We Totally Needed a Boat Bar Crawl

My visiting friend Patrick Starfish, and local one Lara and I recently went on the 2018 boat bar crawl for groundhog day. After cleaning up an emergency apartment flood the night before, I cannot even describe how good it felt to get away and be on a boat. Plus it was Pat’s last day on the island. $50 Belize for a custom boat ride 6 miles up the island and back with a great line up of stops was a perfect pothole free way to show him a bit more of Ambergris Caye.

Palapa Bar and Grill

It’s a good thing Lara had offered to give us a ride as I was full tilt all morning with work, additional laundry duty after the flooding and a home visit from Wally’s Electric to assess the issue. Turned out it was an outside problem and they were going to fix it that day. We made it to Palapa Bar in good time for the 11:30 departure in spite of above and had a chance to sit and stare at the sea a minute before boarding our boat.  Thanks to our fabulous organizer (Palapa Bar Co-Owner) Jodie, we had over 50 crawlers, 2 boats from SeaStar Belize, Wayo’s party pontoon and a few other motor boaters joined in randomly.

Portofino Beach Resort

Our first stop was Portofino, a perfect Caribbean oasis. I ordered a delicious chocolate banana shake and headed to the pool to enjoy some barefoot luxury. Not long after Patrick and Lara followed. We enjoyed kicking back and talking about life and being grateful for a gorgeous Friday afternoon view. Head on over to Portofino Belize Facebook page to see more of this tropical boutique resort with a great onsite restaurant and 17 private rooms, sprinkled among nature. 

Rojo Beach Bar & Lounge

I chose the beach at Rojo for the featured image (top of the page) as it somehow seemed fitting of our adventure that day. Afterall who wouldn’t want to suddenly be coasting towards this serene stretch of sand 5 miles north of town? Both Lara and I knew this was going to be a food stop. We settled into comfortable seating with a Caribbean view which included a giant Jenga and a 72-year-old feisty parrot. It was fun watching people interact with him, sometimes he would dance. While browsing the menu, she steered me towards the crawl food special chalkboard – tacos. Patrick was at the bar so I ordered 2 plates of pork tacos. I knew he would trust my food choice after almost 3 weeks of eating like Homer Simpson together 😀 Of course, it turned out to be a multi-flavored Mmmm moment for both of us. As for Lara (miss not a foodie) you know when she is talks about how good her shrimp tacos were, the cook scored a touch down with both hands tied behind his back 😀  Rojo has many offerings: Stylish beach lounge, swimming dock, snorkeling, plunge pool, cards games, darts giant Jenga, and beer pong. Bring a cigar, they have specialty rums on tap – Belize’s award-winning Tiburon Rum, Traveller’s Distillery – Don Omario Royal and 5 Barrel. Flavorful food all the time and sushi kitchen for Saturdays. Visit Rojo Lounge Belize facebook page to see their tasty treats with a view.

Mama Caribe

Our next stop was on our back is 3.5 miles north of San Pedro town, Mama Caribe restaurant. Located at Captain Morgan’s Retreat, beside a picturesque 1,100-ft. white sand beach overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea. We sat by the pool and had a great view of the bar for people watching. It is always a fun social science experiment to watch the “progression of people” as they “crawl” from bar to bar. I saw a few sentimental hugs this time and I always get one from co-owner Iraida when I see her. This restaurant offers Caribbean cooking passed down through generations in a relaxing poolside tropical setting. Click through to The Original Mama Caribe Facebook page to see what’s being served up. Find out how the food rates at Mama Caribe Restaurant and Bar. See all the delicious Carribean cuisine being served up.

Dive Bar

Still on our way back the next stop was the Dive Bar at SeaStar which is 1.25 miles from town. Of course, I was feeling a bit peckish by now so I decided to order chicken fingers and fries to share the starfish and the curly brown haired girl :D. We nibbled and chatted about boys, life and where it is taking us. Before long it was time to take our last group picture, and head to our final destination. At this relaxed beach bar, you can kick back and enjoy an island cocktail on the giant swings or a floating dock. Enjoy live music, good food, and delicious drinks. Follow Dive Bar Facebook page to keep up with their events. Click to see what other people think of the popular beach bar.

Palapa Bar

Last stop was Palapa bar and Grill. Lara headed to get a drink while Patrick could not resist their swimming area, so I sat on the steps and chatted with him while he soaked in the last of the Caribbean before he was on his long 23-hour journey from Belize to Toronto. We also ran into my friend Jack. This globally known over the water bar is a great place to enjoy the Caribbean with no shortage of choices to customize your experience: inner tubes, sunbathing deck, live music, and making friends will all give you the happy ending your story deserves. Enjoy a variety of custom drinks and great food menu. Located at the south end of the beach road in Boca Del Rio. Like Palapa Bar Belize facebook page to see all the fun daily options. Don’t just take my word that you will have a fun time while there, find out what other travelers have to say.

Final Thought

If you are a bar crawl aficionado then a boat crawl is definitely one to add to your tropical to do list. If you do not have a private boat at your disposal, consider taking the water taxi north and walking back, not only will you get a nice walk, you will find lots of great photo ops along the way. You can always time it and hop back on a water taxi at any time or even possible hitch a ride back to town depending who you meet along the way. Last but not least I had to throw in a picture of the crawl founding groundhog “Ambergris Al” taken by my friend Patrick Starfish.