Belize

The snorkeling in Belize attracted us to this country and did not disappoint! It is also an easy country to travel to given its proximity to the United States, they take US dollars, and they speak English. We were very impressed with the food. The seafood was phenomenal and so fresh. We had a tough time deciding which Belize cities to visit. We felt safe in all three places we stayed. Here are our thoughts on the three cities we explored; 

• Ambergris Caye has the largest town, San Pedro. There are more options for bars, restaurants, nightlife, and lodging. You need a golf cart to get around the island. It has some beach access but mostly dock access to the water. 
• Caye Caulker is smaller than Ambergris Caye with a younger energy. It is the 2nd most walkable of the three. It doesn’t have beaches. You use docks to get into the water.
• Placencia has the best beaches. The beach was clean and swimmable. It was also the most walkable city.

How we traveled there

Once we landed in Belize City (BZE), we took a 10-seater hopper plane to get to Ambergris Caye. We booked through Maya Airlines. We found out that they will bump you to an earlier flight if there are enough seats. Make sure to confirm the time your plane takes off with the gate agent. We almost missed it. Once you are through security, there are a few restaurants to grab food and snacks at. The flight to Ambergris Caye took 20 minutes, and the view of the islands below is beautiful. 

Between Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker, we took the San Pedro Belize Express Ferry which took 30 minutes. Everyone sits inside the ferry. When we arrived on Caye Caulker, there were people with golf carts waiting who drove us to our accommodations for $5. 

Between Caye Caulker and Placencia, we flew another 10-seater hopper plan. This time we flew with Tropic Air. We connected in Belize City at Belize City Municipal Airport (TZA) which is not the same as the international airport (BZE). There was a restaurant to eat at while we waited for our next flight. 

From Placencia, we took Maya Airlines to Belize International Airport (BZE) before flying back to the United States. This was a 45-minute flight. 

We recommend both Maya Airlines and Tropic Air to fly between the islands and mainland. The Tropic Air facility in Caye Caulker was nicer than Maya Airlines while Maya Airlines was nicer in Placencia. Since these planes only have 10 seats, make sure to book it far in advance of your trip. 

Where we stayed

Ambergris Caye

• We loved our stay at Pelican Reef Villas. It is south of San Pedro right on the water. Like most places on Ambergris Caye, there isn’t a typical beach. Their property has an oceanfront area with sand and chairs but to get into the water you have to use the ladder off their dock. The dock has multiple loungers and we saw many fish and small sting rays swimming by. They have snorkeling and paddleboard gear available. 
• The hospitality at Pelican Reef Villas was outstanding. We received complimentary breakfast and fresh juice each morning. The front desk set up excursions, dinner reservations, and golf carts for us. They also scheduled a van to pick us up from the airport and take us to the ferry for $40 per ride. There is a pool overlooking the ocean with a swim-up bar. They serve lunch but not dinner. Our villa had three bedrooms and three bathrooms with a balcony and an in-unit washer and dryer. 

Caye Caulker

• We stayed at Weezie’s Cottages. It is a few blocks off the water. There are 5 cottages that share a pool. The area is fenced in with a security code to get in. Our cottage had a long porch with chairs and a hammock. There were two queen bedrooms and steep stairs to a loft with two twin beds. There was also a futon in the living room to sleep on. We shared one bathroom. Weezie’s also has oceanfront rooms a few blocks away with a dock, pool, and a restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We ate here for dinner one night but weren’t impressed with the food. They set us up with a golf cart company to rent from. 

Placencia

• We stayed at Mirasol Villa which is a house turned into 3 units sharing a pool. Our unit had three bedrooms and two bathrooms. There was one room with a king bed, one with a queen bed, and one with two twins. The water in the shower never warmed up so our showers were quick. The balcony has two hammocks and multiple seating areas. We were just one building behind the beach. The unit has beach chairs and towels. There was also a washer and dryer we used a few times. It is a very walkable location to the beach, restaurants, bars, and shops. 

