Chad Davis, Author at Chad Davis Photography

A casual seaside café on the shores of Ambergris Caye, where wooden signs, thatched palapas, and docked boats convey the island’s relaxed atmosphere. Once a hub for coconut plantations and fishing, Ambergris Caye now thrives on tourism centered on snorkeling, diving, and marine preservation. The area’s name dates back to the colonial era, when “ambergris”—a waxy substance from sperm whales—was a valuable export.

Lunch at Ambergris Caye

A Ambergris Caye sign in San Pedro, Belize.

Ambergris Caye, Belize, Central America, San Pedro, Sign

A street mural in San Pedro, Belize, promotes children’s protection and HIV/AIDS awareness, illustrating the community’s grassroots approach to social health education. Murals like this are part of a broader island effort to encourage public engagement and advocate for youth safety and digital awareness in a growing tourism economy that still values close-knit community identity.

Peace Love Cure HIV AIDS mural in Belize

A mural in San Pedro, Belize.

AIDS, Ambergris Caye, Art, Belize, Central America, Graffiti, Graffiti Artist, HIV, Mural, San Pedro

Lodging in San Pedro Belize

San Pedro, Belize

Ambergris Caye, Belize, Central America, San Pedro

Sign for TOAST Seaside Boozery & Grill

A hand-painted wooden sign marks the entrance to TOAST Seaside Boozery & Grill in San Pedro, Belize. The beachfront restaurant…

Ambergris Caye, Belize, San Pedro, TOAST

Swings stand partially in the shallows outside TOAST Bar & Grill in San Pedro, positioned along the eastern shoreline where the island faces the Belize Barrier Reef. Many waterfront bars on Ambergris Caye install overwater swings as a nod to the island’s laid-back tourism culture, giving visitors a direct line of sight to the reef crest visible on the horizon. The shallow seagrass beds and patches of floating sargassum in the foreground reflect the island’s natural coastal ecosystem—an area influenced by tidal shifts, prevailing easterly winds, and periodic sargassum blooms carried in from the Atlantic. The swings highlight how businesses along the beach integrate the environment into their design, creating informal gathering spots just steps from the second-largest barrier reef system in the world.

TOAST, San Pedro, Belize

Swings in the water with the reef in background outside of TOAST bar and grill in San Pedro, Belize.

Ambergris Caye, Belize, Central America, Reef, San Pedro, Swings, TOAST

TOAST San Pedro Belize signs

San Pedro, Belize

Ambergris Caye, Belize, Central America, San Pedro

Parking sign in Belize

A parking sign in Belize.

Ambergris Caye, Belize, Central America, Parking, Parking Sign, Sign

Alaia, Marriott Autograph Collection, San Pedro, Belize

Alaia, Ambergris Caye, Autograph Collection, Belize, Central America, Hotel, Marriott, San Pedro

Casa Johnson on Ambergris Caye

Casa Johnson stands along one of the sandy backroads north of San Pedro, a brightly painted elevated home typical of…

Ambergris Caye, Belize, Casa Johnson, San Pedro

At the entrance to Boca Del Rio Public Beach, north of central San Pedro, community signs mark local initiatives including AA recovery outreach and tourism development sponsored by the Belize Tourism Board. Boca Del Rio, meaning “mouth of the river,” is one of the few remaining public-access beaches on Ambergris Caye, frequently used for volleyball, community events, and informal recreation by residents.

AA Belize Signs

A sign for AA Belize at Boca Del Rio Public Beach

Ambergris Caye, Beach, Belize, Boca Del Rio, Central America, Public

A hand-painted wooden sign in San Pedro lists classic Caribbean pastimes—reef fishing, snorkeling, beach barbecues, and fly fishing—reflecting the local economy’s dependence on marine tourism. The area’s surrounding waters are protected as part of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, a major conservation zone established in 1987 to preserve coral reef and mangrove ecosystems along the Belize Barrier Reef.

