A Trip to Belize

Our flight was booked for a Saturday in June. It just so happened that was the same day a tropical depression decided to sweep across the Caribbean, including our island destination, and our flight was canceled. That wasn't the worst part - the airline then said they didn't have any other flights sooner than the NEXT Wednesday. If we chose that path, we would only get a mere four days to spend in Belize, and that just wasn't acceptable. After hours and hours of waiting around the airport to get back our luggage, sharing our frustration with fellow Belize-bound passengers, and patiently jumping through hoops on the phone & in person, we finally managed to book a flight for the next day.

Sunday came, and everything went as smoothly as it could. A short wait in customs, and we were on the streets of Belize City, hurdling towards the Caye Caulker Ferry in a cab. I've ridden in taxis in New York City rush hour, but that didn't compare to the bravado of our Belizean cab driver & his so-scary-it's-funny maneuvers (like passing a huge bus on a curvy backwoods road with oncoming traffic). Hey, five minutes into Belize and already an adrenaline rush!

We got to the docks and waited about an hour in the minimally air-conditioned lobby for the next ferry. If you take the ferry, sit on the top level or near the open part of the lower level. Believe me, it's much better than being crammed in like sardines in the enclosed areas where there is little chance of cooling off.

After an hour and a half of sea breezes and open ocean, and a short stop at Caye Caulker, we landed at Ambergris Caye, home to San Pedro Town. An inexpensive five-minute taxi (cabbies on the island seemed a bit more safety conscious - but the max speed on the island is around 30 MPH) put us on the doorsteps of our hotel: Corona Del Mar - "Crown of the Sea."

See departure times, ticket prices, & contact info for the Caye Caulker Water Taxi

We stayed at the Corona del Mar, a cozy three-story building operated by the nicest husband & wife duo you're likely to meet. Our small but accommodating one-room suite (only about $50 US plus tax per night) was on the top floor with a huge balcony overlooking the ocean at sunrise. We were lucky enough that no one was letting the room next to us, so we had the entire balcony to ourselves!

The owners were hospitable enough to provide us with a fresh jug of filtered water every day (it's local knowledge that the water in Belize is safe to wash in, but it's safer to drink & cook with bottled water) and replace the lock on our door when it wasn't working properly. They also provide free rum punch, which is pretty tasty, in the lobby during the day.

The location features a handful of restaurants & bars just a couple minutes away, and Woody's Wharf right across from the hotel on the beach where we signed up for a snorkeling trip & a day trip to Lamanai (more about all that below). There's also a covered public pier where we relaxed and enjoyed the water on hot afternoons.

Overall, the Corona del Mar was quite nice, especially for the price & location. It's very quiet & laid back, and the staff was nothing but friendly.

Book a room at Corona del Mar.

Belize has so much good food. No matter where we ate, from highly-trafficked touristy restaurants to hole-in-the-wall family run joints, the food was always delicious. I've never been much of a hot breakfast fan, but the Belizean breakfast changed me. They usually include scrambled eggs, bacon, refried beans (much more flavorful than Tex-Mex style refried beans), and fry jacks - fluffy, doughy, deep-fried sopapillas. And the drinks: fresh fruit smoothies are an option at every meal, but when you're ready for a buzz, try a Panty Ripper - the mixed drink of Belize.

BC's Bar A place we only frequented for drinks (a seriously strong Panty Ripper), but others say they have the best BBQ on the beach.

Blue Water Grill A sizable restaurant that's part of the Sunbreeze Hotel. We went one morning for hearty Belizean breakfasts & fresh orange juice, but they also serve lunch & dinner.

Crazy Canuck's Our favorite bar on the beach! Mainly because the staff was so friendly and fun to talk to, but also because it was only three minutes from our hotel. This is where I was first introduced to the Panty Ripper by the sweetest bartendress I've ever met, Patricia. Crazy Canuck's is mostly frequented by locals with a few travelers in between. There's a restaurant upstairs, live local music some nights, plus a Canadian Night and a horseshoe tournament every Sunday (although if you ask nicely, they'll let you play horseshoes anytime).

Estel's Dine by the Sea Possibly the most home-grown restaurant I've even been to. Inside looks like someone's house they just opened up to serve food out of, with the menu written on a huge chalkboard and people reading and playing cards & chess. Outside, the dining area is covered & overlooks the beach. It was my second favorite place to have breakfast, with to-die-for smoothies.

Fido's A full-size restaurant & bar catering to tourists, Fido's offers typical American fare (burgers, sandwiches) along with Latin American dishes like tacos & I think they had ceviche. Good selection of beer, and mouth-watering daiquiris (the peach ones were my favorite). In good weather, there's the option of open-air seating facing the beach.

George's Kitchen This little restaurant - right across the street from our hotel - became our go-to breakfast place most mornings. It's a quiet little building, and the owner (George) is always there to take your order & make your experience memorable. Great smoothies & Belizean breakfast.

Latitudes Cafe This place (located right across from the ferry dock) serves food, but we only went for the drinks. Their specialty (and something I had to have every time we passed by) is smoothies made fresh to order. They'll even add a shot of rum to your drink or mix up whatever flavors you like.

Lily's Treasure Chest We stopped here to cool off one afternoon with a pitcher of delicious, fresh sangrias. You can't miss the bright yellow building with a covered patio & some of the best ceviche we had on the island.

Pepperoni's If you want the best pizza you've ever had, call Pepperoni's. It's near Crazy Canuck's, on the inland road that runs parallel to the beach. We were lucky enough to meet the owner at the bar one day and hear the strange story of how the restaurant came to be. In a nutshell, he used to own a pizza chain in the northwest United States, but then decided to move to Belize. He bought a trailer, had it barged over to the island, and added bamboo siding & a thatch roof - a real pizza hut! We ordered the taco pizza one night, and let me just say, I could have eaten two more of them all by myself. But be warned - a taste of their jaw-dropping pizza could leave you with a craving you can't fulfill back at home. I'm still on the search for a taco pizza that tastes even a bit like theirs.