What activities we did

Ambergris Caye

• We booked a snorkeling tour to Hol Chan Reserve through our concierge at Pelican Reef Villas. It was a two-hour private tour that picked us up at the dock of our hotel. The guide snorkeled with us pointing out various fish. We saw barracudas, snappers, grouper, sting rays, a shark, and many more. There was a strong current twice but we were able to swim past it. We also swam with nursing sharks close by. This was my favorite activity of the trip and the best snorkeling I have experienced.
• Secret Beach is a well-known party beach with various bars and beach access. This is a full-day activity because it is on the other side of the island. It took us 1 hour to drive there in our golf cart. You will leave San Pedro and cross a bridge that requires a $5 toll. You don’t have to pay the toll if your golf card has a bridge pass. Some of the road is paved but most of it is dirt with potholes. As you get closer, there will be people on the street handing out free drink tickets to specific bars. The beach gets going around 11 am and ends around 5 pm. We liked Blue Bayou which has lounge chairs on a deck, a covered bar for some shade, and tables in the water with umbrellas. We had tasty fish tacos here. We also enjoyed our time at Coco Grande. 

Caye Caulker

• Sunday Funday at The Split. We hung out at Lazy Lizard in front of the ladder to watch people jump into the water. There is a bar to order drinks which is cheap compared to other places. The live DJ had great music. There is a strong current surrounding the area but they have an inlet area where you can get in the water with no current. It is busiest from 1:00-4:00 pm. We also stayed to watch the sunset from the parking area. The upstairs of Lazy Lizard is a bar at night. The other main bar at the split is Sip N Dip which also has good music and outdoor seating in the water. 
• Mayan Massages at Julz Holistic Massage Studio. The studio is right on the water by the Water Taxi dock. It was relaxing to hear the waves crash as we had our massages. The Mayan massage focuses on lymphatic ​drainage, pressure points, ​stretches, sciatica release, ​and an abdominal ​massage to improve ​digestion. They also do regular massages and cupping. We scheduled them one day in advance with a deposit and you can pay with a card. 
• Feeding the sting rays is right outside Iguana Reef Inn. They do it before sunset around 4:00 pm. About 20 sting rays were there being fed by a worker with a bucket of fish. They will swim right up to you if you go in the water. To the left of the sting rays is a dock where there are a few sea horses. They are hard to spot but we found a few attached to branches. 
• Feeding the tarpons at the Tarpon Cove was fun. It is $5 Belizian dollars to get 6 sardines to feed the tarpons. They show you how to hold the sardine so the tarpon will jump up and grab it from your hand. It was empty when we went but they said there is a line during the busy season.
• Jessica visited the Caye Caulker Animal Shelter and provided them with some food and heartworm medication. 
• We booked a sunset cruise through Weezie’s but it was canceled due to heavy rain that night.

Placencia

• Placencia is known for their beaches and it did not disappoint. We spent most of our days at various beaches that we could walk to. The beach our condo was on had the calmest water for swimming. It was also the cleanest and clearest water. The hotel next to us also served drinks and light bar bites (Toucan Jacks). 
• Placencia Beach Club is right on the water with beach access, a pool, a bar, and a restaurant. It was a great place to relax for the day. It is $10 for the day and has adult-only days. 
• The Bohemian Placencia let us rent beach chairs for $10 which came with a free drink. It is a restaurant and bar that also has a pool and beach access. They made a tasty wood-fired pizza! 
• We booked a Jaguar Reserve Tour that I was super excited about but it was canceled due to too much rain.
• We walked to the pier for a beautiful sunset. We recommend going over to the Placencia Yacht Club for sunset. Their boat will come pick you up at the pier. 

Where we ate

Ambergris Caye

• Nest Grill at Pelican Reef Villas, where we stayed, has great food for breakfast and lunch
• Black Orchid has great seafood and was a 5-minute walk from our place. They have half-off wine glasses on Wednesday night.
• The Hidden Treasure has Latin American and Caribbean cuisine. The seafood is great and they have live music. 
• The Truck Stop has four food trucks plus a bar. There are games to play, a pool, and they have live music after 6 every night. The food was okay (not as good as other restaurants), but it’s worth a stop on the way back to San Pedro from Secret Beach. 

Caye Caulker

• Reina’s opened at 6 pm serving delicious grilled seafood
• Auntie’s Take Out Food has delicious fried and baked seafood and chicken meals. They also have watermelon and lime juices. 
• Ice and Beans is an award-winning breakfast spot with coffee, smoothies, and breakfast food right on the water. I loved their bagel sandwich. You can sit in their Adirondack chairs or take a walk on their dock. They also do delivery around the island. 
• Amor & Cafe for breakfast. Sit down place with outside picnic tables. 
• Grab some chocolates from Belize Chocolate Company. They have a variety of interesting flavors. 

