We took our first trip to Belize in mid-April of 2019 in the midst of the dry season, and split our experience into two parts.

We spent the first half of the trip celebrating a wedding on one of Belize’s most well-known and touristy islands called Ambergris Caye - the main city is San Pedro. The water on the coast was the bluest and clearest we have ever seen, with white sand beaches, swings and tables in the water, and lots of opportunity for water sports and excursions. It was the perfect island getaway!

We then headed back to the mainland for the second part of our trip, venturing west and further inland for more of a jungle and ecological experience just outside San Ignacio. The inland has a multitude of Mayan Ruins, cave and zip-line tours, and plenty of options for adventure. Here we learned a lot more about the locals, history, and culture of the country. Although we absolutely loved our beach days, driving through the main part of the country definitely gave us a better appreciation for the true nature of Belize.

SAN PEDRO, AMBERGRIS CAYE

Accommodations

We stayed at the Las Terrazas Resort and Residences for the wedding and island getaway half of our trip - 3 nights and 3 days. We stayed in a gorgeous two bedroom with a full kitchen, two full-sized bathrooms, and two full-sized walk in closets. It seems that these units may be privately owned due to several locked doors within the units and the pristine upkeep. The owners of the resort reportedly live on sight in their own units, and were there during our stay. Our room looked out over the center of the property, while there were others that either had beachfront walk outs or pools on the roof.

The resort was small and quaint, rather private, and a perfect romantic setting for a wedding. The wedding party took over about 95% of the resort and it showed in the best way! The staff were all so friendly and accommodating, and dealt with the craziness of the group so well (one night we had a four table long flip cup tournament that got a bit rowdy and rather than shutting us down, the staff kept bringing us coolers of beer). We splurged on a couples massage the morning of the wedding and received a bottle of wine, fruit plate, and chocolate delivered to our room from the ladies in the spa the next day as a thank you for using their services!

There was one restaurant on the property, but we did not eat there. We had grabbed a few groceries from town since we had a full kitchen, and otherwise either ate complimentary during the wedding events or while out at the beach bars. The food they did provide to the guests during the welcome party and the wedding itself was delicious though, so that is likely a good indication of what to expect from the restaurant.

The beach was spacious and scattered with cabanas, but is more of a place to lay out and get sun rather than get in the water. If you want a more classic beach experience you will need to go to town or around the island to Secret Beach. See below about Secret Beach and renting golf carts to get to and from the other areas of the island.

Transportation

Upon arrival at the Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport we hopped on a smaller charter plane to get to the island of Ambergris Caye. There is also an option to take a boat, but that is a much longer process with a couple stops along the way. You have a few options between the smaller airlines for this 15 minute hopper flight, and our hotel arranged for us to use Tropic Air. They were great - we landed in Belize earlier than expected and FLEW through customs, and they accommodated us with ease by getting us on a much earlier flight to the island. There was a boat waiting for us when we landed in San Pedro that took us right to the dock of our resort. You could also travel by golf cart to the property, but arriving by water is much more beautiful.

While on the island, you get yourself around by golf cart. Our resort had 4 and 6 person carts available for rent at affordable hourly and/or daily rates. We didn’t think we would need to rent one, but ended up getting our own one day and splitting one with another couple the next - they really are the way you want to go. You can drive them anywhere on the island and park basically anywhere - including right on the beach!

Transport back to the mainland was exactly the same and went just as smooth. This was when we headed to the rental car agency to switch our mode of transportation as we headed about 2 hours further inland into the jungle (read about our San Ignacio leg below).

Explorations

The city of San Pedro is pretty small, and our resort was about a 15 minute golf cart ride outside of the downtown area. When driving your cart into the city, you cross a wooden bridge with a $5USD/$10BZD charge per person, but it is good for the whole day. They only have a few streets and are pretty easy to navigate. If you just get yourself to the water you can basically just park your cart wherever you prefer and walk between all the beach bars.

Landon and I had lunch at Rios which we loved (get the ceviche with a side of potato salad - the best we’ve had), and then headed to the Palapa Bar for some more drinks and water time. The Palapa Bar floats above water about 100 yards off the shore, and during the day you can head to the backside of the bar and chill out in their floating inner tubes or jump off the dock. There are even zip lines from the main part of the bar to the backside dock that they use to send out buckets of beer to the floaters! We spent the following night at this same bar with the rest of the wedding party, which was super fun with live music and dancing.

We spent our last full day on the island at Secret Beach, although it is no longer much of a secret. About a 20 minute cart ride from Las Terrazas, this beach is lined with various bars and restaurants, fun water activities, and plenty of room to spread out. The wedding party had a whole set up ready to go at Paco’s, one of the bars furthest down the beach. They catered to our wild group beautifully - we even drank them out of tequila and they handled it with ease! They arranged rum punch and margarita pitchers special for the party, with extra food and drinks available for purchase. The staff were so friendly and made this day super special for the newlyweds and their family/friends.

Language, Currency, Etc.

