An 18th century city, Bhavnagar is a premier cotton-exporting sea-port on the south-eastern Saurashtra coast.

Today, Bhavnagar is known for Gandhi Smriti, an institution built in memory of Mahatma Gandhi, the Barton Museum, the Central Salt and Marine Research Institute,Takhteswar temple and Gauri-Shankar lake.

The city is dotted with gardens. On the outskirts of the city is Victoria Park, that has been developed as a botanical garden, and has a deer park in it.