All good things must come to an end and vacations are no different. We spent our last day in Belize exploring the famous island of Ambergris Caye. Madonna sung about this place back in the 80s with her hit, “La Isla Bonita.” Her music video was not filmed on the island, as there are no buildings over three stories. Still, the song put this place on the map for those of us who grew up in the Madonna era.
Water taxi to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye
Ambergris, or San Pedro as the locals call it, referring to the primary city, is a 30 minute water taxi ride from Caye Caulker. We made the trip with our new friend Rachel. We knew that if Rachel was along, it would be a good time!
After checking out the central tourist area of San Pedro, we rented a golf cart and began our exploration in earnest. Rachel drove and Steve and I enjoyed the views and Belikins. We explored the one road south and one road north and the entire journey took us three hours. In that time we also stopped for lunch at a burger joint out in the middle of nowhere.
Rachel and Steve
Ambergris is dotted with resorts of all levels–luxury to affordable and nightly to monthly rentals. The island offers the closest access to the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and the barrier reef, so it’s a popular destination for divers and snorkelers.
After a nice afternoon on La Isla Bonita, we took the water taxi back to Caye Caulker and decided we preferred the slower pace of our island over the “hustle and bustle” of San Pedro. We finished off our final day in Belize with a group dinner and said goodbye to our traveling companions.
There are two options for getting on and off of Caye Caulker. We took the water taxi, option one, from Belize City to get to the island earlier in the week. We took the other option, a quick flight, back to Belize City for our return.
Waiting area at the airport
The advantage of flying out of Caye Caulker is that the flight arrives directly at the airport, saving time and the hassle of negotiating a taxi and drive in the city. For about $80 a piece, we were two of twelve passengers on the 9:10am Tropic Air flight. Below you’ll see pictures of the airport in Caye Caulker, the baggage claim, and the gorgeous Caribbean views during the 10 minute flight.
It was tough to leave the peace and quiet of Caye Caulker and Belize. We experienced a wide variety of places, people, and activities, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to explore this tropical region. Hope you enjoyed following our journey!