The official language in Belize is English, but many speak Kriol and Spanish. We also learned a few bits of lingo on the island from the friendly locals. All street signs and such were in English, so navigating around was no problem. We did have an interesting experience in the airport: Landon approached a TSA agent and asked where the bathrooms were in Spanish. He responded in English and said “use English here buddy”.

The currency used is the Belizean Dollar (BZD), but US dollars were happily accepted everywhere we went. Cash is much easier to use than card, but there are not many easily accessible ATMs so prep for that back home. However, several establishments did accept VISA and MasterCard which was helpful. All cash change for your currency will be returned in BZDs so you can quickly get some Belizean money if you have not exchanged currency prior. The exchange rate was 1 USD : 2 BZD and most everywhere listed prices in BZD, so cut that price in half and you’ve quickly figured your amount in USD. This also made everything feel super affordable!

Plugs and outlets are the same as in the US, so no need to bring anything extra here!

Do’s and Don’ts

Rent a golf cart! You will use it, so better to plan ahead than be figuring out how to get one at the last minute.

Get some fresh fruit and local dishes downtown or at the beach bars. The seafood is fresh as can be and we loved every single thing we ate. We HIGHLY recommend the ceviche, quesadillas, and potato salad!

Get to know the locals - every single person we met was friendly as can be. We learned a lot about the island and the people there by just asking around and approaching everyone with a smile.

Don’t wait til the last minute to pull out cash - especially if you are headed to the islands. Prepare in the states or your native country, as you will have to make extra trips for cash if you wait until you are in San Pedro.

Wear water shoes if you have em! You may look funny, but we both jacked our feet up pretty bad on the rocks in the water and on the beach. Landon sliced up both feet and Kylie lost a toe nail on the beach, so needless to say those injuries inconvenienced us a bit throughout the rest of the trip.

If you like snorkeling, you can stay close to the island (about 20 min boat ride) and have just as great of an experience than doing the full day trip to the Blue Hole. The guides toss chum in the water and almost immediately you can be surrounded by sharks, sting rays, and turtles. The Blue Hole is a 2 hour boat ride away each direction, and is much more for divers than snorkelers. However if you are a diver, make the trip!

Do a bit of research about where you are heading and the pronunciation of local things. For example, the Cayes (like Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker islands) are pronounced “key”, not “kay”.

If you enjoy recreational use of marijuana, don’t be afraid to seek it out. It is legal in the country and we found it immediately. Not as great as in the states but by no means was it poor quality. You can also buy pipes and papers just about anywhere.

Internet is hard to come buy, so as usual when traveling be sure to get an international plan worked out before you arrive and discuss WiFi options with your hotel.

Sunscreen and hats! Typical for this part of the world, but the sun is relentless and there is not a ton of relief. We didn’t need bug spray as much on the islands as we did when we ventured inland.

Pretty standard for Central America: stick with bottled water. Our resort had filtered water from the fridge that was fine to drink, though.

Accommodations

For the second leg of our trip, we stayed at an eco-lodge called the Sweet Songs Jungle Lodge, located just a short drive South of San Ignacio. It was a small location, but the surroundings and property were expansive and much better in person than we were anticipating. The staff was unbelievable friendly and welcoming, and we really appreciated the “eco” and environmentally conscious nature of the lodge. For example, the electricity in the rooms is minimal and controlled and there is no flushing toilet paper or anything of the sort down the toilets! They even use pasta straws in the drinks to minimize their use of plastic and carbon footprint.

There are a few different options for room accommodations, from private treehouses to smaller connecting units to full houses for entire families! We opted for the King Casita, which stood alone with a private deck and hammock surrounded by Belizean jungle. We loved this option because we basically had our own house! It even had a kitchen, although we did not really use it. We sat on our front porch each night and listened to the rain and/or wildlife and felt very secluded in nature in the best possible way. We also woke up to the sounds of the howler monkeys each morning which was really neat.

The grounds were breathtaking… It was quite a drive off the beaten path to get to this location, but well worth it! The lodge is encompassed entirely by the jungle and sits on the main river that runs through the country. Every building and walkway was handmade of either wood or stone. Their outdoor bar was the only place with WiFi, but really the only place we didn’t want or need it due to the pure beauty of the surroundings! The staff puts out fruit just off the patio for the wildlife and they come regularly. We saw a variety of birds come to indulge, including toucans on the daily that had no problem being that close to humans.

All in all, this was everything we were hoping for and more! Exactly our style of “resort” and the ultimate opportunity for relaxation. They promote a much more natural and tranquil way of life, and we could have become lost here for quite a while if time allowed.

Transportation

We decided to rent a car for this half of our trip, as shuttle transportation to and from our resort was either too pricey or non-existent. Originally we were planning on doing a day trip to Guatemala to see the Mayan ruins of Tikal, and one of the only rental agencies that allowed their cars to cross borders was Crystal so we went with them. We didn’t end up making that trip, but were still grateful we went with them for other reasons. We looked into Enterprise and other agencies known in the states, but Crystal was the only place we could find online that offered vehicles with automatic transmission. They also had the option to bring a cooler and local cell phone with you for a small up-charge. They refunded the security deposit quickly, too - within a day of us returning the car.

