Oyster Farm Tour in Carlsbad, California

Oyster farming is going on right now in the Agua Hedionda lagoon behind Tamarack beach, and has been going on there for 30 years! Luckily, Carlsbad Aquafarm is now offering tours of the farm and a unique real oyster experience.

Tour Overview

We only recommend the tour to people that like to eat oysters because at the end, you will be taught how to “shuck” an oyster and then given 6 large oysters to shuck and eat. If you don’t intend to eat the oysters, the tour is a little pricey. But even if you don’t eat the oysters, the Tour is informative and you learn things about aquaponics and local wildlife along the way.

Before getting to the shucking, the tour goes through how the farming in the lagoon is done and the many challenges they face. I won’t spoil the tour with a lot of information here, except to say it was interesting and we came away with a much better understanding of how oysters and mussels grow and live.

We already knew the oysters would taste good as we have had the mussels from the Carlsbad Aquafarm multiple times at La Papagayo – and they were delicious.

Oyster Shucking

Once the short tour of the operations is finished, then the shucking lesson starts – and it was pretty easy to understand. We got our first oysters opened up pretty good without too much damage, and enjoyed eating them with the provided hot sauce. We poured out all of the juice as these oysters had been sitting in salt water and it was a little too salty for our taste. During our tour, we were given 2 types of oysters and they did taste a little different. The most astonishing thing was the size of these oysters – they were twice the size of any oyster I have ever eaten. And after 6 of those, I felt like I had eaten over a dozen!

Wrap-Up

Yes, your hands will get a little stinky, but they have a sink and soup to wash up afterwards. All in all, we had a great time learning all about oyster farming, learning how to shuck, and then practicing and eating on the patio overlooking the lagoon. Oh, and no issues afterwards so enjoy those Carlsbad oysters.

When To Go

The tours are available several times per day, weekdays and weekends. They sometimes offer discounts on weekday tours, so look on their website for any specials.

They also have some other types of tours that include dinner.

How Much Does It Cost

$40 per person. Total tour and oyster shucking goes about 1 hour. Parking is free.

NOTE: The Carlsbad Aquafarm sells Oysters, Mussels and Scallops to go, so if you really want more oysters or you live locally, this is excellent source for fresh seafood. Oysters were $30 per dozen during our visit, and mussels were cheaper.

We found the tour to be unique as there are not many aqua farms to begin with, and even fewer that offer tours. The Lagoon’s underwater environment was very interesting to learn about and hands-on shucking is fun.

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Carlsbad Aquafarm Website

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