How do I get to San Pedro?

[kessdarln]

I'll be on an NCL cruise to Belize and would like to spend the day in San Pedro. They offer a snorkel tour with San Pedro - about an hour which I will take if there is no other option. Is there an easy reliable ferry, plane, etc that goes to San Pedro I can do on my own?

 

Thanks

[SteelerCruiser]

... I think that the water taxi can take you there....like I say I am not sure but you might try googling Belize water Taxi.

[christiecruise]

My family will be on the NCL Spirit in July. We are planning to take a taxi to the Belize City Municipal Airport (have read that it is a 10 min. ride), then catching a TropicAir flight (leaves Belize City on the half hour for San Pedro). Here is their website, http://www.tropicair.com/ I looked up their safety record, a few ditches into the ocean but no fatalities :). From San Pedro back to Belize City the flights leave on the hour, round trip pp price is $72 for adults. Good luck with your plans and have fun!

[kessdarln]

Wonderful advice. Thanks! I'm a little concerned because I'm a single how safe it will be but otherwise I love to explore on my own.

[christiecruise]

Maybe you can make a friend onboard who will want to join you! I have read that San Pedro and the island of Ambergris Caye in general is very safe. Sounds like Belize City is a bit sketchy outside of the cruise pier area, but I wouldn't be concerned about taking a taxi to the airport.

[kessdarln]

My family will be on the NCL Spirit in July. We are planning to take a taxi to the Belize City Municipal Airport (have read that it is a 10 min. ride), then catching a TropicAir flight (leaves Belize City on the half hour for San Pedro).

 

Christie, I would be interested in hearing back from you after your trip... how much time to allow for the tender, how the whole travel experience worked out for you, etc.

 

Is this your first time to the area? Is for me. Thanks

[crewsweeper]

kessdarin...

 

Just FYI here's the water taxi schedule. Please note the times are Belize times and may not correspond to your ship's time.

 

http://www.goambergriscaye.com/watertaxi.html

 

You would most likely have to catch a 2:30PM water taxi to make it back before your last tender, but it may have to be the 1PM.

 

To get ot the water taxi, you go left out of the Tourism village and it's about a block up on your left befire you get to the swing bridge.

 

For convenience and quick travel the tropicair flight would be your best option, though, IMO.

[ranchingal]

I'll be on an NCL cruise to Belize and would like to spend the day in San Pedro. They offer a snorkel tour with San Pedro - about an hour which I will take if there is no other option. Is there an easy reliable ferry, plane, etc that goes to San Pedro I can do on my own?

 

Thanks

 

We were in Belize in February on The Voyager and did something similar.

There are two different water taxi companies. They leave at different times. The schedules are online. Try to catch the earliest ferry possible.

Get a one way ticket. You can get the other ticket with either company when you get to San Pedro. It will be about 1-1/2 hour trip so make sure you get back to the pier in time. We went to the split at Caye Caulker. Very safe. You can walk everywhere or get a lift on a cart. Lots of shopping vendors, restaurants, beach bars. Very friendly locals. We have considered going back and spending a week there.

 

Have fun!!

[2112]

There are two options - water taxi or short flight.

 

There are two water taxi options. San Pedro Express (right outside the gate) or Caye Caulker Water Taxi Association (a short walk down to the swing bridge). The water taxi will take an hour and 15 minutes each way. If you ask me, it is a better option to just go to Caye Caulker instead which only takes 45 minutes each way.

 

The second option is a short flight. Take a taxi to the MUNICIPAL airport (just 5 minutes or so away from the port) and catch a frequent flight. Be sure to go to the municipal and not the international airport. There are two airlines that fly this - Tropic Air and Maya Island Air. Here are their websites:

 

http://www.tropicair.com/

 

http://www.mayaregional.com/

 

If it were me, I'd take the flight given the short time you have - or just go to Caye Caulker instead.

[evandbob]

We were in Belize in February on The Voyager and did something similar.

