"San Pedro, Caye Ambergris" Top 5 Page for this destination Ambergris Cay by diver-x

Ambergris Cay Travel Guide: 236 reviews and 401 photos

Flying Into San Pedro Town

The first Monday of September is a holiday here in the US, so we decided to take advantage of the long weekend to do some diving in Belize. We had been to Belize before and saw the mainland (loved it!) so we thought we should visit the Cayes this time. After much debate, we decided on Caye Ambergris due to the fact that it was off season in Belize and we wanted to have as many diving, hotel & restaurant options as possible. Caye Ambergris is probably one of the more visited places in Belize and there are plenty of hotels & resorts to choose from. Caye Ambergris is just a 15 minute flight from Belize City. We weren't sure if we should spend the money to fly there or if we should schlep our way via land taxi, then water taxi. A quick inquiry with Maya Island Air made our decision easy. To fly over costs about $47 USD and Cliff was able to get an airline employee discount on top of that, so the choice was obvious. And the flight was a scream! The tiny plane fit about 10 or 12 of us and is was NOT air conditioned, but the view and the time saved certainly made it worth it.

We Came For the Scuba

Brittle star fish living in a tube sponge

Our main objective going to Caye Ambergris was to scuba dive. While a day of diving at Ambergris sure beats a day of diving at home, I don't think we need to go back for the diving. Visibility just isn't up to par with the rest of the Caribbean, so it's not all that colorful. Dive masters aren't very ecologically minded either. Our dive masters didn't have a problem with handling the wildlife. One of them hugged a nurse shark, another chased a crab down and passed it around for all to hold (if you wanted). I've never seen any dive master condone wildlife handling before - not even in Jamaica. Overall we were disappointed with the diving due to our high expectations, but we still had fun. In my opinion, the best attractions in Belize are on the mainland.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Plenty of hotels to choose from, very relaxed
Cons:More expensive than the rest of Belize
In a nutshell:Worth it for a long weekend!

Last visit to Ambergris Cay: Sep 2004
Intro Updated Sep 26, 2004
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Reviews (11)

Eat at Caramba, San Pedro Town, Ambergis - Ambergris Cay

Caramba Restaurants (1)

Caramba serves spicy local and Mexican dishes in downtown San Pedro. We are not seafood lovers and we couldn't for the... more travel advice

The dock at Ramon's Village Resort - Ambergris Cay

If I Did It Over Again... Hotels (2)

OK, I have to admit, I didn't stay here, but we strolled down the beach several times and checked out all of the... more travel advice

The Squirrel's Nest beach bar - Ambergris Cay

The Squirrel's Nest Beach Bar Favorites (1)

There are a number of resorts along the beach at Caye Ambergris that have open air bars that you can walk up to from... more travel advice

Sewage treatment? Warnings Or Dangers (2)

Another problem with the beach on Ambergris is that there are a number of docks along the beach with small buildings... more travel advice

Transportation (2)
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Sports & Outdoors (2)
See All Amigos Del Mar Divers

Things to Do (1)
Scuba!
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Travelogues (1)

Written Nov 29, 2004

7 photos

Diving Ambergris Caye

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Comments (7)

Boljakool Sep 27, 2006 at 12:58 AM Report Abuse

Great pictures. That's a huge grouper! Come diving with us when get to visit our part of the planet. ü
starship May 4, 2005 at 5:10 AM Report Abuse

Great page with excellent descriptions and great pictures. You really got alot of diving in!! Spent 1 day in Belize concentrating on wildlife, and a great trip on the Old Belize River--I was really impressed!
windsorgirl Dec 31, 2004 at 1:47 PM Report Abuse

More excellent tips from Belize. I'll think twice before going into the water....thanks!
Bwana_Brown Nov 25, 2004 at 12:46 PM Report Abuse

I really enjoyed your page on Ambergris. You have excellent photos and a great writing style too! It was nice to learn some of the intricacies of diving and Belize is a spot I've always had in mind for a visit some day.
globetrott Sep 28, 2004 at 8:49 PM Report Abuse

What a great place for a vacation and brilliant pics !
grandmaR Sep 23, 2004 at 8:51 AM Report Abuse

I found the reef in Belize one of the least colorful for whatever reason. The coral seems to be biscuit colored.
Maria_75 Sep 20, 2004 at 6:26 PM Report Abuse

nice pictures. im going there next month, and i have never scubaed but i'm definetly going to snorkel there... :)