Having our own car ended up saving us a lot of money and time. We also got to work around our own schedule and come and go from places as we pleased. We did not feel unsafe driving through the country, it just took a sec to get used to the less controlled driving laws and patterns.

If you stay at Sweet Songs and rent a car, look for a 4 wheel drive and high clearance vehicle. The road to get from San Ignacio to the actual resort was pretty rough and rocky, so we were grateful we opted for a Jeep. It is also important to note that the signs to get there are not super clear, and the location on Google Maps is about 5 or so miles before you arrive at the actual lodge. Keep going straight once you see the first Sweet Songs sign on Chial Road and you are still out in the open. The signs will become more clear as you continue to venture deeper up into the jungle. The lodge has a free parking lot super close to everything and within walking distance of the botanical gardens, so no need to drive anywhere unless you are leaving the grounds entirely.

Explorations

The main excursion we did in the Cayo District was our day trip to the Xunantunich Mayan Ruins, the second largest in the country. We originally wanted to go to Tikal in Guatemala, but were advised against this by many locals both on the island and in San Ignacio due to safety and rocky international relations. We did not miss it though, as Xunantunich was the perfect experience! It was only about 10 minutes west of our resort (once you get out of the jungle and back on the main road) so the drive time was a huge plus! Normally you can even drive on the hand-cranked ferry over the river and right up to the ruins, but the car ramp was damaged in the previous night’s storm. So we parked on the road, crossed the ferry by foot, and walked the uphill mile to the site. We also were approached warmly by a tour guide who offered to show us around the ruins and teach us about the history of the Xunantunich Mayans for only $40 USD. This was huge for us because the only reason we did not do an official tour was for financial reasons (the cheapest tour we could find was $145 per person). He was friendly as can be and impressively knowledgable about the ruins and their history. Something we loved about Xunantunich compared to other Mayan sites we have visited was our ability to hike the temples to the top. For example, in Tulum everything is roped off and you feel rather distant from the artifacts. But in Xunantunich you are able to get an up close and personal experience, as well as a good hike in. We also got the majority of our souvenirs for both legs of our trip at the ferry entrance to the site - things were reasonably priced with a great variety.

One of the only Botanic Gardens in the country happened to be on the same grounds as our ecolodge! So we got free entry included with our stay. The gardens sit on 45 acres of land and are well labeled and detailed, with field guides available if desired. We walked through before heading back to the airport on our last day and, even with injured feet, saw the majority of the beautiful gardens in less than an hour.

Another perk of staying at Sweet Songs was the complimentary tubing and canoeing! There is a river that wraps around the base of the property and the lodge provides these activities at your convenience anytime throughout the day. We did not end up using them though due to time restrictions and the injuries to our feet from San Pedro.

On our drive in to San Ignacio the first day, we were super hungry and looking for a place to stop from the second we left the airport. There were a few options no doubt, but about 45 minutes into the drive we passed the Unique Cafe and Restaurant - as asian-inspired restaurant that initially started as a furniture production company. They decided to start selling food and drinks to show off the furniture, and it took off! They have cute indoor and outdoor seating areas and keep the place very modern and well-maintained. Kylie had an amazing veggie sushi roll and Landon a yummy chicken fried rice. We will stop here again if we find ourselves in the Belmopan area.

We asked for some other recommendations from locals we encountered about good places to eat for some traditional Belizean food in San Ignacio. We were advised that Benny’s Restaurant near the Xunantunich ruins was cheap and delicious, so we tried it out. It was this cute little outdoor cafe in a nearby neighborhood and really was good food and affordable as can be. We got an app, two entrees, three drinks, and desert all for $27 BZD! The one thing we would note is that service was not great. We were there for nearly two hours for a meal that should have been placed and fulfilled in 30 minutes. But we were exhausted from exploring the ruins, so we did not really mind sitting there aside from the fact that we were a bit hungry.

Language, Currency, Etc.

Basically the same as above: the local language in Belize is English, but Spanish and Kriol are prevalent. These languages were more commonly found on this leg of our trip though, as we were further inland and in less of a tourist area. Many natives also mentioned that they fear that their children are losing knowledge of the Spanish language since the schools are solely focused on teaching English!

The currency used is the Belizean Dollar (BZD), but most places accommodated our US dollars. It was much harder to find places that accept card out here though, so go prepared with extra cash.

Do’s and Don’ts

Bug spray is a necessity out here - much more so than the Cayes.

When staying in the ecolodge, keep your bags zipped when you are not getting something from them or putting something away. There were lots of critters that made their way into our casita, and we had a pair of small lizards that basically lived with us during our trip. We didn’t mind it, but you don’t want them getting in your bags!

Again, stick with bottled water and purchase it sealed from a store. Many people sell their own bottles or even sandwich bags of water along the roads - probably not worth the risk.

As always in another country, exercise caution when venturing out but no need to be too fearful to try some more local things and places. Every single person we encountered was friendly as can be, and we felt safe everywhere we went.

Gas is expensive! Consider this if/when driving your own vehicle.