I’ll be the first to admit that I wish I did some more research when planning this trip. I have a habit of just booking things and then going with the flow when it comes to travel. Most of the time this works out really well. Belize was an amazing trip but I probably could have saved some money if I had done a little planning in advance. Well fear not I’m here to help you and your future travels to this amazing country.

Where do I go in Belize?

The airport that I flew into is BZE  (Philip Goldson International Airport) in Belize City. The main mistake we made was that we went directly to Ambergris Caye and did not spend a few days on the main land. The reason I recommend doing this is that the Mayan ruins are on the mainland and booking excursions from Ambergris Caye can get pretty expensive because you have to fly back and forth.

 

How do I get to Ambergris Caye?

Ambergris Caye is an island and you can get there either by plane or by ferry. The ferry is the more budget friendly option and costs approximately $38 rountrip. You will need to take a taxi ($25) to the marine terminal. The ferry takes 75 mins to get to Ambergris Caye.

If you don’t mind splurging a bit you can book a 20 minute flight with Maya Air or tropic air. This can cost anywhere from 200-300 roundtrip. The planes are little puddle jumpers but they get you there pretty quick. We flew Maya Air and I had no problems.  They were even able to get us on an earlier plane to Ambergris Caye.

Where should I stay?

We stayed at Coco beach resort while in Ambergris Caye. To be completely honest I felt like it was overpriced and I’ve stayed at much nicer resorts for much cheaper. I remember when I was searching for hotels there weren’t a lot of options so this one was our best bet at the time. I’m sure there may be more options opening up.

The best way to get to San Pedro is by golf cart (no I’m not joking). San Pedro is the only town on Ambergris Caye. Coco Beach is about 3.5 miles from town. It is a very small island and you can get from one end to the other fairly quickly. You can also go via water taxi to certain stops.

Food & Entertainment

Sandy Toes

This place is in San Pedro and has the best Ceviche

Waruguma

They have these massive burritos that are delicious.

Chocolate Factory

You have to try their hot chocolate, or just their regular chocolate. They have a cute little cafe that you can sit and enjoy their treats in.

Snorkeling/Diving

Belize is a huge hot spot for people that love diving. I am not certified in diving and after going to Belize I’ve realized that I really need to get the training done. That being said they still have some pretty amazing snorkeling available and you will get a chance to see some reefs. (The are nice but they don’t compare to the Australia.) We booked through the resort but there are a bunch of places offering snorkeling and dive packages.

Blue hole

If you are a diver this is one of the most iconic dive spots in Belize. It is the largest sea hole in the world. If you are not diving there really is no point in you taking a boat out there, you wont be able to visualize it from there. I would recommend a helicopter ride over the blue hole instead. Obviously if you do dive you need to check it out because it is basically a huge flooded cave with sharks, reef, stalactites and stalagmites. There is also a reef surround the hole that is in more shallow water.

Mayan Ruins

There are a large number of Mayan Ruins in Belize. Xunantunich, Caracol, Cahal Pech, Altun Ha, and Lamanai just to name a few. These are all located on the mainland and you will have to fly back to Belize City to access them. I went to Xunantunich which is one of the larger ones. We booked a combined excursion that also included a cave tubing tour. You can also book Zip lining trips, ATV tours, and a trip to the Zoo.

Sea sports

The resort we stayed at offered kayaks, windsurfing, parasailing, paddle board and sunset catamaran cruises as well.

If none of the above activities seem to interest you…just hang out at the beach. You can’t go wrong with that.