Things to Do in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize
Ambergris Caye is Belize’s largest island and is known for its beaches, water sports, and scuba diving. The rich variety of things to do makes Ambergris Caye the gateway to travel in Belize. San Pedro Belize attracts tourists and snowbirds from around the world to its turquoise waters and white sand beaches. San Pedro is the heart and soul of the island of Ambergris Caye. It is the city that inspired Madonna’s famous song La Isla Bonita (the beautiful island). The island now labels itself “La Isla Bonita” on signs across the island.
“Last night I dreamt of San Pedro … tropical the island breeze. All of nature wild and free. This is where I long to be.”
San Pedro Ambergris Caye Travel Guide
Located in Central America, bordered by Mexico, Guatemala and the Caribbean Sea is Belize. It’s a diverse country with various cultures and languages. Ambergris Caye is Belize’s largest island, measuring approximately 25 miles in length. The town of San Pedro is the heart of Ambergris Caye and the island’s only town. The island offers enough amenities to make it exciting. At the same time, it’s not so overdeveloped that you’re tripping over tourists.
Getting Around the Island
As you step off the boat and onto San Pedro you will see tanned tourists in sun hats cruising around in golf carts. Golf carts are the main and the best way to get around the island. Don’t worry if you’ve never driven one before, they are easy to drive!
You will find many places around the island that rent out carts. Shop around and do some bartering to get the best price. Other than golf carts you can also use taxis to get around the island although this is less convenient, especially if you plan on leaving the city to explore other parts of the island.
The People of Amerbris Caye
Belize is the only Central American country with English as its official language. Most Belizeans are fully bilingual in English and Spanish, and almost everyone speaks and understands Creole. Therefore you should have no problem finding English-speaking locals, there are always people at tourist spots and restaurants that are fluent in English. The Belizean people are very diverse and are made up of Maya, Mestizo, Kriol, Garifuna, East Indian, Mennonite, Arab, and Chinese.
What to do in San Pedro Belize
This small island is the kind of place where all your worries melt away. Spend sunny days in the water or relaxing on a hammock and the warm evenings enjoying a cold beer on the beach.
Scuba Diving & Snorkelling
Belize is famous for its amazing diving and snorkeling! Get up close with a large variety of sea life at the second biggest coral reef in the world. Take a snorkeling or diving trip off the coast of Ambergris Caye. This is an absolute must-do when on the island. The reef is only about a mile from the island so it can be reached quickly and easily. In addition to colorful coral you can see turtles, stingrays, sharks, fish, and manatees!
An amazing underwater world is waiting to be discovered. You will find everything from fish, sharks, stingrays, manatees, turtles, and a variety of colorful coral! The Belize Barrier Reef features famed snorkeling and dive sites like the Hol Chan Marine Reserve.
Off the eastern shore, the Belize Barrier Reef features famed snorkeling and dive sites like the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Below the surface of the turquoise water lives an abundance of sea life. The Great Blue Hole is one of the most famous sites in the country and can be reached by boat from the island.
While I was there, I went snorkeling one day and got to cross-off diving from my bucket list on another day. Both days I went with the tour company Inland and Sea Adventures. If you choose to book with this company keep in mind they will ask you to pay in cash and if you pay by card you will be charged a fee. If you’ve ever wanted to try diving or snorkeling, this is definitely the place to do it!
Bar with Slide
Breakfast with a view, lunch with a view, dinner with a view, drinks with a view. Many of the island’s bars and restaurants are located along the water giving you an unbeatable view.
As I was walking along the beach on the way back to my accommodation I saw in the distance something I knew I had to try – a slide off one of the many docks going into the beautiful turquoise waters of Belize.
Slide into paradise at this beach-side bar! This unique bar is complete with water slide, water trampoline, tubes for floating in the water, and lounge chairs to soak up the sun while enjoying an ice cold beer.
The slide belongs to a bar and you need to pay $5 US to use the slide (even if you buy a drink). This fee will also allow you to use the water trampoline owned by the bar and lounge on one of the chairs along the dock.
The slide is a lot of fun and definitely work the 5 dollars. I got a lot of use out of my waterproof camera during this trip and I would recommend purchasing one for your trip.
Not So Secret Secret Beach
A good secret can be hard to keep. It’s, therefore, no surprise that the secret beach is no longer a secret. It’s located on the north of the island and can be reached by a bumpy trip in a golf cart. If you are staying in San Pedro you will need to cross a small bridge to get to the north of the island which will cost you $5 US round trip. From there it’s about a half an hour.
Along the way, you will pass by The Truck Stop which features a hand full of food trucks serving up everything from conch pizza to Asian food and ice creme.
It’s a great place to stop on a hot day for ice cream or a cold beer and has a fun atmosphere where you will find mostly ex-pats and tourists. They also sometimes will show movies or sports matches on a large outdoor screen.
Experience Belize’s Cuisine on a Food Tour
The food! In Ambergris Caye you will find no shortage of great restaurants and deliciously fresh food. Fresh seafood like this shrimp and conch ceviche and other local favorites will have you drooling.
If you’re like me, you would agree that one of the best parts of traveling is trying new local foods. That’s why I decided to do a food tour while on the island. The good thing about this tour is that you get to discover some of the more affordable and authentic places to eat. This is a great way to avoid the more expensive touristy places. I would recommend doing this at the beginning of your trip, that way you will have time to go back to the restaurants and try other foods.
The tour I did is Belize Food Tours which is run by a brother and sister who were born and raised on the island. I did the savor tour which was in the evening and included stops at numerous places around San Pedro Belize where we were able to try a variety of local foods and drinks.
The guide had a lot of knowledge about the city and the island as his family was one of the first families to move from Mexico and settle in the area.
Chicken Drop
The Chicken Drop is a unique weekly event at Wahoo’s Lounge which involves numbered squares, chicken, poop, and gambling. Every Thursday tourists gather around a board that is divided into squares, each with a unique number from 1 -100. The chicken security guard (yes that’s a real thing) brings out the chicken around 7:00 pm.
When I was there they got a very drunk and loud woman from Chicago to shake the chicken a bit, blow on its bum, and then set him free on the square. A DJ plays music and people yell at the chicken imploring it to poop on the square they’ve bet on. It’s kind of silly but one of a kind and definitely something to check out while on the island.
Walk Along The Water and Visit the Many Beach Bars
There is no shortage of beach bars in San Pedro or on the island of Caye Caulker. A great way to find them is by simply taking a walk along the coast. It’s beautiful to walk on the sand especially in the evening when the sun starts to set. Stop by the Crazy Canucks Beach Bar on Tuesday night for hermit crab races. What better way to say ‘goodbye’ to a wonderful day in Belize and ‘hello’ to an unforgettable night by watching a beautiful island sunset! I captured this sunset on a water taxi from Belize City to San Pedro.
Day Trip to Caulker Caye
The island of Caulker Caye is only a short boat ride away from Ambergris Caye. If you have the time I would recommend taking a day trip out to this island. It’s smaller than Ambergris Caye so one day is the perfect amount of time to explore the island.
Like Ambergris Caye, there are many beach bars to discover and nice beaches to walk along. Relax in the shade on a hammock or grab some street food.