When I was in grad school, I had the awesome opportunity to student teach for a few months in San Pedro, Belize on Ambergris Caye. The island reminds me of the quaint little island where I live on the Crystal Coast. It was an incredible experience and I often find myself thinking of the adventures I had there, the people I met and the lessons I learned. The experience forced me to get out of my comfort zone and showed me that some of the best experiences come from when we push ourselves! I can’t wait to go back with my own family one day!
Here are 9 things that will make you fall in love with San Pedro, Belize on Ambergris Caye! Just make sure if you decide to move there, you set aside a room for me 😉
1. Go Shopping at the open air market!
The market is located in central San Pedro, Belize and has all kinds of cool souvenirs from hand-carved bowls and jewelry to vintage finds. The vendors are all super friendly and not pushy at all, and most are willing to negotiate! Leave a some extra room in your suitcase to bring a few souvenirs home!
2. Visit the Marco Gonzalez Mayan Ruins.
These barely excavated Mayan ruins are at the south end of the island. If you are looking for gigantic mayan ruins these aren’t for you. They are much more primitive and a bit of a ride from the center of town, but give an awesome history of the island, especially if you use your imagination! (Be sure to bring some bug spray!)
Photo Courtesy of Marco Gonzalez Maya Site
3. Go to the Chicken Drop
Yes, you read that correctly, a chicken drop! Wahoo’s, one of the restaurants on the island, hosts a Chicken Drop every Thursday night. Basically they have a board filled with numbers. You can purchase a ticket for $1bzd (about $0.50 cents US) on which number the chicken will poop on. Then they take a chicken, spin it in a circle three times, hold it up and down three times and then blow on its butt. Afterwards, you basically wait for the chicken to poop, and whatever number it poops on, that person wins $100bzd! I can honestly say that I never thought I’d pay to watch a chicken poop, but life surprises you sometimes. While you won’t find many locals at the Chicken Drop, it is definitely a unique experience and worth enjoying, especially with the local reggae musicians that often frequent the event.
4. Go Snorkeling (or better yet Scuba Diving)
Did you know, the coast of Belize is home to the second largest barrier reef system in the world? When I was in San Pedro, Belize, we had many 100 foot visibility days and spotted anything from nurse sharks, to angelfish, to turtles. I highly recommend taking a charter to both the South End of the island, for the reef, and Hol Chan National Marine Park, where you’ll see lot’s of turtles and sting rays. If you’re interested in extending you’re dive trip I can also highly recommend the Belize Aggressor that dives this area as well. The government in Belize has done an excellent job of protecting their reefs and keeping them a great environment to see the underwater world! I even saw my first underwater dolphin on this trip and it swam with us for a while!
There is also decent snorkeling in Belize right off the shore! Ramon’s Village Hotel was one of our favorite places to visit while living there. Ramon’s has a great Pier perfect for snorkeling as well as a dive shop that runs charters and rents equipment. There is also a small beach that is perfect for spending an afternoon!
5. Go Fishing
If you like fishing, San Pedro offers everything from fly fishing, to trolling inside the reef, to deep ocean fishing. There are plenty of fishing guides on the island that can take you to the right spot. You can even take your catch to many of the local restaurants where they will cook up your catch for you!
6. Eat and Drink
Belizeans can take the simplest of foods and make them incredible; and with the plethora of seafood you’ll be in for a treat! There are so many great places to eat and drink in San Pedro Town and delicious food options! One of my favorites when I was living there was Hurricanes, a bar and grill directly over the water! To make things even better, Belize is one of the top exporters of Lobster in the world and has a strict Lobster season. During season you can get lobster for excellent prices at all of the local restaurants and if you plan your trip in June you can even attend the annual Lobster Festival!
7. Visit Palapa Bar
Palapa bar is on the far end of the island and a bit of a golf cart ride, but so worth it! It’s a restaurant out on the water, surrounded by inner tubes to relax on the water and a large deck to sunbathe. It’s a great place to go relax for an afternoon and truly take in the relaxed attitude of everyone in San Pedro.
8. Take an excursion to Caye Caulker
Caye Caulker, which is the next island over from San Pedro is a small Caribbean town. This small town started as a fishing village and has a unique flair, consisting of only a few blocks, a handful of restaurants and few small shops. There are some places to buy local jewelry and is a really cool art shop where I got some gifts for people back home! After you’ve done some sight seeing, go to the Split, a narrow channel that divide’s the island, where there’s a beach bar and you can hang out on the sandy beach by the water watching the frigate birds fly around mangrove tree’s. While you won’t find any fancy restaurants or bars, sometimes simple places are the best places to get away and truly relax!
Getting to Caye Caulker is half of the fun. You can take a Catamaran or sail boat from San Pedro and sail the short distance to the neighboring island. Many of the charter boats make a stop to snorkel Hol Chan along the way, or take a ferry if fast is more you’re speed. When you arrive at Caye Caulker there is a small restaurant and small beach! It’s great to look for starfish at!
9. Enjoy “Belize Time”
The people in San Pedro are so friendly and welcoming, probably because they are all on “Belize Time”. At the beginning of our trip it frustrated me when people would say to be there promptly at 8:00, but not show up themselves until 9:30, you learn to really enjoy the relaxed vibe of the people and the country. Their attitude toward their island and other people help you to notice all of the beautiful things around you. Whether you’re listening to the waves lapping on the beach, watching the sunrise or finding you’re favorite palm tree on the island, San Pedro is so beautiful and has so many things to enjoy!
Getting There:
Belize is a short flight from Miami to the relatively small Belize City Airport. You’ll know you’re there by the palm trees, old airplanes and single runway. From there you have two options- you can fly or take a ferry. If you decide to fly you’ll catch a flight to San Pedro, Belize on a small island hopper airplane. You can buy your ticket once you arrive, or book in advance with local airlines, like Tropic Air. You also have the option to travel via ferry if the thought of a tiny plane worries you, or if you want to save some money. I recommend flying if you only have a short visit, because along the way you’ll have some incredible views of the islands and reefs.
Getting Around:
On the island of San Pedro cars are hard to come by! Most people here drive golf carts, and only service vehicles and taxis are actual cars. If you stay near town you can bike almost anywhere you need to go.
Where to stay:
Depending on what you’re looking for, there are plenty of options for where to stay. There are numerous nice resorts on the island, as well as some very economic options, AirBnB’s. My group stayed at Pedro’s Inn, which is a hostel and hotel. We had a room shared with one other person and a private bathroom and it was perfect for what we needed while we were there and very budget friendly. When I go back with my family I plan on booking a place at The Isla Bonita Yacht Club since they offer beautiful accommodations right on the water!
So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and book you’re trip! You won’t regret it!
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