Visiting the city of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, Belize was a beautiful, relaxing, eye-opening vacation. The water was crystal clear, the sun was hot, and the locals were very friendly. In this post, I have outlined everything you should know about traveling to Belize and staying on the island of Ambergris Caye. From recommended vaccines to how to obtain global entry status, keep reading for a full travel guide to Ambergris Caye, Belize!
How To Prepare For A Trip To Belize
Hepatitis A Vaccine
Technically, there are no vaccines required to travel to Belize. However, it is highly recommended that you get a Hepatitis A vaccine. This vaccine combats feeling ill from contaminated food and water (the water in Ambergris Caye is not safe to drink!). It was actually super easy to set up. If you type in “Walgreens Hepatitis A vaccine” you can find a nearby location to make an appointment online. I was able to do this during my lunch break!
Passport
This might be obvious, but you will need an updated passport to fly out of the country and, more importantly, to get back in. Make sure your passport is up to date!
Global Entry
This is not required, however, it will save you A TON of time going through security as well as customs. If you have Global Entry, you automatically have TSA pre-check. This, in my opinion, is a necessity in life if you like to travel a lot. Entering the United States on our way back was a breeze using Global Entry. We left a LONG line behind us! It made me question why I didn’t apply for Global Entry sooner. You can create an account and apply for Global Entry here. Travel tip: If you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card, the $100 application fee is covered!
Simple Clothes
I’m always one for sequin and suede, however, Ambergris Caye Island is not a place to be flashy. Think very, very simple beach clothing and nothing too tight (not the best place for a glamorous Instagram photoshoot). The local women mostly wear jeans and jean shorts with solid-colored tees and tank tops.
Money
Credit cards are accepted on the island, however, US cash goes a long way. The locals offered better discounts if you paid in cash, and some businesses advertising credit cards did not have a machine to run them. There are lots of ATMs in the area, so you can easily take out cash while there. I would have a little cash at all times to be safe! $2 US is $1 Belize, so the US dollar goes a long way. This makes Belize an affordable place to travel!
How to get to Ambergris Caye from Belize City Airport
To get to Ambergris Caye you first have to fly into Belize City. From there you can either take a 3-hour ferry to Ambergris Caye OR you can take a 15-minute flight on a small plane. The small plane costs more than the ferry, but the plane is much faster and only holds about 8 people. Basically, what is your time worth? We paid about $160 roundtrip for the small plane. There are two main companies: Mayan Air and Tropic Air. Either one can be taken from the airport in Belize airport. The small plane gave gorgeous views – it was breathtaking!
Where to Stay on Ambergris Caye
There are many hotels on the island, however, we decided to stay in an Airbnb apartment. I’m sure it was the only Airbnb on the island – and all the locals knew it. The Airbnb was located on Front Street, which is officially marked on a map as Barrier Reef Drive. The decision to stay in an Airbnb was made after doing some research on hotels. A lot of them had reviews of robberies from hotel rooms! This is obviously not always the case, we just decided that we would feel safer in an Airbnb. We stayed at this two-bedroom apartment, which had great reviews and was right in downtown San Pedro. It was perfect because we were walking distance of all of the restaurants and water activities! We utilized our kitchen by shopping at the nearby grocery store (SuperBuy) and saving money on eating out.
We unknowingly booked our trip during the weekend of Belize Independence Day (September 21). Because of this, we witnessed all of the parades and celebrations from our apartment balcony! What a party. If staying in downtown San Pedro, it is super noisy at night from the nearby bars and clubs. Noisy as if the music was in your living room. We personally didn’t mind this and were able to sleep fine, but if you are a light sleeper I recommend staying further from the downtown area or investing in some earplugs.
What To Do on Ambergris Caye
Scuba/Snorkel
Ambergris Caye is known for having some of the best scuba and snorkeling spots in the world. If you’re into scuba diving, The Blue Hole is a must. For snorkeling, I highly recommend doing a tour of both the Hol Chan Reserve and Shark Ray Alley. We did both and it was downright amazing and the highlight of our trip. The other two people who were supposed to be on our boat never showed up, so we got a private tour for the price of a group!
