Ladies’ Underwear Hanging From The Rafters, Mushroom Tea And One Of Tortola’s Most Unusual Beach Bars
The British Virgin Islands have some legendary beach bars, but there was nothing quite like Bomba’s Surfside Shack on Tortola. Built from materials that washed ashore, it became famous for its outrageous decorations, Full Moon parties and infamous mushroom tea. I experienced the place myself, and here’s what made it one of the most unusual bars in the Caribbean.
Updated November 2026
By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Editor & Publisher
There was once place in the British Virgin Islands that was unique and is something every adult who ever visits the BVIs should experience.
Well okay, there’s beem several places – Foxy’s for it’s many attributes, the Soggy Dollar Bar for its Painkillers, the Bushwackers at Gertrude’s and the Willie T for it’s ski shots and jumping off the back of the pirate-looking ship among them – but thjis one place is as legendary as them all. It’s Bomba’s Surfside Shack and no it was not a haven for surfers but is to named because the owner’s name is Bomba’s, it’s by the surf on Tortola and it’s a shack assembled from washed up parts of things that literally came to his doorstep.
Created in 1976, it was destroyed by Hurricane Irma in 2017 and sadly, Bomba himself died in 2026.
It’s legacy remains tho, due largely to hese two things: ladies’ underwear hanging from the ceiling and his Caribbean-famous mushroom tea. Yes, girls did trade in their underwear for a cup of that mushroom tea, which Bomba displayed all around the property, most prominently in a little shack that served as the bar.
Once people experience Bomba’s mushroom tea, they danced in some sort of off-beat rhythm to the music in the outdoor area and look up at the stars. They dreamed of all kinds of happy things and once done, they have truly experienced Bamba’s Surfside Shack.
As the story goes, Bomba’s wife loved going out to party. To keep her at home, he built a place for her to part made from items that washed up on shore in front of his place and created his own bar. It was an instant hit and was a must-visit place for adults who traveled to the British Virgin Islands.
Kevin Wilkerson is the founder of PubClub.com, an award-winning journalist and nightlife expert who has covered destinations, events and nightlife for more than two decades. While working as a newspaper reporter, he received an Associated Press award for investigative journalism. He has been to Bomba’s Shack and had its famous mushroom tea.
Next Stops On The Virgin Islands Party Bus…
• Legendary Bar Owner Bomba Passs Away; Memories Of Him & His Bar
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