A list of restaurants, hotels, and other places putting on a Thanksgiving spread this week. If you’re celebrating Thanksgiving in Central America but don’t know where to go, we hope this quick guide will help you. 

I think this is our third Thanksgiving since we launched this website. Actually, tomorrow is definitely our third Thanksgiving since launching. For clarity, I should say it’s US Thanksgiving we’re talking about here, although our third Canadian Thanksgiving was in October.

So if you’re from the States and you’re down here in Central America at the moment and you feel like the full turkey dinner with all the trimmings, followed by some NFL on the tube, where do you go?

After all, Thanksgiving isn’t celebrated all the way down south is it? Does anyone care about Thanksgiving in Central America?

Well, to answer the last question first, people do care about Thanksgiving in Central America. You know who? Gringos care.

Especially that flavor of gringos who come from the United States.

And Canadian gringos care about Canadian Thanksgiving, too. We have lots of gringos from both the USA and Canada in Central America, so there are lots of people who care about Thanksgiving.

And to answer the first question last, although Thanksgiving isn’t an official holiday in this part of the world (any more than, say, Americans and Canadians celebrate Guanacaste Annexation Day), people will be celebrating. The shops and banks and restaurants and everything will be open like a normal day (except for Panama, where it’s Independence Day). But you’ll find a place to celebrate.

Most hotels catering to international tourists will have something going on, especially in Costa Rica, Panama, and Belize.                                                        

If you’re down here on vacation, check and see. There’s a lot of US-owned hotels, bars, restaurants, and other organizations down here. So it won’t be difficult. But if you want a hand, check out the list below for a full-on Thanksgiving blow out.

We’ve scoured the internet and social media looking for Thanksgiving recommendations throughout Central America so you don’t have to.

Belize

Celebrating Thanksgiving in Belize? Here are five places to check out:

Aguarda Hotel (Santa Elena, Cayo District)

Lucky Lobster Bar (Hopkins)

Mariposa Beach Suites (Placencia)

Barrier Reef Sports Bar & Grill (Caye Caulker)

Casa Picasso (San Pedro)

Guatemala

If you’re looking for a place to do Thanksgiving in Guatemala, find five places right here: 

The Londoner Pub (Antigua)

Pappy’s BBQ (Antigua)

The Snug (Antigua)

Atitlan Music School Thanksgiving Day Fundraiser at the Circus Chapiteau (Panajachel)

Jake’s Restaurant (Guatemala City)

Honduras

Thanksgiving in Honduras needn’t be difficult to celebrate if you know where to go: 

Roatan Oasis (Roatan)

Grand Roatan Caribbean Resort (Roatan)

The Beach Grill (Roatan)

Hyatt Place (Tegucigalpa)

Hasta La Pasta (San Pedro Sula)

El Salvador

If you’re celebrating Thanksgiving in El Salvador, it helps if you’re in the capital: 

La Barrica (San Salvador)

Holiday Inn (San Salvador)

Courtyard Marriott (San Salvador)

States Diner (San Salvador)

Crowne Plaza (San Salvador)

Nicaragua

Thanksgiving in Nicaragua will be great in any of the below places: 

TreeCasa (San Juan del Sur)

Big Wave Daves (San Juan del Sur)

Villas de Palermo (San Juan del Sur)

Habitarte (Managua)

Jimmy “3 Fingers” Alabama Rib Shack (Managua)

Costa Rica

There are hundreds of places to celebrate Thanksgiving in Costa Rica. We’ve only listed five here: 

Tap House (Escazu and Santa Ana)

Sportsmens Lodge (San Jose)

Costa Rica Marriott (Belen)

Costa Rica Sailing Center (Playa Potrero)

Los Sueños Marina Resort (Playa Herradura)

Panama

Thanksgiving in Panama might be tougher this year because the date falls on Independence Day. But these places will be putting on a spread: 

Panama Marriott Hotel (Panama City)

Sortis Hotel (Panama City)

Cosmic Crab (Bocas del Toro)

Valle Escondido Resort (Boquete)

Mike’s Global Grill (Boquete)

We’ve only listed five places offering Thanksgiving dinner in each country, but as we said, ask at your hotel too. Chances are they might be doing something.

And if you know of anywhere else putting on a Thanksgiving spread better than anyplace we listed above, let us know in the comments. The more places we know about the better.

Happy Thanksgiving in Central America!

James Dyde is the editor of CentralAmerica.com. He lives in Escazu, Costa Rica.