Need another country to travel to? Why not Belize?
This may be the country for you if you want a relaxing, laid-back, slow-paced vibe.
The focus will be on San Pedro, a town on the island of Ambergris Caye.
With the beautiful barrier reef or the option to check out the Mayan Ruins, this should be an option to add to your travels.
Don’t make the mistake that we did. Several years ago we came to Belize City on a cruise stop and only spent about 3 hours at our destination, which was more like a tourist-inspired swim park.
With that experience, we had no desire to return, but thanks to YouTube we saw how much we didn’t see. So San Pedro was our destination for our 20th wedding anniversary.
Getting to San Pedro
There are multiple flights you can pick to get to Belize. The major airport, Philip S.W. Goldson International (BZE) is where you fly into.
We flew direct from Charlotte (CLT) which was about 3.5 hours. On our flight, they provided immigration documents to fill out so we would have it ready to go through immigration.
Immigration was rather quick, but since August is considered off-season it only took about 10 minutes. We also had carry-on luggage which made things faster.
Wed decided to take the ferry to San Pedro, but next time we will fly.
If you choose to fly, you can catch a connecting flight which has the door close by after you get through immigration. Otherwise, the exit door will lead you to ground transportation.
Taking the Ferry
If traveling by ferry, you take a taxi or shuttle service to the port. That is about 20 minutes from the airport. We chose San Pedro Belize Express. Caribbean Sprinter is another ferry option.
We purchased tickets online before our trip however you don’t need to do that. Once you get to the dock you can buy tickets at the counter. And it’s cheaper.
One tip is that tickets are good for 3 months after your scheduled time. So you don’t have to use them on the same day and time you originally had set. The ferry shuttle sails multiple times a day so you have time flexibility.
The ferry shuttle was 1.5 hours long. If you add a vacation stop to Caye Caulker, the ferry will stop to let passengers on and off after the first hour. Then you have another 30 minutes to San Pedro.
Once you arrive, you can pick up your luggage after it’s loaded in the luggage claim area. Just make sure you keep your luggage tickets to provide to the attendant.
If you have transportation scheduled, you can wait for them near the San Pedro welcome sign. If not, several drivers will be in the area to take you to your destination. You can even rent a golf cart on the spot and then drive yourself to your hotel.
Accommodations
There are plenty of options for accommodations on the island. We chose the Grand Caribe Belize resort for a few reasons.
It was waterfront property, with restaurants onsite and nearby, and didn’t give off a party vibe. Honestly, I wanted a quieter resort without the big party scene.
Each room was a condo that had a kitchenette. Our room was on the first floor with easy access to walk outside and participate in the water activities. Paddleboard and kayaking were free for guests.
The location was ideal as it was about 15 minutes from downtown and 20 minutes from the infamous Secret Beach. Grand Caribe also rented golf carts to guests.
Lifestyle
When we arrived at San Pedro, we felt the locals were warm, welcoming, friendly, and easy-going. But with the notion of “going slow”, how could anyone be too uptight?
You may ask? Will I be able to communicate easily?
Yes.
The official language of Belize is English. However, Spanish, Creole, German, and other Mayan languages are spoken.
That brings some familiarity when immersing yourself in various cultures and still communicating with the natives.
And don’t worry about the conversion of currency. It’s 2 to 1. $2 BZE is $1. Simple right?
It’s not necessary to convert any money before going. You can pay in USD but will most likely get money returned in BZE.
Food
The food was incredible. Between the mom-and-pop restaurants on the side of the road to the resort restaurant, everything was amazing.
Rain
After traveling all day, it’s nice to have a restaurant that is at the resort. Once we got settled in we made reservations for Rain. When we checked in at the resort, it was highly recommended to make reservations. However, our reservation was at 4PM and it was just us and one larger party.
I’m not sure how strict reservations are during the off season, but just something to consider.
At 4pm, the sun is HOT! We moved tables because the sun was just too unbearable, but the ambience was great. There was a beautiful view of the bay and the food was fantastic.
The Fry Jack House
The Fry Jack House was a restaurant I heard about on another YouTube channel and it did not disappoint. It’s small inside but the food has a big impact. It’s also part of the Belize Food tour.