Ambergris Caye signage on a tree

Signs on a palm tree in Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Ambergris Caye, Belize, Central America, Fishing, Sign, Snorkeling

Dream Catcher Pier

Dream Catcher Pier on Ambergris Caye in Belize.

Ambergris Caye, Belize, Central America, Dream Catcher Pier, Pier

San Pedro Fire Station

The San Pedro Fire Station on Ambergris Caye in Belize.

Ambergris Caye, Belize, Central America, Fire, Fire Station, MACK, San Pedro

Maha Store and Belikin Sign in San Pedro

A Belikin beer sign hangs above the entrance to Maha Store in the center of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye….

Ambergris Caye, Beer, Belikin, Belize, Maha Store

Night View at Mara Laguna, Ambergris Caye

Mara Laguna Resort illuminated along the main north road in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. The complex sits just across from…

Ambergris Caye, Belize, Mara Laguna, San Pedro, Vacation rentals

A painted welcome wall marks the entrance to John’s Escape Bar & Grill on Ambergris Caye, a casual beachfront hangout located on the site once occupied by John McAfee’s former property on the island. The area has since transitioned into a small cluster of guesthouses and local businesses, but traces of its unusual past remain part of the lore in San Pedro. The restaurant sits just off the sandy road north of town, surrounded by palms, colorful buildings, and the characteristic low-rise architecture of the island’s coastal neighborhoods.

Outside John’s Escape

A bar and grill called "John's Escape" on what was once John McAfee's property.

Ambergris Caye, Belize, Central America, John McAfee, John's Escape

John’s Escape Bar & Grill sits along the sandy shoreline of Ambergris Caye, framed by palms and bright Caribbean colors that reflect the island’s casual, beach-town character. Small waterfront restaurants like this have long been part of the local coastal culture, serving residents, tour guides, and travelers arriving from nearby docks. The hand-painted mural and relaxed seating on the beach underscore how many of Ambergris Caye’s businesses blend into the natural landscape, offering views over the Belize Barrier Reef lagoon just steps from the water.

John’s Escape Bar & Grill Sign

John's Escape Bar & Grill in Belize

Ambergris Caye, Beach, Belize, Central America, John McAfee, John's Escape

Ambergris Caye, reef tours, Las Amapolas, snorkeling

A sign for Las Amapolas at El Cocal promotes “Reef Runner” glass-bottom boat tours, a long-standing local attraction offering snorkeling…

Ambergris Caye, Belize, Boat, Casitas At El Cocal, Central America, Costa Rica, Hotel, Las Amapolas, Reef Runner

Caribbean Sea in Belize 2022

Caribbean Sea and Ambergris Caye in Belize.

Ambergris Caye, Belize, Caribbean Sea, Central America

Las Terrazas Resort in Belize

Las Terrazas Resort in Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Ambergris Caye, Belize, Central America, Costa Rica, Hotel, Las Terrazas, Resort

Dock Near Matachica Resort, Ambergris Caye

A long wooden dock stretches into the Caribbean Sea just north of Matachica Resort & Spa on Ambergris Caye, constructed…

Ambergris Caye, Belize, Caribbean Sea, Dock, Matachica, Resort

Coastal Surveillance Notice on Ambergris Caye

A printed notice affixed to a coconut palm on Ambergris Caye warns of 24-hour video surveillance—an increasingly common sight around…

Ambergris Caye, Belize, Central America, Security, Surveillance

Fishing Pier on Ambergris Caye

A wooden pier extends into the Caribbean Sea on the eastern shore of Ambergris Caye, topped with a palapa-style shelter…

Ambergris Caye, Belize, Caribbean Sea

Shoreline and Docks on Ambergris Caye

A view along the eastern shoreline of Ambergris Caye, where rows of coconut palms and small wooden docks line the…

Ambergris Caye, Belize, Caribbean Sea