When I read the reviews of my hotel in San Pedro, Belize, I was dubious about reports that you couldn’t hear any noise from the airport across the road. But when I arrived, I could see why. The biggest plane in the Tropic Air fleet is a 12-seater, 13 if a passenger is asked to hop into the co-pilot seat, as I was. Though that only happens if you’re on the small side.
Everything in Belize is kind of small. Even the international airport at Belize City was tiny compared to domestic ones I’ve travelled through in other countries. But small is good, and laid-back San Pedro is a nice little town for a bit of Caribbean rest and relaxation. It’s on Ambergris Caye, Belize’s largest island and just a 15-minute flight or an hour and a quarter water taxi ride from the city.
What to see and do in San Pedro
The main activities in San Pedro, apart from sunbathing, are water-based with abundant scuba and snorkelling tours on offer. It was a bit too windy to tempt me out to the reef. A previous rather challenging snorkelling experience in high winds in Mexico is a memory that hasn’t receded with time! But SEAduced by Belize and SEArious Adventures were both recommended as providing good dive and snorkel trips. Lots of hotels also have dive shops, including equipment for rent and tuition for the novices and every other type of water sport you could want to try is also available.
Other options for whiling away the days in San Pedro include glass-bottom boat tours and renting a golf cart, which is the main form of transport for getting around the island. Or you can simply amble around the shops and along the beach front and then find a nice spot to put your feet up, order a drink and admire the view.
Where to eat, drink and sleep in San Pedro
As San Pedro was the last stop of a trip around five locations in Mexico and Guatemala, most of my time was spent enjoying the fabulous food and drink it has to offer. It was definitely a culinary highlight of my three weeks away, with the fish dishes particularly worth mentioning.
First, though, where to stay? Well, I don’t think there is much in the way of cheap accommodation in San Pedro. I did spot a couple of places that are probably popular with backpackers, but most of the hotels are on the expensive side. As mentioned earlier, I stayed right opposite the airport at the Sunbreeze Hotel, which wasn’t the cheapest option but definitely not the most costly on offer either.
The airport departures were literally directly across from the hotel entrance. When I left, I checked out at 8.30am and was on the plane, ready for take-off at 8.40am. It was a 9.00am flight, but Tropic Air has a flexible schedule, so as everyone had arrived, they decided the plane could leave!
The Sunbreeze is lovely with good-sized rooms on two levels set around a nice swimming pool, which is on a raised deck overlooking the beach. One of the best things about the hotel, though, is the restaurant, the Blue Water Grill. Again overlooking the beach and with some of the best fish dishes I’ve ever had. My friend was so much in raptures about one snook dish she had it two nights out of four – and she’d never even heard of a fish called snook before!
It’s also a good location for other great eating and drinking options. Wild Mangos (now Gypsy) was practically next door in one direction and had some delicious dishes. Tikin Xic was pan-roasted grouper marinated in achiote, which was served with sweet potato zucchini hash and achiote butter sauce. Achiote is extracted from the seeds of a shrub and is native to the tropical areas of the Americas, including the Caribbean. My mouth is watering at the memory!
A little further along is Estel’s Dine by the Sea, which has a sandy floor and is nice for lunch or dinner. And, of course, the views from these places are excellent.
Further afield in the town (though nowhere is very far), the best option for breakfast is definitely Mesa, a tiny fab café offering creative dishes and free tea and coffee refills. A bit harder to find and pretty quirky is Caroline’s Cookin’, run by the colourful character it’s named after. Fish was in short supply the day I went for lunch, so she substituted shrimp for fish in my tacos, and they were absolutely delicious. Fortunately, she was due to move premises soon after, so it should now be easier to find just across the road from the airport.
So, although probably a busier and more touristy option than some of the other islands off Belize, Ambergris Caye is a good choice if you don’t want to travel too far from the city and are after a relaxed few days sampling some delicious, albeit not cheap, food and drink.
For more posts about my visit to the Central American countries, visit the Central America section of my blog.
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