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Ambergris Caye is the largest and most popular of the many cayes (pronounced "keys") in the waters of Belize. This narrow island surrounded by the Caribbean, is approximately 25 miles long and was once a part of the Yucatan Peninsula. Just a quarter mile off shore to the east lies the Barrier Reef, the largest in the Western Hemisphere. It is marked by a white line of surf and the soothing sound of breaking waves that continues nearly 190 miles along Belize's coast.
Some 35 miles from Belize City, Ambergris Caye can be reached easily by a fifteen minute flight from Belize International Airport, or by ferry service. Visitors arrive in San Pedro Town on the Southern tip of the island, home to nearly 5,000 residents. Just six blocks long and four blocks wide this is the island's center and only town. The streets are sand and the major modes of transportation are bicycles, golf carts and walking on your bare feet. San Pedranos speak English, Spanish, Creole and Maya.
Hol Chan, Bacalar Chico and Mexico Rocks are several of the local marine parks where you can enjoy spectacular snorkeling and diving. The outer atolls and The Great Blue Hole make great day trips for more serious divers. The fishing in the beautiful water around the reef and mangrove flats is spectacular. Also not to be missed are day tours of the mainland Mayan sites, the Zoo, and the Mountain Pine Ridge Region. Belize has the best of both worlds and Ambergris Caye a makes wonderful home base for exploring the entire country.
A Few Facts about Belize:
- English is the official language.
- The Subtropical climate has an annual mean temperature of 79 degrees Fahrenheit.
- The Population of approximately 200,000 is a mixture of Creole, Garifuna, Mestizo, Spanish, Mayan, English, Mennonite, Lebanese, Chinese and eastern Indian.
- The Currency is the Belize Dollar which has a fixed rate of two Belizean Dollars to one U.S. Dollar.
- The Largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere just offshore.
- Most businesses accept both Belizean and US currency.
- The country is committed to conservation with nearly one third of its land in national conservation areas.
- It is a wonderful, laid back place to visit!
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