How to spend 3 Days in Ambergris Caye, Belize

Day 1: Beach Exploration

Ambergris Caye

@anniekatt

Ambergris Caye is the largest island in Belize, about 66kms from the mainland. San Pedro is the only town on the island, with resorts, the local airport and the gateway for the local ferries connecting Ambergris Caye to other islands and Belize City. The rest of the island is slowly being built up, with resorts and village coming up to serve the growing tourism industry. You can find stunning beaches, lively local culture, great food and many snorkelling and diving options from which to explore the colourful marine life.

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Spend the afternoon relaxing on the beautiful beaches of Ambergris Caye. Large hotels and resorts are situated on the beach front with easy access to the waves. Smaller hotels will have limited beach space, especially the ones in town.

For a relaxed beach day consider visiting the popular local beach:

Secret Beach Belize

@anniekatt

About 45min drive from San Pedro town, Secret Beach is a popular hang out spot with calm, shallow waters and many food and drink spots. It is a bit of a drive, and part of the journey is over potholed clay roads, so go here if plan to spend a few hours at the beach. There is plenty by way of entertainment for adults and kids here: - Pick a spot with a view, chill on the free lounge chairs and order food and drinks from the nearest restaurant - For a fee you can try out the inflatable obstacle course, play volleyball in the water, take kids to the water park, or hire jet skis and paddle boards - A couple of the restaurants have live musicians putting a Caribbean flair on pop hits - Enjoy a massage or facial under a palapa - Take your drink out to the swing or tables in the water and enjoy the feeling of the waves Along the way, you will find a few roadside stalls selling coconuts, home made rum and local crafts.

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Day 2: Snorkelling or Diving

One of the main industries in Ambergris Caye is tourism because of the huge number of snorkelling and dive sites.

The most popular tour is a visit to Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley:

Hol Chan Marine Reserve

@anniekatt

Hol Chan means 'Little Channel' in Mayan. This is Belize's oldest marine reserve and is about 20min from the coast of Ambergris Caye. The main attraction of Hol Chan is the cut in the reef, which serves as a natural passage for marine life to move between the open sea and the lagoon. Depth in the channel can range from 30ft to only 2 inches. The coral gardens are filled with a variety of colourful coral, including brain coral and the delicate sea fans. It is also home to many species of fish, including southern sting rays and eagle spotted rays, the venomous lion fish and gentle nurse sharks. Snorkelers float above these formations while divers can explore the depths. Only guided tours are allowed to enter Hol Chan Marine Reserve, to ensure visitors follow sustainable and safe practices.

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Shark Ray Alley

@anniekatt

Shark Ray Alley lies just south of Hol Chan. This is a shallow area where nurse sharks and southern stingrays gather. This spot was once a fishing ground where fishermen would clean their catch, attracting the rays and sharks. Over time, the animals became accustomed to the presence of humans, making Shark Ray Alley a popular stop for snorkelers. Now nurse sharks and stingrays often swim right up to the boats where they hear them coming. Nurse sharks are generally not aggressive, so it is safe to swim near them. Shark Ray Alley is 5 to 10ft deep, making it easy to spot southern sting rays. The shallow waters are great for beginner snorkelers to navigate.

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Some of the hotels have their own diving organisations, or you can book one of the following tours:

1/2 day tour, perfect for beginners or young children:

Belize Hol Chan Marine Reserve & Shark Ray Alley Snorkel Tour - Ambergris Caye

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Hol Chan Marine Reserve Snorkel Tour on the 40' Sirena Azul Sailboat

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Whole day tour, which includes lunch and a visit to the nearby Caye Caulker:

Hol Chan, Shark Ray Full-Day Snorkeling Tour From San Pedro Belize

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Bucket list experience:

Great Blue Hole

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Bucket list list experience! The Great Blue Hole is a massive marine sinkhole located about 100km off the coast of Belize. It's a nearly circular underwater cave with a diameter of about 984 feet (300 meters) and a depth of approximately 407 feet (124 meters). In 1996, the Great Blue Hole was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System. Around the reef, you will see a huge variety of marine life including Caribbean reef sharks, nurse sharks, turtles, stingrays and tropical fish. Diving into the Blue Hole itself, however, is more about the experience of exploring and swimming among the stalactites. Visiting the Blue Hole is definitely a bucket list experience, with most tour operators turning it into a full day experience. It is a popular diving destination for experienced divers because of its depth and challenging locations. You can also snorkel in the waters close to the coral reef and spot sharks and other marine life from the surface. Another option is to book a flight tour for an aerial perspective (and fantastic photos) of the Great Blue Hole. This is on our to-do list when the kids are older and more comfortable being in wild water.

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Day 3: Cultural Experiences

Step into Mayan civilization:

Altun Ha, Monkey Sanctuary and Rum Factory Tour from Belize City

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Fun and laidback family experience:

Traditional Belizean cooking class

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Souvenir shopping:

San Pedro Artisans Market

@anniekatt

Visit the San Pedro Town Market for souvenirs and locally produced art and craft. It is aimed at tourists, with higher priced items, but you might find something unique in there. We bought a painting from a local lady who paints and teaches art to others on the island. The market is open from around 8am to 8pm.

