Ambergris Cay Become a Travel Agent Near Me

Overview

Introduction

Ambergris Caye (often called San Pedro, after its only town) is one of the most-visited areas of Belize. Located only 35 mi/55 km northeast of Belize City, its resident population of nearly 10,000 expands with tourists, part-time expats and construction workers building new hotels and vacation condos. It has more than 150 resorts, hotels and "condotels" (small low-rise condo developments managed like hotels).

Ambergris is an informal island where shoes are optional everywhere—a place for maximal relaxation. San Pedro offers some of the best, most varied restaurants in the country. At night, live music can be found in the island's bars and clubs.

Must See or Do

Sights—Swimming with nurse sharks and stingrays at Hol Chan Marine Reserve.

Memorable Meals—Romantic dining at Rojo Lounge on North Ambergris Caye; seaside dining with your feet in the sand on Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye.

Late Night—Cheesy beach music and disco dancing in San Pedro; the popular Wednesday-night "Chicken Drop" at the Pier Lounge.

Walks—Bird-watching on a hike through Bacalar Chico National Park; a walk along one of the many white-sand beaches.

Geography

There are three main areas where visitors stay: the town of San Pedro, the South End (or South Beach) and North Ambergris. No one area is best, but there are significant differences among the three.

San Pedro offers the most convenience—for dining, shopping and entertainment—but it also has more people and more noise. The only town on Ambergris, San Pedro has streets paved with sand and concrete cobblestones: Golf carts, bicycles and foot power are common modes of transport, although cars operated by local residents (visitors can't rent cars) have multiplied in recent years and traffic jams are starting to become common.

North Ambergris is more remote and isolated. It's for people who want to relax and who don't mind eating at the same restaurant more than once. The easiest way to get to North Ambergris is by water taxi from San Pedro (BZ$10-$35 each way), although a bridge over the channel allows golf carts to travel north on a partially paved road. There is a toll of BZ$5 each way to use this road.

The South End area, starting about 1.5 mi/3 km south of San Pedro, is a compromise between the other two. It has many condo properties and is an easy jaunt into town by taxi or golf cart (though the ride can be rough during the rainy season).

History

Some believe that Ambergris (locally pronounced AM-burr-griss) Caye became an island when Maya traders, seeking a shortcut from the Bay of Chetumal to the Caribbean Sea, cut a channel through the lower Yucatan. The narrow channel was not more than a mile long and no wider than a few feet in places. Today, this channel is referred to as Bacalar Chico and is a marine reserve.

The name comes from the days of whaling—ambergris is the substance found in whale intestines that is used in manufacturing perfumes—though whales are now rare in this part of the Caribbean.

It is believed British pirates discovered the island in the 1600s, which is when they collected the whale excrement, sending it back to Europe. The village of San Pedro itself was founded by Mestizo refugees fleeing from the wars in the Yucatan. During the first year of the war, the British gave 50 refugee families permission to settle on the island.

The original residents who settled in the area back in the 1800s are referred to as San Pedranos. They are typically Mestizo, speaking both English and Spanish. Many of the original families still own prominent businesses on the island today.

The island has seen a lot of industry, everything from fishing, logwood, chicle, coconuts, lobster and tourism. Today, the island primarily depends on tourism as its main industry, drawing in both expatriates moving to Belize for its enticing retirement incentives program, known as QRP (Qualified Retired Person) and regular travelers looking to enjoy the abundance of watersports, the Belize Barrier Reef, and its emerging culinary scene.