There are two different water taxi companies. They leave at different times. The schedules are online. Try to catch the earliest ferry possible.

Get a one way ticket. You can get the other ticket with either company when you get to San Pedro. It will be about 1-1/2 hour trip so make sure you get back to the pier in time. We went to the split at Caye Caulker. Very safe. You can walk everywhere or get a lift on a cart. Lots of shopping vendors, restaurants, beach bars. Very friendly locals. We have considered going back and spending a week there.

 

Have fun!!

 

 

After my 1st cruise stop in Belize back when CCL did tours to Shark Ray Alley/San Pedro, I actually went back for a week, I loved it so much. San Pedro had sand streets, no cars, great beach restaurants, friendly people and safe, lots of ex pats.. Flew Tropic Air from Belize City, but I may not be adventurous enough to do that in one day and make the ship in time. I'm looking at Coral Breezes for a Shark Ray Alley /Caulker Cay excursion this December. Really wish CCL would resume Hol Chan, Shark Ray Alley excursions, it is the best snorkelling in the Western Hemisphere.

[kcparrothead]

I've been researching this and found a non-ship excursion that looks pretty painless - it might be perfect for a single person!

 

https://secure.shoretrips.com/common/search4.asp?tcode=022316

[wadethegringo]

My family will be on the NCL Spirit in July. We are planning to take a taxi to the Belize City Municipal Airport (have read that it is a 10 min. ride), then catching a TropicAir flight (leaves Belize City on the half hour for San Pedro). Here is their website, http://www.tropicair.com/ I looked up their safety record, a few ditches into the ocean but no fatalities :). From San Pedro back to Belize City the flights leave on the hour, round trip pp price is $72 for adults. Good luck with your plans and have fun!

 

Tropic is very safe. All new airplanes. They move over 1000 people in and out of San Pedro every week.

 

I live in San Pedro and see a hand full of cruise passengers most days. Caye Caulker is 5 minutes closer by air and has fewer flights than San Pedro.

The water taxi would make it 20 minutes closer each way.

[wadethegringo]

Wonderful advice. Thanks! I'm a little concerned because I'm a single how safe it will be but otherwise I love to explore on my own.

 

The cayes are perfectly safe. Caye Caulker gets a lot of the younger backpackers and more cruise ship passengers. San Pedro gets more families and older type tourists.

[kessdarln]

Tropic is very safe. All new airplanes. They move over 1000 people in and out of San Pedro every week.

 

I live in San Pedro and see a hand full of cruise passengers most days. Caye Caulker is 5 minutes closer by air and has fewer flights than San Pedro.

The water taxi would make it 20 minutes closer each way.

 

Wade, are you saying the water taxi would be quicker/closer than flying? What do you recommend if San Pedro is the destination for the day. Thanks!

[wadethegringo]

Wade, are you saying the water taxi would be quicker/closer than flying? What do you recommend if San Pedro is the destination for the day. Thanks!

 

no im sorry...

 

the fastest way is by air... flights leave belize city airstrip on the 1/2 hours every hour to San Pedro. The flight to San Pedro is 15-20 min.

The plane may stop in Caye Caulker first. Caye caulker is 5 min from San Pedro by air.

 

By water taxi, Caye Caulker is over an hour to Caye Caulker then another 20 min to San Pedro.

[mdrobtx]

After my 1st cruise stop in Belize back when CCL did tours to Shark Ray Alley/San Pedro, I actually went back for a week, I loved it so much. San Pedro had sand streets, no cars, great beach restaurants, friendly people and safe, lots of ex pats.. Flew Tropic Air from Belize City, but I may not be adventurous enough to do that in one day and make the ship in time. I'm looking at Coral Breezes for a Shark Ray Alley /Caulker Cay excursion this December. Really wish CCL would resume Hol Chan, Shark Ray Alley excursions, it is the best snorkelling in the Western Hemisphere.

Same here. After flying over with ecotours while on a cruise, my wife and I went back and stayed for a week.

Go now before us cruisers and tourists ruin it.:(