After a pause due to the pandemic, the San Pedro Lobsterfest is finally back in 2022! Held every year to celebrate the re-opening of the Caribbean Spiny lobster season in Belize, the festivities in San Pedro start from the end of June when the delicious crustacean becomes legal to catch. If you are still wondering where to stay and what to do, relax. We’re rounding up a few places with deals and an itinerary of different activities for you to enjoy the festival to the fullest. The lobster party in La Isla Bonita will start on June 30 ahead of the opening of the 2022-2023 Belize Lobster Season on July 1, 2022. The festivities will start with a lionfish hunt and lobster crawl which will culminate with the usual block party at the central park on July 9 with your favorite lobster dishes and live music. It has been a while, so we encourage you to not miss this one, that’s said to be bigger and better than ever.
First things first: Where to stay
Hotels can get booked out quickly as everyone wants to be a part of the lobster fest for its first year back. Booking early not only guarantees you a place to sleep but good deals as well, as room rates can increase as festival dates get closer. One hotel announcing its package deals early is SunBreeze Hotel, offering a 4-night package for US$1180 per couple with a snorkeling tour to Mexico Rocks, daily American breakfast, and a golf cart rental included. You can’t go wrong with this location as it is in the heart of downtown San Pedro, and guests can reference “Combo #2” at the time of booking for this special rate. The other advantage, besides being right on the beach, Sunbreeze is within walking distance from where all the fun lobster events will be taking place.
The calendar of events and how to get around
Golf carts are the preferred mode of transport on Ambergris Caye. Image via Sunbreeze Hotel
If are taking part in the lobster crawl, we recommend you get a golf cart to easily get to participating establishments hosting the event. As you can see in the calendar of events below, the different places are spread out across the island, from the south to the north side of town. The calendar of events below provides the different dates and venues of the activities in between during the lobster crawl. Meanwhile, there will be day and night events; daytime events start around noon, and night events kick off around 6 pm.
In most of the different places hosting the lobster crawl, visitors can enjoy different lobster-themed presentations and even savor free samples. At other locations, there are even free events with live cultural music performers by local artists.
Lobster dishes to try
Boogie’s Belly is making homemade meat pies in San Pedro Town. Image via Belize Food Tours
Some of the must-try delicacies include grilled or barbecued lobster. Kebobs, ceviche, pizza, and even lobster-themed eggs benedict. Apart from this, you can also find other choices like lobster chocolate, lobster dips, to gourmet twists like sliders, tacos, and empanadas. Different bars also put their creativity to the test, even creating lobster drinks!
Grilled lobster with lots of butter, please.
During the block party at Central Park, different restaurants participate in a competition in which they bring out the most creative to the most deliciously bizarre lobster dishes. The San Pedro Lobsterfest is undoubtedly a summer celebration in Belize you do not want to miss. Start making your plans today!