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If you have more time on Ambergris Caye:

San Pedro

@anniekatt

Spend an evening wandering around San Pedro town. There are shops, restaurants, local stalls selling food and crafts, art galleries, souvenir shops, dive shop operators, a library, a chocolate shop, a church, a playground and a slide that ends in the sea. The town comes alive late afternoon and into the night; either grab dinner from a local spot or enjoy live music from the beach bars.

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Caye Caulker

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You could spend a whole day exploring Caye Caulker. This smaller island is about 30mins from Ambergris Caye and feels a little more 'Belizean' with a large number of hotels, restaurants and shops. It is easy to wander around checking out the various shops or even restaurant-hopping to sample delicious and affordable fresh fish. The beach is called The Split, which is in the middle of the island, with shallow waters making it great for kids. The south part of the island is built up into Caye Caulker Village. An interesting experience here is to visit the tarpon feeding dock to hand feed the tarpons!

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Mexico Rocks

@anniekatt

Another fav snorkel spot is Mexico Rocks. It is based on the northern part of the island and is away from the current, so the water here is at its gentlest. It is great for beginners or young kids. There is plenty of colourful coral to see, as well as tropical fish, lobsters and occasionally a turtle.

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Bacalar Chico National Park & Marine Reserve Museum

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Take a day tour to the northern tip of Ambergris Caye at Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is hardly visited and is as untouched as possible, so a trip here is a very unique experience. There are a few snorkelling spots and there are plenty of coral formations, tropical fish and rays to see. If you travel in the summer, you might be able to see turtles. A visit here usually includes going through to the canal that separates Belize and Mexico. This canal was made by the Mayans in around 600AD to transport goods like jade, pottery and salt on their canoes. It is an interesting experience to travel these historic routes.

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Really fun way to live the laidback island vibes: watching the sun set, spotting marine life become more active in the evening and listening to the waves while relaxing with the family or special one.

Ambergris Caye Sunset Sail Tour on the 40' Sirena Azul Sailboat

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Alternatively, you could always just spend your entire time relaxing on the beach, drinking a Pina Colada and enjoying the island breeze, like Madonna did.

Where to Stay

Ramons Village Resort

@anniekatt

Jungle themed island resort right on the beachfront and very close to the San Pedro airport. They also have a sister resort across the road called Steve & Becky's. Rooms are less expensive compared to the main resort, but guests can use all the facilities and benefits of the main resort. Facilities: - Swimming pools in the main resort and sister resort - Golf cart rentals - Pineapples Restaurant and Tropic Al's bar (with a great variety of Carribbean inspired cocktails, mocktails and shakes). Sunday breakfast is a buffet - They have their own dive shop called Ramon's Village Divers, and can organise tours to the many dive sites as well as mainland excursions.

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Grand Caribe Belize

@anniekatt

A luxury resort with large rooms, six beautiful pools and direct beach access, where guests can go snorkelling, paddle boarding or kayaking. They have: - a helpful concierge team who can organise tours and experiences around Belize - babysitting services - gym - spa and salon services - restaurant 1: Rain Rooftop Terrace, which is fine dining with views of the sunset and the sea. - restaurant 2: Aqua, which specilises in Asian inspired seafood and steaks. - pool bar, for snacks while you swim - jet skis rentals - complimentary hire of paddle boards and kayaks - onsite clinic for medical emergencies - onsite grocery store for other emergencies

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Coco Beach Resort

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With two outdoor pools and being right on the beachfront, this resort is a great family friendly hotel for anyone wanting to make the most of the water. Facilities include: - Cocoblana restaurant which offers a mix of international and Caribbean cuisine. - complimentary kayak and paddle boards for guests - bicycles for adults and kids - onsite activities desk who will organise tours and experiences in the water and in the mainland - spa services - fitness centre

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Sunbreeze Hotel

@anniekatt

A relaxing stay with an in-house restaurant, a pool, beach access and across the road from the airport. Facilities: - Onsite dive centre that can organise tours, diving courses and snorkelling adventures. - Concierge can book excursions to the Mayan ruins, or other adventures in the mainland including ziplining and cave tubing. - Blue Water Grill restaurant - known for its sushi

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Victoria House Resort & Spa

@anniekatt

Beautiful luxury resort towards the southern part of San Pedro. They are one of the oldest resorts on the island, with a stunning beach and two pools. Facilities: - Palmilla Restaurant serving a mix of local and international cuisine - Admiral Nelson beach bar, where you can snack, relax and play board games - Fantasea Dive Shop located on site, and can organise diving tours and expeditions to the mainland, as well as arial tours to the Blue Hole - yoga on the beach - spa rooms - a gym

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When you are staying on an island, you have to eat like an islander! Check out my recommendations on the best places to eat, tried and tested by yours truly:

Annie Kattapuram

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Eat like a local in Ambergris Caye, Belize

Belizean cuisine is a delicious blend of Caribbean, Latin American, Mayan and African influences making it a truly wonderful experience for food lovers. The ingredients are fresh and local, featuring seafood, tropical fruits, rice and beans, and coconut milk curries. Staying on Ambergris Caye, we ate a lot of seafood. Fish, conch and lobster were freshly caught every day, so we indulged! In this guide I have listed all the places we went to, with notes on - our fav places where we would eat again - what we ordered and my recommendations of where to order the best dishes, including lobster - local recommendations - couple of dessert places (including one we went to twice!) - the vibes of the place

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