Ask around to find out which hotel might have entertainment on any given evening. Steel bands and fungi or scratch bands (musicians who improvise on locally available instruments) appear regularly. Pick up a copy of “Limin’ Times,” an entertainment magazine that lists what’s happening locally; it’s usually available at hotels.
Bomba Surfside Shack, Cappoons Bay (tel 284/495-4148), is the oldest and most famous hangout on the island, a shack cobbled together with scrap driftwood, corrugated metal, rubber tires, and other flotsam and jetsam and plopped right on the beach near the West End. Undergarments swing in the breezes; graffiti covers the wood. Bomba Callwood is usually somewhere in attendance, a big man in overalls with a wreath of smoke around his head. Bomba’s attracts a varied crowd, from surfers riding the swells at Cappoons to vans of cruise-ship passengers stopping for a photo op and a swig of Bomba’s rum punch. Despite its makeshift appearance, the shack is quite a business enterprise, bringing in crowds of visitors every month for Bomba’s Full Moon bashes, where Bomba’s “herbal” mushroom tea simmers in a cauldron in the bushes. It’s open daily from 10am to midnight (or later, depending on business).
Quito Rymer, one of the island’s most well-known musicians, oversees his own mini-empire along the eastern stretch of Cane Garden Bay. The more touristy spot is the bar/restaurant Rhymer’s (tel 284/495-4639; where you can sip cold beer or tropical rum concoctions along with a casual menu of ribs, conch chowder, and more. The beach bar and restaurant is open daily 8am to 9pm. Quito’s Gazebo (tel 284/495-4837; is where the guitarist plays solo on Tuesdays and Thursdays (8pm) and Friday with a full band (9:30pm). It serves any and every kind of alcoholic libation and excellent food from an open-air restaurant built almost directly above the waves.
Myett’s (tel 284/495-9649) is another Cane Garden Bay hot spot, with a prime location right on the beach and regular live music; look for a Caribbean party every Wednesday night. In the same area, but not directly on the beach, visit Columbus Sunset Bar, Cane Garden Bay (tel 284/495-751), where locals gather to drink, talk, and sample good island food (they also have clean rooms to rent).
Finally, over on Little Apple Bay, check out Sebastian’s (tel 284/495-4212, especially on Sunday, when you can dance to live music under the stars, at least in winter.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
