Where to stay in San Pedro

The area you choose will determine to some degree the experience you have on the island. You have four basic options:

* in the town of San Pedro
* just to the south of San Pedro near the airstrip, within walking distance of town
* several miles south of town out of easy walking distance
* on the north end of the island above the channel.

There is no one "best" place to stay. Each of these four areas has advantages and disadvantages. Which area you choose depends on what you want from your vacation. If you're looking for privacy and the feeling of being away from it all, consider south of town or the north end of the island. If you prefer easy access to restaurants, nightlife, shops and other activities, you'll likely be happier in San Pedro town or just to the south. There's little or no advantage to any one area in terms of beaches; indeed, some of the best beaches on the island (and all things are relative) are right in town and just to the south of town.

HEART OF TOWN: Hotels in the town of San Pedro, with a few exceptions, are older spots, among them the original tourist hotels on the island. They are, again with a few exceptions, less expensive digs. If you're looking to save a buck or two, this may be the place for you. You also will be right in the heart of things, no more than a few sandy blocks from some of the best restaurants, bars, shops and dive operations on the island. Party animals will want to stay here or just the south of town. Accommodations here include Rubie's, Holiday Hotel, Spindrift, San Pedrano, Mayan Princess, Paradise Hotel and Paradise Villas. There are some very reasonably priced rooms for the low cost traveller in some local hotels downtown, such as Marthas Hotel, San Pedrano Hotel- phone 226-2054, Milo's Hotel- phone 226-2196, and Tomas Hotel- 226-2061.

AIRSTRIP SOUTH: If you want a larger variety of upscale lodging but still be within walking distance of the attractions of San Pedro Town, think about staying at the south end of town and the area just to the south. The San Pedro airstrip is here, but you should have few or no problems with airport noise, since the planes are small one- and two-engine prop jobs, and there are no flights after dark. This is one of my favorite areas, a good compromise between the activity of town and the remoteness of the north end and far south end. Among the hotels here are Corona del Mar Hotel , Belizean Reef, SunBreeze, The Palms, Ramon's Village, Casa Solana, Playador, Changes in Latitude, Coconuts, Coral Bay Villas, Xanadu Island Resort, and Caribbean Villas.

SOUTH END: Although most of this area is beyond a quick walk to town, this a major growth area for tourism on the island. Some of the nicer upmarket hotels are located here, and more are on the way. An increasing number of restaurants and amenities also are located here. Until 1996, the town dump was in this area, but happily it's now been moved farther south. At the far end, you're two to three miles from San Pedro, so for visits to town you'll need to rent a golf cart (US$60 or $65 for 24 hours), ride a bike (some hotels offer them free to guests), take a taxi or take a hotel shuttle, if available. Among the choices here are Villas at Banyan Bay, Mata Rocks, Banana Beach, Royal Palm Resort, Victoria House and Caribe Island Resort.

NORTH END: By all accounts, the area north of "the Cut" - a narrow channel of water separating the south and north ends of the island - is where much of Ambergris Caye's growth will occur over the next decade or two. Houses, hotels, and restaurants are going up here. There are two ways to get to the north end: One is via the bridge, and then via a hike or ride on a narrow path to the various resorts and villas. The other option is via boat or water taxi (about US$5 one way by water taxi, although some hotels provide free shuttles, at least during daylight hours). To get to San Pedro for dinner or a bit of action, you'll need to take a boat. There are many local water taxi's, including the Island Ferry. For their schedule, click here. Accommodations on the north end include Green Parrot, Capricorn, Captain Morgan's, Essene Way, Journey's End, Sun Diver Beach Resort, and Mata Chica. Also just north of the cut are White Sands Cove, Belizean Beach Suites, and El Pescador.

The NORTH BEACH area, 5 miles north of the center of town, is only accessible by water but is becoming well-known for its more secluded beaches. Here you'll find fewer people walking on the beach and the few small resorts and private homes for rent are on larger tracts of land than in town. Almost all tours are available for pick-up at your dock. If you want to dine out or shop in town, that's not a problem. The Island Ferry runs regularly scheduled trips between the heart of San Pedro and North Beach most hours of the day and well into the night. Private water taxis are also available to make the 15 minute run at your convenience.

SWIMMING POOLS: With ocean swimming not always convenient, it's a treat to stay at a hotel with a swimming pool.

The hotels and condotels on the island with pools include the following: Caye Villas, Journey's End, Essene Way, Captain Morgan's Retreat, El Pescador, Seven Seas Resort, Paradise Villas, SunBreeze, The Palms, Ramon's Village, Belize Yacht Club, Hide-A-Way Hotel, White Sands Cove, SunDiver Resort, Belize Beach Suites, Hotel Playador, Villas at Banyan Bay, Tropica, Belizean Shores, The Tides Beach Resort, Banana Beach Resort, Royal Palm Resort, Mayas Katut Resort, Caribe Island Resort, Xanadu Island Resort, AquaMarina Suites, Casa Tortuga, Mata Rocks, and Sunset Beach Resort.

In addition, several hotels announced they planned to add pools, and Royal Palm Resort and Villas at Banyan Bay are adding additional pools. Cayo Espanto, on an island near Ambergris Caye, has cabañas with small private "plunge" pools. Other planned hotels and some private rental homes also have pools.

RENTAL HOUSES: In addition to condotel units listed above, Ambergris Caye has rental houses available usually for weekly rental in-season, or for shorter periods off-season. They offer privacy, extra space and sometimes deluxe amenities. If you have a large family or are with a large group, you may find they are an affordable alternative to a condo or hotel. As with hotels, rates are generally 20 to 40% lower off-season. For additional listings, contact companies listed here or real estate firms (See Real Estate section). A number of homes also are rented directly by their owners.

Caye Management, P.O. Box 49, San Pedro, tel. 501-2-63077, e-mail info@cayemanagement.com. Long-established rental house agency offers a variety of houses around the island, from smaller two bedroom cottages at under US$1,000 a week to a luxury five-bedroom home for US$3,500 a week.

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Welcome to Ambergris Caye (Belize)

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see also:

belizenews.com
belizesearch.com
seborga.net