Where We Be
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| San Pedro is the main town on Ambergris Caye. It has plenty of restaurant options and is reasonably walkable -- or you can rent a golf cart and get around like the locals do. |
| Ambergris Caye, Belize |
The big pro about Ambergris Caye and Belize in
general is that the snorkeling and scuba diving
really are great. Belize Barrier Reef -- second
largest in the world -- is vibrant with colorful
coral and marine life including nurse sharks,
spotted rays, stingrays, and sea turtles. It's
designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO
for good reason. We did a combo snorkel to
Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley
on one day and a half-day snorkel to Mexico
Rocks on another and all three sites were
terrific. All are easily reachable from Ambergris
Caye (or Caye Caulker if you add a half hour).
On the con side, Belize beaches tend to be
narrow, and (in April at least) the shoreline is
awash with stinky sea grass. We didn't get the
pristine Caribbean waters we were expecting
along the coast. Also, prices weren't as cheap
as we had anticipated. It's more like American
pricing with, say, a 25% discount. On the pro
side, any rum drink really is a good deal, so
cheers to that! The town of San Pedro is quaint
enough, but the golf cart traffic jams aren't
exactly our idea of paradise. Still, why quibble
when the sun is shining and rum is so cheap?
general is that the snorkeling and scuba diving
really are great. Belize Barrier Reef -- second
largest in the world -- is vibrant with colorful
coral and marine life including nurse sharks,
spotted rays, stingrays, and sea turtles. It's
designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO
for good reason. We did a combo snorkel to
Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley
on one day and a half-day snorkel to Mexico
Rocks on another and all three sites were
terrific. All are easily reachable from Ambergris
Caye (or Caye Caulker if you add a half hour).
On the con side, Belize beaches tend to be
narrow, and (in April at least) the shoreline is
awash with stinky sea grass. We didn't get the
pristine Caribbean waters we were expecting
along the coast. Also, prices weren't as cheap
as we had anticipated. It's more like American
pricing with, say, a 25% discount. On the pro
side, any rum drink really is a good deal, so
cheers to that! The town of San Pedro is quaint
enough, but the golf cart traffic jams aren't
exactly our idea of paradise. Still, why quibble
when the sun is shining and rum is so cheap?
| The middle street, Pescador Drive, has the most restaurants and shops -- and the busiest golf cart traffic. San Pedro is big enough that getting from one end of town to the other on foot takes about half an hour. It can be hot at midday so we tended to explore in the mornings and evenings. |
| Three parallel streets run lengthwise through town. Shown above is Barrier Reef Drive, the one closest to the ocean. The clock tower more or less marks the center of town. This street is good for walking and has plenty of excellent food options. |
| A colorful little park sits adjacent to the clock tower, offering views of the water |
| We ate at Poco Loco's a lot -- burritos, crepes, salads, smoothies, etc. Another cheap favorite was Little China. |
| At the overwater Palapa Bar and Grill you can get happy hour drinks -- and float in an inner tube while sipping them! |
| We mentioned the sea grass (sargassum). This is it. It's an eyesore, and it really does smell like rotten eggs. Locals claim it's seasonal, but the "season" seems to be getting longer each year. We've read this is not just an issue in Belize but throughout the Caribbean. From a tourism standpoint it (literally) stinks. |
| We took the Belize Express water taxi from Belize City to San Pedro. The crossing took 1½ hours. |
| The half-day snorkel to Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley ($40 US pp) is the most popular combo snorkel trip in the area. Hol Chan is only 15 minutes south of San Pedro. The 30-foot-deep channel cut at Hol Chan is incredibly rich with marine life. The highlight for us was seeing five eagle rays gliding down the center of the channel near the bottom. [Not my photos] |
| Belize is popular with expats for several reasons. Everyone takes US dollars: the rate is pegged at 2 BZD to 1 USD. It's the only country in Latin America that speaks English as its first language. Restaurants, grocery stores, and shopping abound. And it's fun to get around by bike or golf cart. |
| Sunset from the roof terrace of our Airbnb rental was something to behold. Lodging tends to be expensive on Ambergris Caye so Airbnb is a good option for more affordable rooms. |
| This snazzy sign is a popular spot for photos. It marks the location of Poco Loco's, a food court with inexpensive food options. |
| The best thing about Belize is the coral reef so be sure to get out there and explore it by boat. The sea grass disappears and you find that lovely Caribbean water you've been dreaming of. |
| Shark Ray Alley is only another 5 minutes beyond Hol Chan so it makes for an easy combo. Fishermen used to clean their catch here, and when they threw the offal into the water it started to attract nurse sharks and stingrays. Scuba masters keyed into this and started bringing divers here, and a new attraction was born. |
| Dive boat captains continue to add chum to the water to attract nurse sharks and stingrays. While admittedly somewhat artificial, it’s undeniably exciting to be out in the middle of the water with sharks and rays all around. When one glides below you or right past you it’s a thrill. The sheer number of nurse sharks and rays is startling. |
| Our half-day snorkel to Mexico Rocks ended up being our favorite of the trip ($50 US pp) . Mexico Rocks is shallow so it’s perfect for snorkeling. It was less crowded than Hol Chan or Shark Ray Alley and we saw plenty of nurse sharks and stingrays -- plus sea turtles, a green moray eel, squid, and much more. [Not my photos] |