We weren’t part of the tour, but suddenly 15 people came into the restaurant. Glad we got there before the tour did.
The Truck Stop
Another area we went to a few times because it was convenient and close was The Truck Stop. It’s a food truck park. You can get pizza, Asian food, ice cream, tacos and different drinks. There is also an area in the back to play games, watch tv, and swim.
It was a place to grab something quick without having to wait and sit at a restaurant. Very casual.
Most nights around 6pm there is live music from local artists. I didn’t see people dancing but most were just watching the artists perform.
Tipsy Lobster (Seafood Grill)
The Tipsy Lobster was about a 3 minute golf cart ride up the road from our resort. If you don’t look for it, you will miss it. It’s an outdoor seating restaurant with amazing food.
The only issue we had was with flies. The staff brought us fans to surround us to keep the flies away. A great option if you want a laid-back restaurant and amazing food.
Garage Seafood and Steakhouse
This restaurant was quaint. At the time we were the only patrons there, but like I mentioned before this was slow season in Belize and we went on a Tuesday night.
We pulled up and the staff valet parked our golf cart! Now that’s a first for me. You’ll notice a little red car at the top of the building so you can find it easily.
The food was awesome like everything else we had in Belize. Try this restaurant, and you won’t regret it.
Elvi’s Kitchen
Elvi’s was another restaurant that I saw mentioned several times in other YouTube videos so we decided to have it for lunch. It’s located in downtown San Pedro. The outside is misleading because when we walked in, I was amazed how large the restaurant was inside.
When it was time to order, my husband had a question about the size of the snapper. The waiter brought over two different sizes of fish (uncooked) and Rudy picked out the bigger one.
Let’s just say, he had no complaints and finished the entire thing.
I went a little more subtle, so I went with tacos. Still good, but not as grand as my husband’s snapper.
Beach Basket Belize
Beach Basket Belize is the on-site grocery store on the Grand Caribe Resort. It’s more like a quick shop with an assortment of household items, produce, can goods, drinks, alcohol and more. There is also a quick pizza shop inside as well when you want a snack or quick meal.
With food in Belize, you have many options. You won’t be disappointed.
Transportation
We heard about people driving golf carts in San Pedro before we arrived. Initially we didn’t want to be bothered with getting one. Well, the first day we walked to The Truck Stop, which was less than a mile.
Big mistake!
It took about 15 minutes, but we were walking on the road as there were no sidewalks and it was HOT.
The next 3 days we made sure we had a set of wheels. You can rent from so many agencies on the island and they will come to your residence.
Grand Caribe also has their own (which we rented from). It seems to be a little more expensive than the others, but we pay for convenience. We didn’t have to gas up or pay the tolls because it was already included in the price.
You won’t have an issue finding a golf-cart, it’s more about what price you’re willing to pay. Also, in downtown the only issue is finding parking, but you’ll eventually find a spot. Just remember to lock up.
Secret Beach
The infamous Secret Beach is no longer a secret.
If you’re looking for a popular tourist destination with a nice beach, music, beach bars, shopping and water activities, this is the place for you.
We came during the weekday around 11am and ate food at the first bar we came to. We were actually meeting a realtor to drive us around so we ended up back here after our tour around the area.
Getting to Secret Beach means driving on a rocky road. My Google Maps worked perfectly out there even though it seemed to be desolate. It’s about a 20 minute drive from Grand Caribe.
This area is one of the few places that you can walk into the water without a barrier. There were several areas where you are able to eat in the water, but we opted out of that.
The Area
San Pedro is still up and coming. There are some areas that have been built up to support travel and tourism but there are other areas that have future plans for expansion. Because of that reason, you will see a lot of dirt roads and potholes when driving.
During our visit we did look at some land out in another part of Secret Beach to see what the area would look like. The terrain may not look appealing, but with the way the city is growing, it’s only a matter of time for the curb appeal to take shape.
Until Next Time
This was a much needed and deserved trip. While we didn’t decide on San Pedro until about 2 months prior, we are so glad we came. It was one our most relaxing and enjoyable trips.
We are ready for our next trip back. Until next time Belize!
Curious about another tropical climate country to visit? Check out this post about our trip to Cartagena, Colombia!
