The following is from a May 2017 TripAdvisor review and posted with permission by guests who stayed in Sunset Beach Condo B1, aka “Carolina Blue”. Don’t get too hungry while reading! 🙂 If available/found, links to more information on the businesses mentioned have been added.

The condo is large and has a kitchen stocked with any appliance or tools you would need….We cooked most of our meals at the condo rather than eating in town at restaurants. Finding all the food we needed was challenging, but fun if you like to shop around…we called it “foraging for food.” U.S. Dollars (usd) are accepted in Belize…(1) US Dollar equals two (2) Belize Dollars (bzd)…all change is given in Belize coins. Our recommendations for various items:

GENERAL GROCERIES / PAPER PRODUCTS / MISC.
*Island City Supermarket: We had read that this grocery store was 10-15% higher than others in San Pedro, but learned from a local source that the store was under new management. We found their prices very reasonable and most items had not expired yet. (Tip: check all expiration dates [in all grocery stores on the island].) Ask them about their VIP Discount Card (10% discount off purchase of $20.00bzd or more, restrictions apply on certain items). Cost of various products: box of oatmeal($3.50bzd, small bottle of olive oil $3.95bzd, half gallon of 2% milk $10.95bzd, one pound of sharp cheddar cheese $19.95bzd, small bottle of soy sauce $3.50bzd, one dozen eggs in carton $4.50bzd; eggs are 3 for $1.00bzd and carton is $0.50bzd; tip: take carton with you each time you go to the store for eggs.

PRODUCE
*On Tuesday mornings (maybe even Wednesday & Thursday) meet the boats that come into the docks near Back Street with fresh produce to sell. We got prices for items on our list from 6 or 7 vendors before buying anything. The prices here are almost half the price of similar items at fruit and veggie stands/stores in San Pedro. Our mistake was not buying enough produce the first time. Cost comparison (dock produce vs. in-town produce): one head of romaine lettuce: $3.00bzd vs. $4-$5.00bzd, tomatoes: $1.50bzd/lb vs. $2-$2.50bzd/lb, white potatoes: $1.50bzd/lb vs. $2.25-$250bzd/lb, onions: $2.00bzd/lb vs. $2.25bzd/lb.

*We did find a couple of fruit/veggie stores on Back Street that had fresher produce and better prices than the supermarkets or the Greenhouse.

MEATS
*CHICKEN: we went to the Quality Poultry Products store on Front Street (aka Barrier Reef Drive), bought two whole chickens and cooked on the charcoal grill and had several meals (including chicken tacos). Cost: $23.58bzd (9.0 lbs @ $2.62bzd per lb).

*FRESH FISH/SEAFOOD: either take a boat and go out fishing for the day (or half day) or check out Mario Seafood Service (Tel 660-0473, located on the west side of the airport runway) that sells fresh fish and seafood. We did both and had an abundance of fish to eat. Cost: Conch $13.00bzd/lb, large shrimp $18.00bzd/lb, small shrimp $12.00bzd/lb, snapper $15.00bzd/lb. If you order 25 lb or more, they will deliver. Lobster was not in season at this time. [Note: you can often also buy fresh fish from tour operators, including our neighbor Suya, if they have some leftover from a tour that day.]

*PORK/DELI MEATS: We brought spare ribs, deli meat, and cheese at the Ambergris Sausage Factory. We discovered this place later in our stay and wish we had found it earlier. The frozen spare ribs were on sale for $5.00bzd/lb and had lots of meat on them. Most of the meat is frozen (except for the deli meats and cheeses).

ALCOHOL
*BEER: Belikin is the beer of Belize. You can buy it wholesale from the Crystal Belikin Beer Depot, which is located south of San Pedro. To get there [from town], travel south on the main road (Coconut Drive) until you have to make a right. After making the right turn, keep going straight past the gas (petrol) fuel station intersection and the depot will be about a block down on your left-hand side. Cost per case of regular Belikin beer (24 bottles): $65.00bzd that includes GST and $11.00bzd deposit ($5.00bzd for crate and $6.00 for bottles). Empty bottles and crate can be returned here or at the Belikin Beer Distributor located across from Island City Supermarket and Island Academy.

*WINE & LIQUOR: (Warning: liquor and wine is very expensive to buy in San Pedro.) Each person is allowed to import one litre of wine or spirits duty free into Belize. We each brought a bottle of liquor in the duty free shop in Atlanta before our flight to Belize City. Upon your arrival in Belize City and before picking up your luggage and going through customs, visit the Arrival Duty Free Shop located in the baggage claim area. There each person can purchase up to 4 liters of spirits or 6 litres of wine. We brought a case of wine (12 bottles) and the duty free store put them in a box that we were able to check as a piece of luggage on our Tropic Air flight to San Pedro. Also, Tropic Air required the duty free liquor we brought in Atlanta to be placed in our checked luggage.

CHOCOLATE
*The Belize Chocolate Company Boutique (located on Front Street): gives out free small samples of dark, milk, and white chocolate.

*Mahogany Chocolate (located in Mahogany Bay Village [2 miles south of town, turn off is where the paved road stops]): They have the most delicious “cold chocolate” drink that only cost $1.00usd for about 2/3 cup. Three of us shared one and it taste like melted chocolate ice cream!

FRESH BAGUETTES, BREAD & PASTRIES
*Delices de France Bakery (located in San Cas Plaza across the street from the Tropic Air Terminal): This is the new French bakery in San Pedro. They have REAL French baguettes and we got a fresh loaf every day. The apple tarts were also delicious. The owners (Florent and Sandra) are from France and extremely nice. We also got their sandwiches for lunch one day — really good — and each got a croissant the day we were leaving!!!

Want even more tips? See this post by San Pedro Scoop on grocery shopping on the island! 

And fyi, Marin’s Mini-Mart is just a half block from the Sunset Beach condos and is the closest shop to Casas Redonda & Lisa. Although small, it has a good variety at fair prices (cash only); hours *usually* 7 to 7, 7 days a week.