Ambergris Caye, San Pedro Town, Belize

San Pedro Town is the major settlement on the island. San Pedro's populace has grown to 4,000 plus year round inhabitants, with constant pressure from the mainland to immigrate to San Pedro due to a perception by mainlanders that it is the major or most lucrative source of income for the entire country. The residents are mostly of Mexican descent and speak both Spanish and English. The island has the largest concentration of visitor accommodations in Belize and its hotels, fishing and diving facilities are some of the best in the country.
The town is a picture postcard setting - small colorfully painted houses set alongside sand streets nestled beside the clear turquoise sea. Coconut palms sway and rustle in the gentle cooling trade winds. Low rise hotels, guest houses and bungalow style resorts, from modest to magnificent, are nestled along the coast and throughout the town.
If you want a comfortable, shorts-and-sandals seaside vacation, at a moderate price, just a bit off the beaten path but not too far, where the seafood is fresh and beer is cold, where the water won't make you sick, an island with most of the modern conveniences without the plastic tackiness, with great diving, excellent snorkeling, beautiful water and beautiful white sand beaches, where local folks are mostly friendly and speak English (though they may speak Spanish at home), with dependably beautiful weather most of the time, then I guarantee you'll enjoy Ambergris Caye.
Yes, tourism is the number one industry in what was once a fishing village. Now, fishing is still most excellent, but tourism has far surpassed it as a contributor to the local economy. This is not, however, the edgy tourism of Cancun, with millions of package tourists hitting the beach. No building is higher than a tall coco palm, or three stories.
Golf carts and bicycles are the principal mode of transportation. The streets are home to local and visiting barefoot strollers, casually making their way through the shops and restaurants or just relaxing and chatting with the locals who are friendly and tolerant.
A few taxis, trucks and private vehicles are in service in the growing community, and the newly formed traffic committee is hard pressed to create an equitable policy regarding importation of future vehicles.  
Ambergris Caye has much to recommend it. Away from the center of town there is an abundance of birds and other animals. Much of the island is covered with a broadleaf forest that attracts wildlife. The yards of the houses and the hotel grounds all bloom with tropical flora. The sea abounds with adventure for fishermen, divers, snorkelers and sailors. Some of the best outfitters for fishing and diving trips are found here, along with plenty of charter boats. San Pedro makes a fine base for excursions to nearby attractions and the more distant islands and atolls. The stores are well stocked with a wide variety of food and some of the country's best cooks take pride in their seafood specialties.
Getting to Ambergris Caye is easy; the island is serviced by hourly scheduled flights. A short twenty minute flight from the international airport brings one to the San Pedro airport, which is walking distance to town. Ferry service is also available. San Pedro's warm friendly casual atmosphere insures a perfect holiday. A familiar sign in town states, "Welcome to San Pedro where you won't be a stranger for long."
San Pedro is the town you will land at, boat to, eat at, shop in, meet people; in short, San Pedro Town will be a large part of most visitors' experience of Ambergris Caye. It is the transition point between dives and Maya tours (we use the new accepted standard - "Mayan" only to refer to the language, and "Maya" as a noun and adjective).
If you're new to the island, leave about two thirds of your clothing at home; bring swim suits, sun block, sandals, and a hat. I struggled hard to find a single evening I could wear long pants in an entire two week stay. This is one very relaxed place. Most people step off the plane, and struggle for about three days to slow down. It's hot and fragrant and moist, the wind is cooling, and, well, things just don't seem so urgent.
You'll walk; rent a golf cart, taxi, or bicycle mostly to get around. There are only ten streets, and NO pavement! Most people go barefoot or sandals, everywhere. You can swim in the warm clear Caribbean Sea, protected by the reef. The color is beyond description. Many people just stare at it for hours. The water is really warm, averaging about 82 degrees year round.

You'll find our Belize vacation packages very attractive throughout our site. Check the restaurants which have specific menus and specials, but as a rule, fish and lobster will be cheaper and wonderful because they just caught them. Almost everything else came from somewhere else. Still the fruit is wonderful, and the local beer, Belikin is delightful.
The experienced Caribbean traveler will recognize San Pedro Town immediately: In some ways, it's the Caribbean of 30 or 40 years ago, before the boom in international travel, a throw-back to the days before cruise ships turned too many Caribbean islands into concrete mini-malls hustling duty-free booze and discount jewelry. There are just three north-south streets, each hard-packed sand. Wood houses and shops, painted in bright tropical colors fading quickly in the sun, stand close together. Newer buildings are reinforced concrete, optimistically girded for the next big hurricane.
Foot and bicycle traffic predominate, though the streets are busy with golf carts - keep a close eye, as the electric ones sneak up behind you silently - and an increasing number of pick-ups and cars.
A couple of years ago, in a burst of efficiency, the town council made Front Street, whose name has been changed to the more romantic-sounding Barrier Reef Drive, one-way, with carts and vehicles allowed to go north only for most of its distance, to Caribena Street. Middle Street, or Pescador Drive, is one-way south from the intersection with Caribena Street.