It has to be said that this little paradise has it all: waterside bungalows, refreshing sea breezes, resto-bars on coconut tree-lined beaches and a seabed that promises shark dives and manatee sightings. Welcome to Ambergris Caye…
Ambergris Caye at a glance
At 40 kilometers long and 1.6 kilometers wide, Ambergris Caye is Belize’s largest island. It was first occupied by the Mayans, who, according to some historians, were responsible for digging the canal that separates the island from the Yucatán Peninsula.
In the 18th century, whalers named it Ambergris Caye, in reference to the ambergris found in abundance on the island’s beaches or floating in the surrounding area. In 1867, during the Yucatán Caste War, many Mexican refugees settled on Ambergris Caye, which explains whyEnglish and Spanish are spoken here.
A popular destination since the 1970s, Ambergris Caye was named “the most beautiful island in the world” by Traveler’s Choice Island in 2014. To the east of the island are long white sandy beaches, while the west coast is overgrown with mangroves.
The island’s main and only town, San Pedro is the gateway to Ambergris Caye. Here you’ll find hotels, restaurants, small shops and a host of tourist activities (scuba diving, kayaking, fishing, etc.). Many tourists stop off here to enjoy the island’s main attraction: the coral reef and the Blue Hole. Ambergris Caye is split in two to the north of San Pedro by “The River”, a separation caused by erosion.
Caye Caulker or Ambergris Caye?
Both easily accessible from Belize City, Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye are only a few kilometers apart (30 minutes by ferry boat). Why choose one over the other when you don’t have enough time to stay at both?
While Ambergris Caye is Belize’s largest island, Caye Caulker is a small piece of land, no more than eight kilometers long and one kilometer wide. The atmosphere is very cool, very “backpacker”. Much more than a local motto, “Go slow” is a way of life here…
As with Ambergris Caye, you can explore the island by bike or golf cart (no cars on Caye Caulker!), and enjoy a wide range of water sports including kayaking, kite-surfing, fishing and scuba diving.
As the island is mainly frequented by young North American tourists, the food and lodging here is very affordable, often in youth hostels or equivalent accommodation.
➜ When you’re traveling alone or as a couple and don’t want to spend too much, Caye Caulker is the ideal solution! With a wider range of accommodation and activities on offer, Ambergris Caye is an excellent choice when traveling with the family or looking for a higher quality of comfort.
How do I get to Ambergris Caye?
Two companies offer several daily departures by water cab to San Pedro from Belize City: Caribbean Sprinter Water Taxi and San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi.
Good to Know
- The journey from Belize City to San Pedro takes around 1? hours, with a stopover at Caye Caulker.
- Return fare: between $47.50 and $56.50
- We booked our tickets via the Direct Ferries platform.
Where to stay in Ambergris Caye?
Several accommodation offers are available via classic platforms (Airbnb, Booking, etc.). While the majority of accommodation is concentrated in the San Pedro area, it is possible to stay in more confidential locations, particularly in the north of the island. In this case, be prepared to manage your travel by boat or golf cart on sandy slopes.
We chose the Sun Breezee Suites for its beachfront location in San Pedro. The complex offers suites with a separate bedroom, sofa bed in the living room and a small, fully-equipped kitchen – very practical when traveling with the family. The swimming pool is also a big plus for children.
➜ Special mention for the Mahogany Bay Resort & Beach Club, which we had the opportunity to visit shortly after it opened and which looked simply stunning! Part of the Curio Collection by Hilton™ group, the resort is located just a few minutes from San Pedro, on the mangrove side. Set between the canals, the cottages are colonial in style, with refined furnishings and meticulous decoration. The pool is magnificent, the beach club very exclusive. There are also several restaurants and stores available to residents within the resort grounds. Very chic, very beautiful 🤩
What to do in Ambergris Caye
The star attraction at Ambergris Caye is the Blue Hole. Located off the east coast of Belize, in the center of Lighthouse Reef, the Blue Hole is an enormous circular chasm, over 300 meters in diameter and 124 meters deep. Populated by dozens of species of tropical fish and superb coral, you can also encounter turtles, stingrays, manta rays and whale sharks. This is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful dive sites in the world.
With young children, however, scuba diving was not part of our plans. So we swap snorkeling at the Blue Hole for a day’s golf cart expedition… A local advises us on a confidential beach on the west side, accessible after a long track through the mangroves. We’re off in the direction of this“Secret Beach“…
The road is not always obvious, but the place is well worth the discomfort of the journey. The water is crystal clear, the sand white… A hut on the beach, hammocks and a few wooden chairs that double as deckchairs. Kids think they’re Robinson, and they’re not the only ones 😁
➜ It’s worth noting thatafter a few years of word-of-mouth, the magnificent Secret Beach no longer has much in the way of secrets… and not much in the way of authenticity either, unfortunately. Several bars and restaurants have invaded the beach, attracting ever-increasing numbers of tourists. As for the color of the water, it hasn’t changed and is still very pleasant to bathe in, but we’ll have to pass on the confidentiality 😕
Having acquired a taste for discovery by buggy, we set off again the next day, this time heading north. We drive for miles, first on the road to the various beachfront resorts, then on the beach itself. Progress is sometimes chaotic, and the children can’t keep up!
At the turn of a coconut tree, we discover El Secreto, a small paradise lost some 20 kilometers north of San Pedro (by buggy, that’s a long, long way 😂).
From a distance, the complex looks deserted, and you hardly dare stop. When a member of staff comes to offer us a seat by the pool, I think I’m dreaming… And when he offers to open the restaurant’s kitchens so we can have a bite to eat, I’m really dreaming…
➜ I would have loved to recommend a stay in this idyllic place but it unfortunately closed a few months after our visit…. From this day in paradise lost, we keep a few photos and wonderful memories 🙂
There are worse views to end 2 days on an island paradise, don’t you think 😉
➜ Want more heavenly scenery? So why not embark on an unforgettable cruise through Belize’s magnificent cays? Discover all the beauty of this destination in the article:“Belize | A cruise to discover the Belizean cays“..
➜ Belize is a small country with exceptional flora and fauna, both on land and in the water. Discover here several activities to do in the middle of tropical forests and Mayan temples: “Belize | 6 ideas of activities for a total change of scenery“..
