A three-day beach festival on Belize's most relaxed island in late June: lobster season opens, the fishing community cooks on the street, DJs play on the sand, and the island's no-shoes-no-cars culture is at its most concentrated.
Lobsterfest on Caye Caulker marks the opening of lobster season in Belize, which is prohibited from catching before the last week of June to allow stocks to recover. The festival has run for over 20 years and is the island's most attended annual event, drawing visitors from Belize City, from the dive resorts on Ambergris Caye to the north, and from travellers passing through on the backpacker circuit. The event takes place on and around the island's main street, known simply as Back Street, and the beachfront along the front. Fishing families set up grills along the street and cook the season's first lobster haul directly on the beach from the morning of the opening day.
Caye Caulker is small: the main village section of the island is approximately 1.5km long and 300 metres wide. There are no cars; transport is on foot, bicycle, or golf cart. The 'Split', a channel that divides the island's inhabited south end from its nature reserve north end, is the main social gathering point for swimming, drinking, and watching the boats. Lobsterfest concentrates on the main street and the beach in front of it, with local bands and DJs on an outdoor stage from noon until midnight. Water taxis from Belize City run roughly every 90 minutes and take 45 minutes; tickets are BZD 25 each way. Accommodation on Caye Caulker is primarily guesthouses and small hotels running from BZD 40–80 per room; book four to six weeks ahead for Lobsterfest weekend.
Party hostels within reach of 's main celebrations. Ranked by guest rating.
Day-by-day breakdown
The Split is a five-minute walk north from the water taxi dock. The Lazy Lizard bar on the Split opens at 8am and runs until midnight; it is the social anchor of Caye Caulker and particularly busy during Lobsterfest. Swim from the dock at the Split, which has clear Caribbean water and visibility of 5–10 metres. The lobster cooking on Back Street begins at noon on opening day: whole grilled lobster runs BZD 15–25, lobster tacos BZD 8–12. The freshness relative to anywhere else is immediate and obvious.
The outdoor stage on the beachfront begins at 4pm with local bands playing soca, reggae, and punta (the Garifuna music indigenous to Belize). DJs take over from 9pm and run until midnight. The bar circuit is straightforward given the island's size: the Sandbox bar, the Rainbow bar, and the I&I reggae bar are all within 200 metres of each other along the front street. Beer runs BZD 4–6 (approximately £1.60–£2.40).