San Pedro – the pride of Belize

San Pedro is a famous city, located on the south of the Ambergris Cay in Belize. Part of the Belize district, the town is home to around 12,400 people, which makes it the second most populous town in the district.

Tourism is the life line of the city and it is known the world over for its scuba diving capabilities. Most of the visitors to San Pedro are renowned divers and the island’s hyperbaric decompression chamber is heavily visited by tourists.

San Pedro is a very small city and the main means of transportation for tourists are the golf carts, which can be hired easily.  Besides, one can also roam around on bikes or scooters along with cabs.

As regards to major branded hotels, they have not set up shop on the shores of San Pedro yet. Hence, if you are looking to spending a night or two at the world renowned Sheratons or Marriots, San Pedro is definitely not the place, where you will find these up market hotels. Nevertheless, the city is well organized to accommodate any traveler, whatever may be his or her choices. San Pedro has a variety of options for everyone, be it a backpacker or a resort guest.

San Pedro is all about fun and there is full stop in this regard. The activities range from diving to wave runners and from inland trips to snorkeling. The fun never seems to end. The Lighthouse Reef is a diver’s delight, where one can dive into the spectacular Blue Hole. This technical dive site, which is some 130 ft deep, is a very popular site. Then there is the Half Moon Caye, famous for its coral and marine life. It is a delight to see divers get up close and personal with sharks and sea turtles.

However, please keep in mind, Belize as a whole may be cheap as compared to other prominent locations, but the diving is very pricy here at both the Lighthouse and Half Moon Island.

Nevertheless, I can assure you the dive operators are highly qualified and ready to handle even the unlikeliest of events. Hence, you need not fear and just enjoy the dives.

The other activities worth mentioning are cave-tubing inland, parasailing, snorkeling and deep-sea fishing. You may also rent out wave runners.

The natives of the country, better known as San Pedranos are a friendly bunch of people always ready to help. I would like to assure you, the advice they give you, if any, will only be for your well being rather then theirs. San Pedro is also the city, which inspired Madonna’s final single of the True Blue album, yes; I’m talking about the 1987 smash hit La Isla Bonita. The country of Belize is the only nation in the Central America region, which has English as its official language, and hence conversing with the locals is not an issue at all.

Listed below are some of the questions which may be on your mind.

How do I reach San Pedro?

San Pedro is located some 35 miles north of the capital Belize City. The Phillip S.W. Goldson International Airport (BZE) near the capital hosts daily US flights from noted carriers such as American, Delta and Continental. The most comfortable way into the island is to board a Maya Island Air or Tropic Air flight from Goldson, which flies to San Pedro. The total travel time here is just around 15 minutes.

Where do I stay during my San Pedro trip?

As discussed above, you may not find huge international brands in the city; nevertheless, there are plenty of options from budget to luxury readily available here. Some of the more popular landmarks include Coco Beach Resort and The Phoenix Resort.

When is the best time to visit San Pedro?

The ideal period to visit the city is anytime between the dry months of December through May. These months also form the tourist season of the city and the country as a whole and as a result, the hotels rates and other general rates are at their peak.

If you are looking to save some bucks, you may travel during the June-November period, however, the weather is very humid during these months and it recommended you do not visit the city during this period.

In conclusion, San Pedro has all the makings of an ideal holiday destination. The place is more than just diving and getting up close and personal with underwater creatures. It’s also all about getting to know the natives of the place better as it may help us a lot as Madonna discovered in La Isla Bonita. Also, you are assured of cleanliness of the highest level, the boats are clean so are the yachts and other facilities. So, stop wasting any further time and start planning a visit to San Pedro.