Snorkel the Hol Chan Reserve
The Hol Chan Reserve takes you right into the action of the Barrier Reef. Shark Ray Alley was personally my favorite out of the two. This area is full of nurse sharks who know they are going to get food when they hear the tour boats. Because of this they “swarm” the boat. Once they are done eating, you can then jump in the water and snorkel. Not only are you swimming among 3-6 foot nurse sharks – don’t worry, they only suck on you if you stick your fingers in front of their mouth – but also among huge, beautiful STINGRAY! I have never seen stingrays up close like that and they are absolutely beautiful. They are now one of my favorite animals and should really have their own emoji.
Finding a place that offers a snorkel or scuba tour is easy, there is no need to book before you go. There are multiple along the beach and the locals (plus Google Maps) can help point you in the right direction. You do usually need to book one day before going, however, rather than the day of the desired time.
Secret Beach
This is the only actual beach on the island where you can go in freely right from the sand. The other “beach” parts usually have barriers or a bunch of seaweed right at shore. Secret Beach is about a 30-minute ride from San Pedro and you can get there by golf cart (this is how people get around the island). It was pretty easy to get there, but I did use Google Maps on my phone. Secret Beach was so much fun and was a great whole-day trip.
Maruba Beach Klub
There are two main bars here, Maruba Beach Klub and Pirate’s Not-So-Secret Beach Bar. We spent most of our time at Maruba Beach Klub. It had a great vibe and wasn’t too crowded! They also had really good food & drinks that were brought in pretty presentations.
Maruba’s Viper Challenge
Maruba has a signature rum shot called The Viper Challenge. The rum is stored in a bottle with an actual snake in it 😳🐍. The challenge consists of sticking your finger in the rum, a member of staff lighting your finger on fire (don’t worry it’s only for a second if you’re smart), licking of bunch of sugar off a piece of pineapple, taking the shot of rum, then eating the pineapple. It wasn’t too bad and was a lot of fun to do. Plus, you get to put your name on the bar wall if you do it! Everyone around joined in to cheer and watch, so it was a great time.
The water at Secret Beach was the clearest I have ever seen. I used a waterproof pouch to take my phone out with me and was able to get pictures of us in the water!
Eat
Because we went during Independence Day weekend and tourist low season, a lot of popular Ambergris Caye restaurants were actually closed on holiday. Belize only got its Independence about 30 some years ago, so it is a huge deal and most places give their employees 3-6 weeks off for it. This was a little disappointing as I love to check out the recommended restaurants in an area, however, it ended up working out because all of the beachside restaurants were still open.
Drink at Palapa Bar and Grill
We spent the majority of our meals and swim time out at Palapa Bar and Grill. I really liked this bar because they are right over the water and have their own swimming/layout area attached! Their nachos and specialty drinks are also bomb 👌🏼 Some other places to check out to eat include Sandy Toes, Wayo’s, Fido’s, and Caliente Restaurant. There was a pretty good place right by Jaguar’s bar that is open on the weekend for brunch that we went to (forgot the name). They had amazing fried puffs of dough (also forgot what they were called). Restaurants that were closed while we were there, but recommended to check out if open, include The Truck Stop, Elvi’s Restaurant, and Wild Mangos. Belikin is the official beer of Belize and is basically the only beer offered at most places!
Relax
You’re on an ISLAND. Don’t try to pack your days too much. The island is there for you to leisurely enjoy some much-needed time off.
Would I Go Back?
Ambergris Caye was absolutely beautiful. However, I do not recommend it as a solo or girls group travel location. About 43% of Belize’s population lives in poverty. Just being an American will make you stick out like a sore thumb.
Have you been to Ambergris Caye? What was your favorite part? Make sure to save the below pin for later!
