with KFC restaurants, a large Massy supermarket and ATMs.

What beaches to visit in Oistins? And what else to do here?

Beaches and swimming

Right in the centre of Oistins you'll find one of the best places to swim, sunbathe and relax in the whole of Barbados. A place called Miami Beach enchants with a grove of mature trees, among which public tables with benches and hammocks are set up.

The beach itself is quite short, but there's always plenty of room for a sun lounger on the soft white sand. Even with an umbrella, you can rent one from a small kiosk, but there is plenty of space on the beach for those with their own equipment.

The entrance to the water is sandy and very gradual. The south side of the beach is washed by pleasant waves, while the shorter west side is in a small cove with very calm water.

Oistins Fish Fry

Every Friday night Oistins comes alive with local music and several stalls open with grilled fish, alcohol and souvenirs. It's a great and renowned place to get to know the local people, culture and cuisine all at once.

It's actually one big outdoor barbecue party that takes place right in the centre of town by the bus station(location on the map).

Accommodation in Oistins

Accommodation in the town is mainly in smaller apartments that are rented out to tourists by locals. Prices are very reasonable for Barbados, starting from 80 usd per night in a 2-bed apartment.

We would recommend the following apartments among the well-reviewed budget accommodation:

Near Oistins Miami Beach, you can also stay in a classic luxury hotel. Little Arches Boutique Hotel ****.

Transportation to Oistins

The town is one of the best accessible on the island by car and bus.

Right in the centre by the market, you can park in a really spacious free car park (location on google.com/maps), which only fills up completely on Friday and Saturday nights when there is an event Oistins Fish Fry.

Car Hire - Barbados

Oistins can be reached from Bridgetown and all the neighbourhoods along the H7 (Hastings, Rockeley, St. Lawrence, Worthing) by a very frequent service of ZRs (vans) and buses.

Minibuses and vans (ZRs) run from Bridgetown's Constitution River Station, while buses run from the Farichild Street Bus Terminal. A large number of routes run between the cities, but just ask and you will always be directed to the nearest service.

Vans (ZRs) with minibuses run significantly more frequently (on average once every 5 minutes), while regular large buses only run 1-2 times per hour.

From Oistins you can also get direct buses and minibuses (about 2x per hour) to Speightstown and all the resorts along the coast, as the services do not run on the inland motorway but on the coastal Highway 1.

Detailed information about travelling around the island can be found in the chapter Transport in Barbados.