Placencia

• Barefoot Beach Bar has a large menu of everything from seafood to burgers to fajitas. They also have live drumming music starting at 7:30 pm. We sat right on the beach. 
• Omars Creole Grub has delicious seafood with country music playing
• Brewed Awakenings has tasty acai bowls
• Rick’s Amerian Cafe has delicious salads and pasta
• Rum Fish Y Vino was a favorite of ours. We loved everything we ordered from drinks to dinner to dessert. 
• Brisa’s Tapas Deli-si-o-so for breakfast but it wasn’t our favorite. They did have live music at night which was fun!
• Angel Delights Bakery for English muffin breakfast sandwiches. They also make gluten-free bread upon request.
• Tutti Frutti has amazing gelato
• Bomboyaz for dairy-free ice cream made with soy milk. It tasted good!

Where we drank

Ambergris Caye

• Coffee de los Mayas is a golf cart drive-through coffee spot. It has iced coffees and lattes with two types of alternative milk. 
• Sunset Lounge is a rooftop bar with hookah in the town of San Pedro. The DJ is great and ladies’ night is every Thursday. Other recommendations in the same area are Allure and NuPalm.

Caye Caulker

• Lexy’s Wine Yard and Bistro is a fun vibe to get light bites and wine bottles
• Swings Restaurant & Bar has drinks, swings, and dinner. They have seafood and chicken options. 
• Tapper’s Dive Bar has a few TVs with access to most sports games
• The Lazy Lizard has a Sunday funday at The Split. The Split is the most lively area of the island. There are chairs to lounge in, an area to swim in, and a ladder to jump off. 

Placencia

• Barefoot Beach Bar is right on the beach and has a fun night scene
• Big Titty Rum – is advertised all over Placencia. There is a bar where you can taste their rum. We recommend getting the sweeter rums like vanilla, coconut, and banana. 
• Above Grounds Coffee has coffee beans from Belize and neighboring countries. It also has juices and teas.
• Chillpoint is an indoor and outdoor place that serves a little bit of everything; coffee, smoothies, small bites like quiche, ice cream, and wine. It has wifi and is a great remote work option. 

What we recommend knowing/preparing

• San Pedro is a town on Ambergris Caye where most people stay while visiting 
• The conversion rate is about 2 Belizian dollars to 1 US dollar. It is a mix of cash-only places and places that took cards. Most places displayed on a sign if they took cards. 
• It is very humid, so bring sweat-wicking clothes. The sun is strong, apply sunscreen
• Bring a lot of bug spray, we needed it every night as soon as the sun went down
• Our doctors recommended the typhoid vaccine before we went
• We took a variety of traveler medications that our local travel clinic recommended
• We went at the end of October. It was a shoulder season so it was quieter and less expensive. It was also extremely rainy. It rained all 9 days we were there and not just for a little bit in the afternoon. It downpoured at least half of the days we were there and two of our excursions were cancelled. 
• We did not need to use a converter to plug chargers into the wall (same plugs as the United States) 
• Golf carts are Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker’s main mode of transportation. The ride is very bumpy due to the roads being dirt with many pot holes. Make sure to book ahead during the busy season. We used the golf carts every day on both islands (you can walk Caye Caulker easier than Ambergris Caye). On Placencia, we walked everywhere.
  • Ambergris Caye was $80 per day while Caye Caulker was $50 per day to rent a golf cart
• On Caye Caulker, Atlantic Bank ATM is open 24 hours and gives you Belizian dollars

What we didn’t do but looked into

Flying over the blue hole, a large marine sinkhole, is a popular tourist activity. Many people get their diving certification while in Belize.

What we packed

Only bring clothes for hot weather. We were there in October and it was very humid. Don’t pack long pants, white clothes or fancy clothes given all the streets are dirt. If you are going during the rainy season like us, pack a raincoat. Bring flat sandals that can get wet like Tevas or Chacos.

Check out our recommendations for travel clothing and essentials.

We hope you enjoyed our Belize travel guide. If you have any questions, contact us. If you’re looking for other places to go close to Belize, check out our post on Guatemala.

~Elyse