January 2022 — Secret Beach on Ambergris Caye, Belize.

January 2022 — Secret Beach on Ambergris Caye, Belize.

January 2022 — The calm, shallow lagoon behind Secret Beach on Ambergris Caye offers a view of the mangrove coast and recent construction along the island’s west side. Once nearly inaccessible, this area has seen rapid development, raising questions about ecosystem impacts and zoning enforcement. Despite the growth, the lagoon remains a rare quiet edge of an island increasingly defined by tourism infrastructure.

January 2022 — A weathered sign reading “Keep Calm and Don’t Litter” stands at the edge of a mangrove wetland on Ambergris Caye, Belize. These coastal mangrove ecosystems play a critical role in protecting shorelines, supporting marine life, and filtering water, making local anti-littering efforts especially important. The sign, posted by community and conservation groups, reflects ongoing grassroots work to preserve the island’s fragile environment amid steady development and tourism growth.

January 2022 — A green Belize Tourism Board sign points the way to Secret Beach, one of Ambergris Caye’s most popular yet once-remote spots on the island’s western shore. Accessible only by unpaved roads until recent years, Secret Beach has transformed into a lively tourist area lined with bars and piers—symbolizing the island’s evolving relationship between secluded natural beauty and commercial development.

January 2022 — A view along the eastern shoreline of Ambergris Caye, where rows of coconut palms and small wooden docks line the edge of the Caribbean Sea. This stretch of coast reflects the island’s gradual shift from a quiet fishing community to one of Belize’s primary tourism destinations, driven in part by its proximity to the Belize Barrier Reef just a short boat ride offshore. Despite this growth, the outer edges of the island still retain long undeveloped sections of shoreline, shaped by storms, tides, and ongoing efforts to balance tourism with coastal conservation.

January 2022 — A wooden pier extends into the Caribbean Sea on the eastern shore of Ambergris Caye, topped with a palapa-style shelter commonly found along the island’s waterfront. These simple wooden structures serve both locals and visitors, offering space for fishing, small-boat landings, and relief from the midday sun. Just offshore, the shallow coastal waters give way to the darker blue of the open sea, with the white line of breakers marking the crest of the Belize Barrier Reef—the second-largest reef system in the world and a central part of the island’s history, economy, and marine culture.

January 2022 — A printed notice affixed to a coconut palm on Ambergris Caye warns of 24-hour video surveillance—an increasingly common sight around resorts and beach properties as tourism expands. Such measures reflect efforts by local authorities and businesses to balance safety, privacy, and preservation amid the island’s rapid growth and environmental pressures.

January 2022 — A long wooden dock stretches into the Caribbean Sea just north of Matachica Resort & Spa on Ambergris Caye, constructed in a distinctive chevron pattern common to many of the island’s piers. These docks serve as essential access points for small boats, snorkeling excursions, and water taxis, reflecting the island’s long reliance on marine travel. At the end of the pier, a shaded palapa provides a quiet spot overlooking the protected waters inside the Belize Barrier Reef, where shallow seagrass flats and calm tides have supported fishing communities and tourism infrastructure for decades.

January 2022 — Las Terrazas Resort in Ambergris Caye, Belize.

January 2022 — Caribbean Sea and Ambergris Caye in Belize.

January 2022 — A sign for Las Amapolas at El Cocal promotes “Reef Runner” glass-bottom boat tours, a long-standing local attraction offering snorkeling and fishing excursions to the Belize Barrier Reef. These tours provide visitors direct access to the island’s marine biodiversity, a defining feature that has shaped San Pedro’s economy and identity since the mid-20th century when tourism began replacing commercial fishing.

January 2022 — John's Escape Bar & Grill in Belize

January 2022 — A bar and grill called "John's Escape" on what was once John McAfee's property.