Belizean spiny lobster season opens each year in late June with a three-day lobster festival in San Pedro — one of the better reasons to visit in what is otherwise the start of the slower, rainier season. When the season opens, lobster appears on every menu in town and the prices drop sharply from the out-of-season premium.
During season, eat it grilled with garlic butter, in a ceviche, or stuffed into a burrito from one of the street stands that materialise near the water during the festival. The conch fritters and ceviche are good year-round. Out of season (October through mid-June), lobster is protected and unavailable at legitimate restaurants.