January 30, 2008: Festival del Mar is a community-based tourism festival ALL about Seafood and a love for the Sea! Scheduled to be staged over the Easter Weekend, Festival del Mar (Festival of the Sea) in itself is a community-based tourism festival primarily aimed as a means of creating and increasing awareness as to the importance of the fishing industry within the economic/tourism development on Anguilla with an overarching view towards sustainability within the fishing sector thus lending to the continued enhancement of livelihoods.

The festival will in its first year bring together the fishing community of Island Harbour (renowned historically as one of the primary fishing villages on the island) to showcase their fish and seafood offerings prepared in various ways, and will afford locals and visitors the opportunity to enjoy amazing cuisine and meet local fishermen in their natural setting.

The festival will feature local vendors from the Island Harbour community with different food stalls strewn along the Island Harbour Beach and Roadside serving up an array of:
 

• Fish, lobster, crayfish, conch, tuna, etc. in various forms: grilled, fried, steamed, marinated, roasted, hot and spicy, etc.
• Island specialties: dumplings, fungi, fry cakes, Johnny cakes, rice and peas and other island delights. The festival will also incorporate music and other activities involving the community
• Recognition for the pioneers in fishing (from Island Harbour)
• Short lectures and best practice tips on fishing
• Traditional island music (string band, reggae, etc)
• Swimming races, and other competitions

Anguilla is fast becoming known for its food as for its beaches and hence the island’s culinary scene provides the ideal backdrop for this type of festival, with its more than 85+ restaurants which have visitors lauding the island as one of the Caribbean’s top culinary destinations. The true flavor of this laid back island outpost is served up island wide at 5 star restaurants, cafes, beach joints, inns, and at the top resorts, where internationally-acclaimed chefs from every corner of the globe are cooking up an eclectic mix of international and island style cuisine. With wine cellars that rival some of the finest, and reggae beach bars that serve Perrier Jouet by the glass, island dining has been elevated to a new level.
Some critics contend that the island’s most delectable cuisine are the finger- licking dishes cooked up by local chefs and served roadside, at backyard fetes open to the public, and the small beachside stands all over the island.