Surrounded by the South China sea's abundant seafood resources, Sanya boasts some great restaurants serving up good fresh seafood. Added to this, there are two huge fisheries here, the Beibuwan Fishery and the South China Sea Fishery. Abalone, sea cucumber and other exotic foods are common dishes served in restaurants here, and a visit to the port area in the city center is testament to the incredible wealth and freshness of the food here. If you do wander down this direction however, make sure you take your wellington boots and a clothes peg to hold your nose! The stench from the boats and fishing nets can be unbearable! Above and beyond the more unusual seafood available here are standard fishy dishes including lobster, mussels and crab.

There are numerous seafood restaurants in Sanya and the Chinese restaurant in the Gloria Resort in Yalongwan Bay is especially good. The Luhuitou Restaurant and Fuquan Restaurant are among the most famous in the area serving up some nice local specialties. In the city itself, Zhenmen Lu has some great little seafood joints, cooking up cheap yet tasty dishes.