After spending a few days in the southern jungles of Belize, the next stop on the trip was San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. I didn’t have a ton of information on hand before visiting Ambergris Caye. Through experience I found out exactly what to do, where to eat, where to stay and how to spend our time there, allowing me to bring you these these tips and travel guide for San Pedro, Ambergris Caye.
Here’s Visiting San Pedro, Ambergris Caye – Travel Guide + Tips:
Getting to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye
San Pedro, Ambergris Caye is located about 40 miles northeast across the Caribbean Sea from Belize City. After flying into Philip Goldson International Airport (BZE), you can choose from two different options to get to San Pedro.
- Water Taxi – At the docks in Belize City, two different water taxi companies can get you to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. Both Ocean Ferry Belize or Belize Water Taxi can be booked online beforehand. The price is about $15 one way from Belize City.
- Plane – The more expensive option is to take a short 15 minute flight from Philip Goldson International Airport. You can fly with Tropic Air or Maya Island Air, for around $60 per person.
Arriving to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye
The airport is literally a landing strip in the middle of San Pedro with a very small room as the terminal. From here you can take a taxi to your accommodation, costing about $5 USD. Near the airport are golf cart rentals, which is the only means of transportation on the island.
Where to Stay
With a slew of accommodations in the town of San Pedro, deciding on a place to stay can be overwhelming.
I didn’t see anything cheaper than $40 a night while researching where to stay but the most budget-friendly options I found were hostels, private rooms or hotels in the middle of town.
- Budget-friendly – Your best bet to find something cheap is using AirBnb. Check out the Zen Belize, owned by my friend Frank, or the Hotel Coastal Bay or Ambergris Sunset Hotel.
- Mid-level budget – Ramon’s Village Resort or Isla Bonita Yacht Club
- Luxury – Grand Colony Island Villas or Las Terrazas Resort.
I was so happy with our decision to lodge with Isla Bonita Yacht Club. The location was absolutely perfect in a quieter area but still close to the hustle and bustle of San Pedro. The resort offers a pool, grilling area, and a wide range of condominiums to choose from. All are fully equipped with a kitchen, including every utensil you’d need to cook a full meal, a comfortable bed, beautiful bathroom, living room, and an outdoor seating area.
Where to Eat
It’s important to remember that you’re on island time here in San Pedro so a lot of places don’t have posted hours.
- Breakfast – Red Ginger or Estel’s Dine By the Sea, known as the place to go with its full-breakfast options and early-morning openings to accommodate the divers.
- Casual – Mesa, The French Touch, Iguana John’s. The Truck Stop is an area on the way to Secret Beach that’s comprised of shipping containers turned food park. Tons of different eating options are available here and they’re open Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 9 PM.
- Fine Dining – Casa Picasso or Hidden Treasure
- Belize Food – Elvi’s Kitchen, Caliente Restauran. The Hungry Grouper must be on the list for traditional Belizean foods!
What To Do
There are so many things to do in San Pedro but here were a few of my favorites:
- Take a snorkel tour of the Belize Barrier Reef
- Explore the island by golf cart
- Go kiteboarding or kitesurfing with Passion Kite Belize
- Parasail or rent a jet ski with Castaway Caye
- Float in the water as you sip on your drink at the Palapa Bar & Grill
- Go to Secret Beach for the day
- Take an early morning yoga session at Zen Belize
- Shop ’til you drop at the Front Street boutiques or the afternoon market on Back Street
- Take a chocolate making class at 10:30 AM Monday through Friday at the Belize Chocolate Company
- Embark on a day trip to another island, like my favorite, Caye Caulker
- Drink and have fun at the Aqua Park at El Diablo Bar
- Gamble at Captain Morgan’s Retreat from 6 PM until 4 AM
Tips & Things to Know for San Pedro, Ambergris Caye
Now that we’ve talked about the travel guide for San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, let’s discuss the important tips and things to know:
Transport
Transport to San Pedro, I couldn’t recommend more flying in rather than taking the water taxi. To this day it has to be the most gorgeous scenery I’ve ever flown over. If you’re lucky, you may even get to sit in the copilot’s seat!
Accommodations
For accommodations, it really depends on what type of vacation you’re looking for when visiting San Pedro in determining where to stay. If you’re on a budget, you can save a ton of money by staying a little inland but then you won’t have any sea views.
If you want to be near restaurants and such, I’d recommend staying within the town of San Pedro. Accommodations are available on the north side of the island but they were a little further away from the hustle and bustle than I would have personally preferred.
Transportation
The only cars on the road in San Pedro are taxis or locals with a special permit. As far as transporting yourself around the island goes, definitely look into renting a golf cart! We had the best time zooming around the streets and onto the beaches.
Navigating
There are essentially only 3 streets running north to south in San Pedro so navigating them is super easy. Front Street is the more touristy area with many shops, restaurants and bars to choose from. If you cross the bridge by golf cart from south San Pedro to the north, you will have to pay a toll. Keep that ticket with you and show to the attendant on your way back so you can cross over to the south for free.
Visiting Secret Beach
I highly recommend spending at least a half day at Secret Beach but, the biggest tip I can give is to arrive early! We were able to snag a sea-front lounger since we arrived at around 9:30 AM. Even though most places don’t open until 10:30 or 11, we were served after arriving. Where you park your golf cart at Secret Beach determines which company you’ll be giving your business to for the day. We didn’t know this before pulling into Maruba Beach Klub’s lot but it worked out because I got to eat a bomb omelette right there on the beach.
According to a local we met, it’s a law in Belize that all of the docks are public. Because of that, you’re able to walk on just about every one you see. We strolled down one for the sunset and watched the pelicans sit and wait on boaters coming in with their catches.
And, the biggest tip I always give no matter where you’re traveling to, buy your liquor from a store instead of the restaurants and bars. We snagged two small bottles of rum and juice that lasted multiple days and it was the same price had we bought two drinks from a bar. Most accommodations allow you to bring your own drinks to sip on by the pool.
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