Hotels

In San Pedro

There's a score of hotel options right in the heart of San Pedro town. Most are geared towards budget travelers, although a few of these are quite comfortable and charming. Most of the more upscale resorts are located a little bit further north or south of town.

Tip: Almost every hotel on Ambergris Caye, and certainly all of the resorts, offers scuba packages. If you plan to do a lot of diving, this is the way to go, as these packages can sometimes provide substantial savings over paying as you go. However, you can also buy dive packages from many of the individual dive operators, either in advance or upon arrival on the caye.

Expensive -- The Mayan Princess (tel. 226-2778; www.mayanprincesshotel.com) is a large, contemporary resort with comfortable rooms and plenty of services and amenities, set in the heart of town.

Inexpensive -- There are quite a few budget options on Ambergris Caye, and almost all of them are concentrated in the compact downtown area of San Pedro. True budget hounds should just walk around and see who's got the best room for the best price.

On North Ambergris Caye

This is where you'll find most of the larger, more isolated, and more upscale resorts on Ambergris Caye. If you stay here, you will have to rely on your hotel or on the local water taxis to get to and from San Pedro town.

In addition to the hotels listed, El Pescador (tel. 800/242-2017 in the U.S. and Canada, or 226-2398; www.elpescador.com) is a lovely and luxurious resort primarily geared towards hard-core fishermen and women.