Ambergris Caye is a popular beach and dive destination, and as such it supports a fairly active nightlife and late-night bar scene. I recommend starting things off at one of the beachside bars such as the Pier Lounge (tel. 226-2002) at the Spindrift Hotel, or a bar built out over the water like Wet Willy's (tel. 226-4136), located off the center of town, or The Palapa Bar (tel. 226-3111), located about a mile (1.6km) north of the cut on the northern half of the island. Two other popular choices are Fido's Courtyard (tel. 226-2056), which often has live music, and The Purple Parrot (tel. 226-2071) in Ramon's Village, which claims to be a favorite haunt of Jimmy Buffet.
If you're looking for a dance club and late-night action, your best bets are the two traditional San Pedro discos, Jaguar's Temple Club (no phone) and Big Daddy's (no phone), both of which are within a stone's throw of each other on Barrier Reef Drive, near the basketball court and the church. Just south of downtown on Coconut Drive, you might try the huge Barefoot Iguana (tel. 226-2927), which features everything from hot new DJs, to mud wrestling, to sporting events shown on a giant screen.
If you're the betting type, try The Palace, at the corner of Caribeña and Pescador Drive (tel. 226-3570), or the casino at Coconuts Hotel (tel. 226-3500). Both are small casinos, with a few blackjack and poker tables, one-armed bandits, and a sports book desk.
Place Your Bet -- Whether or not you're the gambling type, you'll want to wager a few bucks on a chicken drop. This very loose variation on roulette involves wagering on a number written on a wooden board. Above the board is a wire cage. Once all the bets are in, a chicken is placed in the cage, and the number where the chicken's poop lands wins the pot. The "lucky" winner, however, usually must clean up the board before collecting. There's a chicken drop every Wednesday night at 6pm at the Pier Lounge at the Spindrift Hotel.