Ruby's Cafe We stopped here for breakfast the morning of our Lamanai trip. The cafe is located in the busy downtown area, and it's always packed. The local favorite (and mine) are the johnnycakes filled with ham & cheese. But get there early as they're likely to run out before 9am - like what happened to us the next morning when we were exploring downtown San Pedro.

Tackle Box Bar & Grill A cool restaurant located on a dock, the Tackle Box gave us hot, juicy burgers and sweet margaritas for lunch one afternoon. It seemed like a good mix of locals and tourists, but also a little rough for a nightly drinking spot.

More restaurants & bars in San Pedro.

On our fourth day in Belize, we booked a half-day snorkeling trip to discover Shark Ray Alley & the Hol Chan Marine Preserve, both a few miles south of Ambergris Caye.

Shark Ray Alley is named so for its abundance of harmless nurse sharks and manta rays, although we only got to see & touch a few rays. After a disappointing half hour, our guides took us over to the Hol Chan (which means "little channel"), hoping for a better experience.

Bobbing just below the surface here for over an hour was well worth it. We got to swim along the outskirts of the barrier reef (the second longest in the world) and admire the hordes of colorful fish that made it through the little channel in the reef. I even came face-to-face with a green moray eel as it came slithering out of the coral. Too bad I didn't get a photograph because my boyfriend had the camera at the time. He made up for it by getting an amazing video of a sea turtle near the end of our snorkeling session.

Overall, it was a lot of fun to do something I had never done before, and in one of the most perfect places to do it. Next time I'll get my scuba certification so I can explore the Great Blue Hole.

When you're in Belize, it's easy to to find yourself getting around using almost every transport method imaginable. Quick tip: if you're walking to downtown San Pedro, do so along the beach & then crossover when you get close to your destination. It's a lot hotter on the streets than it is on the beach, so you'll save yourself from unnecessary sweating.

Ferry/Water Taxi The hour-and-a-half boat ride may be the most inexpensive way to travel between the cayes, but it's not the most comfortable. Even early in the morning, getting stuck sitting in the ferry's inner seats means 90 minutes of unending heat - from the humidity & from your fellow passenger, neatly stacked in around you. The choice spots are up top or at the edge of the boat where it's open to the cooling breeze & refreshing splashes of ocean water. The ride usually consists of a stopover at Caye Caulker & costs about $15-$20 USD per person one way with pickups about every 90 minutes.

Tropic Air After four or five round trips via the water taxi, we decided to get back to the Belize City airport by way of flight. The advantages: not sticky & sweaty for a four hour flight & astounding views we couldn't see any other way. The plane was the smallest I'd ever been on, so intimate that one passenger even sat next to the pilot. The ride wasn't as turbulent as I thought it might be with such a small plane, & I was able to take photos & video, even as we landed (no silly TSA rules here!) The 20 minute flight departs from San Pedro once every hour & for less than $40 USD per person, one way.

Toyota Vans - The Taxi of San Pedro No kidding. I don't remember getting into one cab that wasn't an old Toyota van. They're almost never air-conditioned (except for a small dashboard fan every once in a while), but it beats walking. It's also really cheap. Even when we went from one side of the island to the other, we never paid more than $3 USD, although it seemed like good rule to give the driver $5-10 BZD to cover the tip. Don't worry about remembering addresses - just say the establishment or hotel you need to get to, & you'll be there in 10 minutes.

Golf Carts You can't rent a car in San Pedro. Instead, get out on your own in a golf cart. We spent half of our second day in San Pedro getting a cart & exploring the southern half of the island, where lizards darted across the dirt roads and gangs of crabs tried to bar our way. I suggest using one of the bigger golf cart rental places. We used one that was run out of a convenience store and were not happy with our shoddy, gas-guzzling cart. You can rent by the hour or by the day, costing about $40 USD for 8 hours. Make sure to get a map of approved golf cart routes, as there are some areas you aren't allowed to drive them.

While it seems like we did a lot while in Belize, we actually spent most of our time lounging about, swimming at the end of the pier, taking advantage of the free rum punch, and casually strolling the beach when it was cool enough.

On one of our last days of vacation, we got up early to take the ferry to Caye Caulker, only about 20 minutes away. We heard the warnings that it was much much hotter on Caye Caulker, but didn't think it could be that bad. It was. As soon as we stepped on land, the heat was almost unbearable, even at ten in the morning. Even so, we walked around a bit, even to the end and other side of the island. But after about thirty minutes, neither of us could stand it, so we headed back to the dock to wait for the next ferry back to San Pedro while sipping on some cool drinks.

Aside from the heat, Caye Caulker seemed like a nice place to be. Very laid back, with no cars or carts, just folks walking or riding around on bikes. It was much less touristy than San Pedro, with no locals hawking their wares. It was just the heat. We even asked locals back on Ambergris Caye why it was so much hotter, and no one knew. Maybe next time we'll visit in the winter when it's much cooler in Belize.

We spent most of the hot hot afternoons in San Pedro swimming at the end of Woody's Wharf in front of our hotel. Your best bet for swimming in San Pedro is to use a pier, as the water close to the beach are usually rocky and covered with sea grass, making for a very unpleasant entrance into the water. Even at our pier, which was often visited with boats parked for the day and swimmers like us, there was still lots of wildlife to be seen. A small group of some type of needle-nosed long slender fish hung around in the early afternoon, darting to and fro whenever you tried to get close. And at the step ladder into the water, dozens of little striped sergeant major fish swam around and into us.