San Pedro Belize / Caribbean Villas 2019
January 2019 - Days 4 - 8
Summary:
- Tobacco Caye to Dangriga bus terminal
- Dangriga to Belize city (~1.5hrs @ $12usd/person via bus)
- “San Pedro Water Express” via taxi ($10usd) to San Pedro ($28usd/person – one-way, ~90mins)
- “Caribbean Villas” Hotel (via Airbnb. Golf carts and bikes available to rent)
- “Secret Beach” ~45mins North – clear, turquoise waters that stretch for kms
- FIXED RATE 1USD = 2BZE.
Details:
Due to the wind and rain the night before, the conditions made the ride back to Dangriga very rough; not for faint of heart…or stomach, but it was really fun! We walked to the bus terminal, and without realizing it, saw our bus drive away. For $5usd, a cab driver offered to race in front of the bus so we could board, otherwise we would have had to wait another hour for the next bus. It was worth it for us. At $12usd/person, we rode the bus to Belmopan, then Belize city, about a 3 hour ride.
A $10usd cab ride took us to “San Pedro Water Express”. This marina has some restaurants and souvenir stores. The restrooms are available to use at a fee of $1usd/$2bze. Purchase your ticket at the ticket booth to the very back of the marina, on the right hand side. One way and round trip tickets are available. This is a small “ferry” and it can get very crowded. A one-way ticket at $28usd/person took approximately 90mins to San Pedro (Ambergris Caye) with a stop first at Caye Caulker. The ride itself was smooth and nice.
Arriving in San Pedro, lots of restaurant/bars greet you along the beach. City centre is where we first arrived (which has a few food stalls at night, very tasty and affordable and probably our favorite). Lots of taxis are available, but we chose to walk about 25mins to our hotel south of city centre. Lots of restaurants, bars, and grocery stores are readily available. San Pedro is busy with lots of cars, golf carts, and bikes bustling on the streets.
We spent 4 nights at the “Caribbean Villas Resort”, booked via “Airbnb” at a great price. One of a few beach front properties, with onsite restaurant/bar, and dock with water slide and zip-line. We never ate at their restaurant as there were so many places to eat and drink close by that we preferred to venture out each night. Talk a nice walk along the beach/beach wall and you’ll see other hotels, and lots of bars/restaurants.
Lots of dogs wander throughout town, which can get a bit dangerous for them (so we thought) as the roads are so busy. If you're looking to rent a golf cart, make sure you look around as prices vary quite a bit. The golf cart rental is highly recommended if you want to be able to see more of the city. Beware of speed bumps and pot holes (especially at night, otherwise hold on tight), be vigilant of bicyclists and pedestrians, and follow signs. It's a lot of fun!
We took our rental golf cart to the (not-so) Secret Beach which was about a 35-45min drive from city centre. There is a toll bridge up north where you can pay a one-way or round trip fare of about ~$2-$3usd. We picked up a vendor along the way, which helped with directions. There are signs along the way, but the road becomes dirt and there are a few turns. There are lots of pot holes along the dirt road, which makes the experience more fun.
About 7 restaurant establishments exist at the beach, each with their own water toys to rent out to guests (tubes, peddle-boats, floats, etc.). Lots of lounge chairs are available along the stretch of beach with tables in the water, and docks to walk out onto. The water was beautiful, crystal clear turquoise like something out of a movie. We walked about half a km out with the water about chest/waist deep. It wasn’t too crowded when we went, but were told it can get busy during weekends. It's easy to spend a few hours here because of the beautiful water alone, but the vibe is quite relaxing and fun too. Food and drinks are not that cheap, but still worth a visit.