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Lunch time was spent back at the fisherman's settlement and was the same as the day before. Our last dive was another drift dive but not nearly as spectacular as the first one although we did see a couple of Eagle Rays.

In the afternoon of the llast day in Belize we opted to relax and enjoy a snorkeling trip to Hol Chan Marine Reserve (the first of its kind in Central America). We got up close and personal with nurse sharks, stingrays and spotted eagle rays. It did feel a bit too busy for my taste with lots of boats dropping off snorkellers and the feeding of the stingrays and nurse sharks but it was pleasant enough.

As getting to the better reefs takes quite long (a 5 hour round trip on average) you might want to consider staying on one of the atolls themselves. I can recommend Turneffe Island Lodge on Turneffe Atoll who also have a great Web site. If you're not looking for such a fancy place, consider the Glover's Atoll Resort on Glover's Atoll where you have your basic bunk beds or you can even camp out. Dive Global has a Diver's Tale on the place if you're interested.

A nice alternative is going on a liveaboard where you get the most diving in and avoid the daily back and forth to the dive sites. Both the Aggressor Fleet as well as Peter Hughes have boats in Belize. Visit their Web sites for more information.

We stayed at the Mayan Princess. This clean and comfortable "suites" hotel is conveniently located on the beach in front of the pier of Amigos del Mar. After comparing the different accommodations on offer in San Pedro, the Mayan Princess stood out for its value in comfort versus price and it proximity to Amigos del Mar. The rooms are big and air-conditioned (nice in the summer!) with a kitchen, a living room area with tv and telephone and a nice balcony or patio overlooking the ocean. The Mayan Princess does not have a restaurant but you don't miss it as food & drink is easy and cheap to come by.

Mayan Princess Hotel in San Pedro

Have your breakfast next door at Ivy's on the beach but if you're on a trip to the atolls don't bother as Amigos del Mar serves coffee, scones and fruit on the boat. Try Fido's for happy hour and bar snacks. For cheap food go to on of the stalls off the main drag where you can get the typical staple of the Cayes: rice, chicken and potato salad. You can also get good hamburgers and hot-dogs there. Another good and affordable alternative is take-out pizza. There is a good one close to the airport. I really loved the home made ice-cream in the ice-cream shop behind the Mayan Princess on the main drag, you can't miss it.




The overall climate of Belize can be described as sub-tropical. The humidity while high, is seldom oppressive for long and is most noticeable along the coast. The annual humidity is 83%, but many days the humidity is masked by the cooling sea breezes. The Belize coastal area is exposed to southeast tradewinds averaging 10-13 knots and attain an uncanny consistency during the month of July.

Temperatures in Belize range from 50°F to 95°F with an annual mean of 79°F. November to January are traditionally the coolest months with a 75°F average and May to September are the warmest at about a 81°F average. Water temperatures average 79-80 degrees in the Winter and 83 degrees in the Summer. Average water visibility is around 75-80ft.

It isn't hard to get to Ambergris Caye. Most visitors will fly into Belize City which is serviced by a number of international airlines. Have a look at Continental Airlines for good rates. From Belize City there are two ways to get to San Pedro. By plane: Tropic Air and Maya Island Air fly into San Pedro on a regular day-light schedule. By water taxis: Water taxis leave from the Belize City docks every hour and there are different companies to choose from. Take a taxi from the airport to the docks. Beware that the last water taxi for San Pedro leaves at three pm in the afternoon.

The trip takes about 2 hours with usually a stop to drop passengers off on Caye Caulkner. The boats are only half shaded so make sure you wear sunscreen and a hat.

A lesser known option is to fly into Cancun in Mexico first and make your way south to Belize. Flights into Cancun are usually much cheaper than to Belize City. From there take a bus to Corazal, the border town in North Belize. Crossing the border is easy and you'll get a good idea of what the countryside is like. Belize has a good, inexpensive bus service connecting all major towns. From Corazal you can take a taxi to the airport and fly straight into San Pedro for US $35/pp. Or you can take another bus to Belize City and take a water taxi from there. But it is just as easy and cheap to fly as we found out on the way back. The bus isn't very comfortable and takes quite long. The Intra country air service in Belize is excellent. Local airlines such as Tropic Air fly convenient schedules with reasonable fares. The views of the Barrier Reef and offshore cayes are spectacular. Round trip flights between Belize City and Ambergris Caye cost about US $45/pp.

Water taxis run regular scheduled boat service from Belize City to Ambergris Caye. The rides are fun, inexpensive and offer a bird's eye view of the cayes and mangroves. Daily trips from Belize City to Ambergris Caye and back is US $22.50.

For more questions, please contact Dive Global or visit the Amigos del Mar Web site.

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