Attractions

Before you book your vacation, you should be aware that there really isn't any beach to speak of on Ambergris Caye: There is a narrow strip of sand for much of the length of the island, where the land meets the sea, but even at low tide it isn't wide enough for you to unroll a beach towel on in most places. Try walking north or south from town along the water to find a more secluded spot where you can sit and stare out to sea. Otherwise, the beachfront hotels create their own beaches by building retaining walls and filling them in with sand. You'll find the best of these at the resorts on the north half of the island, and at Victoria House.

Likewise, swimming is not what you might expect. For 100 yards or more out from shore, the bottom is covered with sea grass. In a smart move that prioritizes the environment over tourism, the local and national government has decided to protect the sea grass, which supports a wealth of aquatic life. Beneath the grass is a layer of spongy roots and organic matter topped with a thin layer of white sand. Walking on this spongy sand is somewhat unnerving; there's always the possibility of a sea urchin or stingray lurking, and it's easy to trip and stumble. Swimming is best off the piers, and many of the hotels here have built long piers out into the sea, with steps down into the water, and usually a roped-off little swimming area. Beyond this, good swimming can be had from boats anchored out in the turquoise waters between the shore and the reef, or by taking a kayak offshore a little ways.

International Costa Maya Festival -- Begun as the San Pedro Sea & Air Festival, the annual International Costa Maya Festival is the largest public celebration on Ambergris Caye, even larger and more popular than Carnival. Celebrated from a Thursday to Sunday in early August, the festival offers a steady stream of live concert performances, street parades, beauty pageants, and water shows and activities. When the festivities reinvented themselves several years ago, they had been transformed into a regional affair, honoring and inviting the peoples from around the Mayan world. Performers, participants, and festival-goers come from around Belize, as well as from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala, the five countries that comprise the Mundo Maya. San Pedro's football field is converted into the fairgrounds, and a large stage is set up at one end. Food stalls and arts and crafts booths are set up as well. Admission to most events is free, and a party atmosphere envelops the entire island.

Gonna Wash That Paint Right Out of My Hair -- A modest version of the traditional Caribbean Carnival or Mardi Gras is celebrated in San Pedro -- with an odd twist -- over the weekend preceding Ash Wednesday and the period of Lent. Sure, there are colorful and lively comparsa parades, with marching drum bands and costumed dancers. But, over the years a tradition of painting has developed. This tradition predates paintball by decades. In times past, this was a fun and frivolous game between roaming bands of local residents using flour-based homemade "paints." Tourists were usually asked before being painted and their demurrals respected. Over the years, however, the painting fever has skyrocketed and gotten more aggressive: Fresh eggs and the occasional oil-based paint were introduced as weapons, and tourists are now often painted despite pleas to the contrary. My small daypack still proudly bears its mark. It's definitely fun and a good way to meet some locals. If you get to a shower relatively quickly, it'll wash off without much hassle. Still, if you go out during Carnival, expect to get painted, and dress accordingly.

Butterfly Garden -- Located about 4.5 miles north of the bridge, Butterfly Jungle (tel. 226-2911; www.butterflyjungle.bz) is a pleasant little attraction with a butterfly breeding program and covered butterfly enclosure. A visit here includes an informative tour and explanation of the butterfly life cycle, as well as a visit to the enclosure, where anywhere from 15 to 30 species may be in flight at any one time. This place is open daily 10am to 5pm, and admission is BZ$20 (US$10) for adults, free for children under 12.

Bacalar Chico National Park & Marine Reserve -- Occupying the northern end of Ambergris Caye and its surrounding waters, Bacalar Chico National Park & Marine Reserve (tel. 605-1633) is one of the newest additions to Belize's national park system. In addition to being the home to scores of bird, animal, and plant species (many of which are endemic), the park also features several ancient Mayan ceremonial and trading sites. The ranger station is, in fact, located at the diminutive Chac Balam ruins. Bacalar Chico is the name of the channel cut 1,500 years ago by the Maya to facilitate coastal trading. Just across the channel is Mexico. Nearly 200 species of birds have been spotted here, and the park allegedly contains all five wildcat species found in Belize, including the jaguar -- although your odds of seeing a cat are remote at best. However, you've got decent odds of seeing a crocodile or wild deer, and of course numerous bird species. The park is only accessible by boat. All of the local tour outfits offer half- and full-day trips to Bacalar Chico. Depending on your needs, these trips usually provide a mix of bird- and nature-watching, snorkeling, and Mayan ruin explorations. Specialist guides can be hired around San Pedro, if you want to focus primarily on any one of these pursuits. Admission to the park is BZ$10 (US$5).

Excursions Farther Afield

If you've been on the island for a while or just want to see more of Belize, a host of tour operators on Ambergris Caye offer excursions to all of the major attractions and destinations around the country, including Altun Ha, Lamanai, Xunantunich, Mountain Pine Ridge, and even Tikal. You can also go cave tubing in the Caves Branch region. Most of these tours involve a flight in a small charter plane.

One of the most popular day trips is to the Mayan ruins at Altun Ha. This is also one of the most economical, as it doesn't require a flight. This begins on a powerful little boat that will whisk you over to the mainland. You'll then take a taxi to the ruins and have lunch before returning to San Pedro. Most operators offering the Altun Ha trip include a lunch stop at Maruba Resort, with the option of adding on a decadent jungle spa treatment. Prices for these trips run around BZ$120 to BZ$160 (US$60-US$80). A similar trip by boat and land is offered to the ruins at Lamanai.

For trips involving a flight, prices range from BZ$200 to BZ$400 (US$100-US$200) per person, depending on the distance traveled and amount of activities and attractions crammed into 1 day. Most hotels on the island can book these tours, or you can contact Excalibur Tours (tel. 226-3235), Hustler Tours (tel. 226-2538), or SEAduced at Vilma Linda Plaza (tel. 226-2254).