When it comes to creating incredible culinary experiences, Guatemala offers quite a few advantages. At Sailfish Oasis, our dedicated, professional culinary team takes full advantage of all of them to create a dining experience that pairs perfectly with all of the sailfish and blue marlin that we catch.
And this is by design. You see, our take on the fishing trip of a lifetime involves plenty of fresh, healthy food created and served just the way you like it. We’re perhaps most famous for our boat lunches (and with good reason), but the culinary experience runs much deeper.
Boat lunch. Seared tuna in blue water…
What follows is the Sailfish Oasis approach, detailing just how directly great food relates to an incredible fishing trip. Be warned, however, if you read this, you’ll likely want to pay us a visit.
A Showcase of Guatemala
When it comes to our take on food, two main themes rise to the surface. The first lies in Guatemala’s culinary tradition. The second relates to what the country makes possible.
COME SEE US. YOU MIGHT ENJOY THE FOOD AS MUCH AS THE FISHING
Guatemala’s Land Bounty
Guatemala is known as the “Land of Eternal Spring.” The tropical climate and range of topography (it’s always cool in the mountains) combine to make the country ideal for growing an incredible variety of fruits and vegetables—everything from coffee and cacao (the root of chocolate) to lettuce and tropical staples like papaya and pineapple– all year long.
At Sailfish Oasis, guests benefit from our ability to source fresh, local produce year-round. We provision the lodge with weekly fruit and vegetable purchases from a farmer’s market in Antigua.
For More on Our Take on Food At The Lodge, Read This
But it’s not just the freshness of the vegetables that you’ll notice. Many of our clients are blown away by the fruit. Pineapple, papaya, and mango that taste like they’re supposed to—vibrant, bursting with flavor, color, and texture. This fresh, locally grown tropical fruit is a staple at breakfast. We also send it on the boats as a pre-lunch snack.
Our dining experience starts at 5:30 each morning. We brew coffee that was grown, harvested, and processed right here in Guatemala. And it is wonderful.
Each of these things might seem like small things. But taken together and they add up to a complete experience that at every step, at each meal, and in every cup and bowl, is defined by freshness and care.
Guatemala’s Sea Bounty
One of offshore fishing’s greatest charms lies in eating fresh tuna and dorado. Whether as a main course or some delightful boquita at happy hour—ceviche, sashimi, sushi roll or dorado fingers—fish always tastes better when you know who caught it.
While we release all of our marlin and sailfish, the yellowfin, dorado, and wahoo that we catch are transformed into part of what makes the dining experience here so wonderful. In this way, dinner time and boat lunch are often interactive. You catch the fish, our team of chefs give them back to you—transformed.
Check out this reel from when we got into the tuna.
But Guatemala’s ocean bounty extends much further than the fish we catch. We also source fresh, locally-caught shrimp, lobster, and snapper. Seafood delights that are caught right here, by people living in our community.
There’s nothing better, nothing fresher. These shrimp, lobster, and other incredible local seafood items go from ocean to the lodge table without ever seeing the inside of a grocery store or supermarket.
The result is delightful. It’s fresh, it’s healthy. It tastes really good and it would be impossible to replicate in a place without such a network.
Guatemala’s Culinary Tradition
Yes, our location makes available a variety of super fresh, really high-quality ingredients. And yes, these ingredients really benefit the dining experience at Sailfish Oasis. But the ingredients themselves are only half of the story.
Central to the charm of travelling to fish internationally is the ability to experience new takes on food and drink. Guatemala is home to a proud culinary tradition.
Our team of chefs is professionally trained. They are also proud ambassadors of their home and culture.
And just as Chef Carlos and team can of course prepare a variety of internationally-inspired entrees, they are always proud and excited for guests to experience the foods that make Guatemala such a wonderful place to visit.
Come for the great fishing, come back for the food.
So yes, come for the dorado and shrimp ceviche, for the fresh yellowfin sashimi—created from the fish that you caught. But you might find yourself coming back for Chef Carlos’ famous Guatemalan black bean soup.
Come for the fishing—for the sailfish and blue marlin. You may well come back for the food—the boat lunches, the happy hour by the pool, the fresh local shrimp and snapper alongside the imported USDA steaks.
You may like the coffee here so much that you might buy a bag or three to take home. It’s called Azotea. It’s grown and roasted in Antigua. We have bags of beans in the gift shop.
And to talk about all of this, we haven’t mentioned the chocolate (cacao– the root of chocolate– is grown here too). Or the varieties of Guatemalan rum or locally brewed beer that we keep on hand.
You see, at Sailfish Oasis, our take on the fishing trip of a lifetime involves eating and drinking well too. We really enjoy all of this and we bet that you will too.
Come see us. Buen provecho.
