The area covered by the town excluding agricultural lands is 6 square kilometres (2.3 sq mi).

In addition, there are now concrete paved performance pavilions in the town with high roofs where dance performances are held by many dance groups, which have got established now to cater to the tourism in the town; one such pavilion is in front of the Pura Desa Batuan temple.

[3][8] During the period of 1947–1949, most of the Batuan people remained loyal to the Gianyar Regency and opposed nationalism.

In the Batuan style of painting, the emphasis is adoption of sombre colour, generally in black and white with preponderance of mystic Balinese religious ethos related to sorcery and witchcraft.

[6] Batuan village gave its name to a style of painting which evolved in the 1930s after a group of local villagers, Ida Bagus Made Togog and Ida Bagus Made Wija began experimenting with ink-washed paintings on black backgrounds.

Batuan artists depicted only a traditional world in their pictures, avoiding objects such as automobiles, until at least the late 1980s.

[13] Anthropologists also interpret that the paintings made by artists of Batuan are visual texts which represent the "Balinese Character".

[12] Of major note is I Wayan Bendi Gallery, which is named after a notable contemporary artist in the style and sells expensive paintings, mostly over $200.

[18] One of the popular and ancient dance forms, which is performed in Batuan and many other villages, frequently, is known as the Gambuh.

During this festival a long bamboo pole called locally as penjor is made to decorate the entrance to the family compound.

It is known as the Odlan festival and is held in the village when child artists also give music performances.

The most notable landmark is the village temple, known as Pura Puseh, an ancient structure dated to the 11th century, embellished with intricate stone carvings.

Notable depictions include a Bhoma head overlooking the main gateway, the god Wisnu astride a bull, great elephants on the central stairway balustrade, and Siwa standing amongst skulls.

From the courtyard, there is another gateway spanned by an intricately carved arch with bass relief on the inset and intertwined with vines and a closed door.

[12] Owing to the success of tourism in Bali, a plot has been built next to the temple to put on a daily morning barong dance for tourists, enacting a fight between the good, a shaggy haired lion-like creature, and an evil widow-witch named Rangda.

[22] In the northern part of the village can be found a stone Buddha statue of considerable girth which marks the Sakah road to Blahbatuh, pointing east.

[4][12] Nearby tourist attractions include the Santi Mandala and Spa, Balifunworld,[5] and the Bali Zoo.