Things to do
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Secret Beach
On the sheltered west side of Ambergris Caye, a strip of shallow turquoise flats has grown from a quiet clearing into a run of bars, docks and swim platforms. Golf carts reach it in about half an hour on a rough road from town. Wind and seagrass can cloud the water, and weekends are loud.
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Belize Barrier Reef
Stretching some three hundred kilometres along the coast, this reef system is the largest in the northern hemisphere and a World Heritage site, with atolls, cayes and mangrove faroes behind it. Snorkel and dive sites lie within minutes of San Pedro, though bleaching and storm damage vary the coral from site to site. Guides pick the day's spot by wind.
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Great Blue Hole
A circular sinkhole more than three hundred metres across sits in the middle of Lighthouse Reef, its dark blue disc familiar from the air. Divers descend past limestone stalactites at around forty metres on a short deep dive with little marine life. Boats leave San Pedro before dawn and return late, and scenic flights suit anyone who does not dive.
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Hol Chan Marine Reserve
Belize's first marine protected area guards a natural cut in the barrier reef, where the channel walls funnel snapper, turtles and nurse sharks into a narrow run of clear water. Boats from San Pedro usually combine it with Shark Ray Alley on a half day. Current moves through the cut, so snorkellers stay close to the guide.
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Shark Ray Alley
Nurse sharks and southern stingrays gather at a shallow sandy site where fishing boats once cleaned their catch, and they still crowd a moored hull within seconds. Snorkellers slip in among them in chest deep water, which makes it a common first stop for children and nervous swimmers. Visibility drops once several boats churn the sand.