Belize was our second stop after a brief Mayan ruins adventure in Guatemala. Belize is bordered by Mexico to the north, Guatemala to the west, and the expansive Caribbean Sea to its East. This tiny Central American nation is the only English speaking one in the region, a legacy of its colonial past when it was known as British Honduras. Nowadays Belize is a tourist draw for its rich Mayan archaeological treasures, it’s rich tropical jungles biodiversity, and some of the best beaches and scuba diving in the world. We were excited for the Belize leg of our trip and looking forward to some relaxing beach time after the Guatemala portion.

Crossing the land border into Belize from Guatemala

We had an early 6am departure to cross the land border into Belize at the Melchor De Mencos checkpoint, about 90 minutes of a drive away from our Guatemalan hotel in Flores. Before we could cross over into the Benque Viejo side of the Belize border, we first had to go through a rigorous health and Covid vaccination proof screening even before getting to Immigration and Customs. We were literally fumigated head to toe in disinfecting spray by a border agent at the gate separating Guatemala from Belize. Getting an early start worked in our favor as we were first in line, so the process was incident free. When we crossed the land border it was only open to tourists with negative Covid tests or proof of vaccination, locals still had to enter Belize via the airports.

After a quick pit stop in the border town of San Ignacio for natures call then some tacos (in that order), we were making good time on the drive to Belize Airport. Unfortunately one of the tires didn’t get the memo and decided to pick a spot about 30 km out of the capital city of Belmopan to surrender with a loud puncture. To make things more interesting, our driver informed us that the spare tire was also flat. Just as our luck would have it – our Belize adventure was off to a deflating start. But to our amazement we were then treated to a firsthand example of Belizean generosity, when a good samaritan driver offered to lend our driver his spare tire for a day! Other drivers then decided to stop by as well with their unsolicited advice on how to go about changing the offending tire.

Belize City to Ambergris Caye

Once we got to Belize City Airport, we took a short flight on a Tropic Air propeller plane to our final destination of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye Island. The short 15 minute flight gave us our first aerial taste of the stunning blue and green hues of the Belize Barrier Reef and it’s beautiful islands, atolls and beaches. We touched down in San Pedro, of Madonna’s La Isla Bonita fame, ready to experience its famed tropical island breeze.

Our base for the next few days was the Alaia hotel in San Pedro, which had finally just opened a few months ago after a yearlong delay due to Covid in 2020.

Great Blue Hole tour

One of Belize’s most popular attractions is the Great Blue Hole, a giant sea hole located about 80 km away from the mainland on the Lighthouse Reef Atoll. On our second day on the island we took an aerial tour with Maya Air to view the Great Blue Hole in all its grandeur. After taking off from San Pedro we were afforded a birds eye view of the tiny town and the various resorts and homes dotting this narrow island. A short flight to Lighthouse Reef Atoll offered up even more expansive views of the Belize Barrier Reef and it’s stunning shades of turquoise and green waters, before making way for the deep blue waters of the open ocean after the reef dramatically drops off.

About 20 minutes into our flight the Great Blue Hole appeared in our windows, and our eyes were immediately transfixed to its perfectly circular shape and deepest navy blue water. It was almost as if a giant eye was floating in the turquoise surrounding reef, encircled by the atoll’s brightly colored green vegetation and white sand. The Great Blue Hole was formed over the millennia by underwater caverns collapsing into the sea floor, and the result is a strikingly captivating natural wonder that fully deserves its UNESCO world heritage status. The hole itself is about 300 meters wide and 108 meters deep, and was first made famous by Jacques Cousteau in the early 1970s with his deep sea dives into its depths. Since then it has become a bucket list site for ardent scuba diving enthusiasts, who come here to enjoy the unique sea life and underwater caves that the Great Blue Hike offers. Our pilot circled the attraction multiple times at increasingly lower altitudes to ensure everyone on board had their own window seat view of the Great Blue Hole’s splendor, then it was time to turn around and head back to San Pedro.

Snorkeling Paradise

Belize boasts some of the best snorkeling and diving you can find around the world, and we were keen to explore all the aquatic treasures the Belize Barrier Reef had to offer. This is the second largest barrier reef in the world – stretching out almost 300 km along the coast of Belize. Possibly since we were visiting in low season, or maybe due to Covid travel restrictions – our snorkeling tour turned into yet another private tour to our surprise. After getting our pre-trip instructions and gear fitted, we were soon off in our speedboat over the shallow waters of the reef towards our first snorkeling spot.

We first started at Hol Chan Marine Preserve, just a few miles off the shore, and were immediately treated to numerous sightings of Barracuda, Turtles, Sting Rays, Nurse Sharks, and many more brightly hued fish and all kinds of shapes and sizes of coral. What really amazed us was that although we were about 10 km off the coast, the water was still shallow enough in some spots on the reef to allow us to walk while snorkeling. Next stop was at Sharks Alley where we ticked off swim with sharks from our bucket list – although these were rather harmless Nurse Sharks. Our timing was impeccable since it coincided with shark week!

Golf Cart Adventures on San Pedro

One of the quirks about getting around the island is that humble golf carts were the preferred mode of transportation (besides the somewhat ubiquitous Toyota Previa minivan taxis). These were not your average electric powered carts either, but loud gas guzzling rides that still topped out at only about 20mph. We decided to rent one for a day to experience the island the way the locals do. What we didn’t factor is was the bumpy condition of the roads – which meant we were treated to some jarring suspension free adventures on our rides.

After a quick pit stop at a food truck pod aptly named Truck Stop for tacos and cocktails, we made our way to the north of the island to visit the poorly named Secret Beach. Apparently the secret is out, and the beach was teeming with both locals and tourists, with their golf carts crowding the tiny parking lots. After a quick dip in the wading height pleasant waters, we hopped back on our ride for the bumpy journey home. A pit stop for drinks at a grocery store then turned into an impromptu watching party – as we stayed riveted inside watching England lose to Italy in the Euro 2020 finals on their big screen in the company of some new found friends.

What and Where to eat in San Pedro

A few of our favorite places to explore Belize’s unique cuisine:

Everywhere on the island

Ice cold Belikin and fruity island cocktails

El Fogon

Hearty stews cooked on a hearth, served with the quitessential Caribbean sides of black beans & rice, and fried plantains.

Estells By The Sea

Super filling stuffed Fryjacks at beachside tables

Robins Kitchen

Best Jerk Chicken we’ve tasted since our trip to Jamaica 10 years ago

Blue Water Grill

Freshest Ceviche in a casual beachside place just a few steps away from the water. Add a few dashes of Belize’s very own Marie Sharps for an extra kick – a habanero pepper based hot sauce.

 

 

Truck Stop

Pod of food carts with a bar serving up artisanal cocktails

Hidden Treasure

Fine dining with impeccable service in a nondescript converted house tucked away in a quiet neighborhood.

Elvi’s Kitchen

Delectable dishes of fresh seafood at this popular place with tourists and locals