Want to get away from it all? Well, San Pedro, Belize might just be the perfect destination for you. Located on the island of Ambergris Caye, San Pedro is a small town perfectly located to go snorkeling or diving at Belize’s barrier reef. You can also enjoy its secret beaches, beach bars, and delicious seafood restaurants. San Pedro has just enough to do to be interesting, but not so much to do that it will exhaust you. This makes San Pedro the perfect place to rest and recharge your batteries!
How to Get to San Pedro Belize
Once you land at Belize International Airport, you can get to San Pedro either by water taxi or by plane. The ferry ride will involve taking a taxi from the airport to the ferry port and an hour-long boat ride to Ambergris Caye.
The plane ride only takes around 15 minutes and you don’t even have to leave the airport. We choose the convenience of the plane. Plus, by plane, you can enjoy an amazing view of several marshy islands and of Belize’s beautiful blue waters.
- Click here to see the latest water taxi schedule!
- Click here to see the latest flight times and prices!
Things to Do in San Pedro, Belize
The best thing to do in San Pedro is to book a snorkeling or diving tour to see the barrier reef. Belize’s barrier reef is the second largest in the world and is a UNESCO heritage site, so it’s a must-see when you come to the cayes.
#1 Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Alley
Hol Chan Marine Reserve is a protected area with a variety of colorful fish, sea turtles, nurse sharks, and sting rays. It’s amazing to swim through the water and see so many different types of coral and so many different schools of fish.
Check out our full video below to see all the marine life you could see when you come to the cayes!
Our second dive stop on this tour was Shark Alley, which is a spot where all the nurse sharks hang out. Shark Ally offered us an opportunity to get close to the nurse sharks.
It was a bit shocking at first to be in the water with sharks, but nurse sharks are not known to harm humans so they are perfectly safe to swim with. I wouldn’t recommend touching them though!
We loved our snorkeling experience in Hol Chan so much that we booked a second tour to Mexico Rocks. Mexico Rocks was probably the best place we have ever gone snorkeling! There was so much to see. We saw an amazing school of blue tang fish, stingrays, and many kinds of fish.
Our second dive stop, Tres Cocos, didn’t have many fish, but because the water is so shallow and clear, we were able to see nurse sharks and string rays very clearly here. It was the clearest dive stop we’ve seen to date!
#3 Rent a Golf Cart
The most popular mode of transportation on San Pedro is golf cart, and we highly recommend renting one for the day. It’s the best way to get to Secret Beach and a 24-hour rental starts at $35-$40 USD per day.
#4 Spend the Day at Secret Beach
Secret Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches on Ambergris Caye and is worth the 35 minute drive. It was the bumpiest ride I have personally ever taken, but it was a beautiful one as you get to pass mangroves and plenty of scenic areas along the way.
Once you get to Secret Beach plan to spend the day enjoying the water, getting a drink or two, and having lunch. The food is truly delicious here, but beware, the service is very slow. Don’t expect to get your food or drinks in a hurry. You are on island time so just sit back and enjoy!
Secret Beach also has a small water park that costs $10 to enter. We didn’t feel the need to do the water park side, but it is an additional way to enjoy your time at Secret Beach.
#5 Visit the Iguana Eco-Sanctuary
I really loved visiting the Iguana Eco-Sanctuary. We had a quick tour and really enjoyed it. The owner and his sons were very kind and shared their passion for protecting the green iguanas with us. They run the iguana reserve on donations, so give what you can when you go. Your donations go directly to feeding these gentle creatures, so definitely stop by and say hello when you are in San Pedro.
#6 Get Souvenirs at the Artisan Market
If you would like to get a special souvenir to take back home with you, then check out the artisan market. Here, you can browse the shops of dozens of local artisans who make handmade Belize mementos. It’s a great way to remember your trip!
#7 Enjoy Some Great Restaurants in San Pedro
San Pedro has some great restaurants to explore!
- Wild Mango’s-This one was our favorite by far! The food was so flavorful!
- Juice Dive-A delicious vegetarian/vegan restaurant with great food and refreshing cold-pressed juices
- Red Ginger-This hotel restaurant has a lot of flavorful dishes worth exploring!
#8 Take a Day Trip to Caye Caulker
Caye Caulker is a 30-minute water taxi ride away from San Pedro and is a must-see in our opinion. You can just spend one day, or spend a few nights to really take in this colorful island. To be honest, we wished we spent a few nights on Caye Caulker because the sand is so white, the buildings are so colorful, and the scenery is so delightful. It’s worth spending a few days here to take it all in. It is a very beautiful and chill island.
Things to Do on Caye Caulker
#8 Feed the Tarpon
Tarpon are a protected fish in Belize, meaning that if a fisherman catches one, he has to release it. These fish are huge too! They can get upwards of 300 pounds and about 6 feet long.
On Caye Caulker, you will be able to feed the juveniles, but they still looked pretty big to me. If you hold the sardines over the water they will jump out and take the food from your hand. It’s an exciting experience!
#9 Swim at the Lazy Lizard
One of the most popular spots on Caye Caulker is the Lazy Lizard. The Lazy Lizard is a restaurant and bar where you can listen to music while swimming or having lunch or dinner. This is another great place to take photos. The sea view here is stunning. Plus, you can take a jump off the high platform if you dare.
The Lazy Lizard is also located right on the Split. The Split was created in 2010 when Caye Caulker was hit by Hurricane Hattie. The storm was so powerful that it split the island in two creating two separate land masses.
#10 See Sting Rays at the Iguana Reef Inn
Not only does the Iguana Reef Inn offer amazing views, relaxing over the water hammocks, and a picturesque swing set, but it also offers an incredible experience with dozens of sting rays swimming right over your toes. You will also see puffer fish and sea horses here. It’s an absolutely incredible experience and is a must when you come to Caye Caulker.
The string rays start showing up around 4 pm every evening. Feeding time is not until 5 pm. Until then, you can get a drink at the bar and enjoy their gorgeous view.
You can also book snorkeling tours from Caye Caulker. Here are a few below!
Our Final Thoughts on San Pedro and Caye Caulker
San Pedro is truly an amazing town for starting your adventure in Belize. The snorkeling here is so incredible that we can’t recommend it enough. Don’t forget to visit Caye Caulker too because Caye Caulker is a big part of making your trip an unforgettable one!
Now that you know 10 things to do when you are in San Pedro, Belize, click to learn even more about the amazing destinations below!
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