If you haven’t considered Belize for your next vacation destination then I highly recommend you do! From swimming with sharks to exploring the town, there are memories to be made! When visiting Belize, the place to go is San Pedro, a town on the island of Ambergris Caye.
My husband and I vacationed in the beautiful Caribbean country of Belize at the end of April 2022 and it was fabulous! Previous to going, I had really only ever heard of Belize in college because I knew that’s where the future teachers studied abroad.
However, I had quite a few Hilton points begging to be used so I did some research on Hilton’s most luxurious resorts and off to Belize we went! Since we had such a wonderful time, I wanted to put together this travel guide to make your next trip to Belize a breeze! 😉
Getting There
In order to get to San Pedro, you will first need to fly into Belize City. From there, you can either take a small plane or water taxi to the island of Ambergris Caye, which will land you right in the center of San Pedro town.
We flew to the island via Tropic Air to save time. The flight ranges from 13-15 minutes and cost us $166 each round trip. The plane is superrr small, which made me nervous, but our flights were relatively smooth and the view is GORGEOUS. The water taxi is only slightly cheaper but takes about an hour and a half. Many visitors take a plane one way and a water taxi the other, just for the experience.
Transportation
While visiting San Pedro, I highly recommend renting a golf cart. Golf carts are the primary means of transportation across the island and are the most efficient way of seeing the town. We went off our resort almost once a day for a 15-minute golf cart ride into town for some really delicious food.
Pro tip: Don’t rent from the resort! Golf carts are significantly cheaper if you rent them somewhere in town. While the resort charges about $80 USD/night, you can get them in town for around $40-$50 USD/night.
We rented from Tropical Golf Cart Rentals for super cheap. The golf carts weren’t the most luxurious, but we had no issues and you can’t go that fast anyways because the roads are bumpyyy. They drop off and pick up right at your resort, making the entire experience seamless.
Currency/Money
Cash is king on the island! While you can use your card at most larger establishments, some smaller joints were cash only. Either way, vendors definitely prefer cash to avoid card fees. You can use both USD and Belize Dollars (BZD) on the island. In fact, we didn’t exchange currency and the only time we ran into issues was with getting change back.
The exchange rate in Belize is superrr easy at 2 BZE = 1 USD. In general, prices in town were in BZE and at the resort were USD. It’s usually easy to tell based on if the price seems normal or doubled, but if not explicitly written or stated, just ask! 😊
Where to Stay
We stayed at the Hilton Mahogany Bay and Beach Club Resort and I would say it’s hands down the best place to stay on the island. The resort is spread out and consists of cute little villas that are very comfortable and clean. There are a few restaurants, bars, and little food shacks on the resort; however, it is not all-inclusive. The primary selling point of this resort is their GORGEOUS and serene private beach, complete with over-the-water villas (for rent), hammocks, paddle boards, and endless clear-blue water.
If you’re not looking to stay with Hilton, Marriott recently built its first property in Belize called the Alaia Belize. It’s oceanfront and has a rooftop pool. The Victoria House Resort & Spa also looked like a nice option.
Best Breakfast
Estel’s
Estel’s is right on the water and has a perfect beachfront ambiance. It’s located right outside of the cute San Pedro town square and has notoriously amazing food.
I got the Huevos Rancheros and my husband got the Fried Jacks, a Belizean specialty that he fell in love with and ordered multiple times.
Flight Cafė
This restaurant is called Flight Café for a reason! Neighbor to the John Greif II airport, and decorated as a cutesy airport, this café had my favorite breakfast on the island: the Spinach Bacon Croissant. Try it and thank me later! They also have really good coffee.
Best Lunch/Dinner
Elvi’s Kitchen
Elvi’s Kitchen is hands down my overall #1 and I would venture to say it has the best food on the island. It has a reputation and it’s easy to see why!
The Street Corn was to die for, like I was licking the plate, and Chef Jennie’s Signature curry was divine.
Hungry Grouper
The Hungry Grouper is an unassuming little restaurant that serves local cuisine. I specifically wanted to mention it because I don’t think we would’ve gone on our own had we not gone with friends we met. The food is really good and we even had two little stray kitties come visit us while we were eating.
The Taco Shack
The Taco Shack is one of the cute little food shacks located on Hilton’s Mahogany Bay Resort. It’s open to the public and has a nice variety of options. The owner is very nice and personable and the food literally melts in your mouth. Note: It’s cash only!
What to Do
Other than relaxing on the gorgeous island and enjoying the amenities that your resort has to offer, I definitely recommend exploring San Pedro town! Get in your golf cart and head into town to check out all of the amazing restaurants and little shops.
If you’re staying at the Hilton, there’s really no need to seek out a beach as their private beach club is incredible! Otherwise, Secret Beach is about an hour golf cart ride away and is a popular beach destination for travelers and locals, alike! It has more of a fun, upbeat ambiance and doesn’t have the seaweed problem that you see directly on the beach in San Pedro.
Excursions
I highly recommend taking a private boat to snorkel at Hol Chan where you can see the world’s second largest barrier reef. They will then take you to Shark Ray Alley where you can swim with the sharks! Shark Ray Alley is a place where fisherman have gone for yearsss to dispose of their fishing remains so the sharks know it’s the place to be fed and literally flock the boat when they hear the engine. We booked with Belize Magical Adventures and they were excellent and reasonably priced!
You can also visit the island of Caye Caulker where you can explore, swim with manatees, and see seahorses. If you’re into diving, the Great Blue Hole off the coast off Belize is the place to go. You can do jungle excursions like cave tubing and the Belize Zoo on the mainland. While they will fly you back over, I recommend planning a day or so in Belize City before flying to Ambergris Key to save time.
Communication
Most people on the island use the WhatsApp to communicate. To book our golf cart and excursions, we simply messaged the vendors. Everyone is super laid back and doing pretty much everything is much simpler than in the U.S.
Safety
Many Americans move to San Pedro in pursuit of a more simple life. We met a few of these expats and between them, the locals, and our own experience, the consensus is that it’s very safe. Everyone was super nice and we felt safe the entire time we were there, even out at night (it gets dark around 5 PM). We were told that it is a very small town and everyone knows each other so it’s hard to get away with stuff. The main thing to watch out for is petty theft and “hustlers” but we didn’t have any issues.
COVID-19
I hesitate to include this info because it changes so frequently. However, as of April 2022, Belize requires that travelers purchase $18 travel insurance to enter. You also need either a negative Covid test or proof of vaccination to enter Belize and get back into the US.
Did you find this travel guide helpful? Share your adventures and thoughts/questions in the comments below!
