Budaiya Farmers Market

The farmers market at Budaiya runs on Saturday mornings through the cooler months and sells what is actually grown on Bahrain, which is more than most people expect: dates, tomatoes, herbs, cucumbers, aubergines, honey and eggs from farms across the northern strip where the fresh water is. Growers sell directly. It was set up to support local agriculture against imports and has become a weekly fixture. The Budaiya road runs west along the coast past the farms the stalls draw on, which are among the last working in the country.

The main sights

• The local produce - dates, vegetables, herbs and honey grown on the island.
• The direct selling - growers rather than traders behind the stalls.
• The northern farms - the strip of Bahrain where fresh water allows cultivation.
• The Saturday timing - a weekly market through the cooler months.

When to go

Saturday mornings from around November to April. It does not run through the hot months. Early is best before the stalls sell out.

Practical notes

It only runs on Saturdays and only in the cooler season. Stalls sell out early. Parking around the site is difficult at peak times.

Nearby

Al Jasra is south, and Barbar is east.