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Ambergris Caye, Belize

A January 2022 trip to Ambergris Caye Belize.

Secret Beach on Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Secret Beach on Ambergris Caye, Belize.

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.

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.

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.

Las Terrazas Resort in Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Caribbean Sea and Ambergris Caye in Belize.

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.

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.

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.

The San Pedro Fire Station on Ambergris Caye serves as the primary emergency response hub for the island’s growing community and tourism corridor. Operated under the National Fire Service of Belize, the small but vital station houses a pair of Mack fire engines that support firefighting and rescue operations in the densely built town center and along the island’s coastal neighborhoods. With limited road infrastructure and many buildings constructed from wood, the station plays an essential role in protecting residents, resorts, and local businesses across one of Belize’s busiest islands.

Dream Catcher Pier on Ambergris Caye in Belize.

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.

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.

Alaia, Marriott Autograph Collection, San Pedro, Belize

No Parking sign outside the small pastel-colored cottages near the Boca Del Rio area in San Pedro, Belize, serve as guest lodging for visitors to the island. The architecture—simple, elevated wood-frame houses painted in tropical hues—reflects a mix of Creole and colonial influences suited to coastal weather. This district blends tourism accommodations with local residential areas near the island’s northern beaches.

San Pedro, Belize

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.

San Pedro, Belize

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.

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.

Installed along the beach in San Pedro, the colorful “San Pedro Belize” sign is one of the town’s most recognizable landmarks. Ambergris Caye, the largest island in Belize, is known for its proximity to the Belize Barrier Reef—part of the Mesoamerican Reef system, the second-largest in the world. The sign reflects the island’s identity as both a tourism hub and a historic fishing village that evolved into one of the Caribbean’s premier diving destinations.

A former Wedding Chapel found in the Caribbean.

The pool at Captain Morgan's resort on Ambergris Caye in Belize.

A wood carving found at Captain Morgan's resort in Belize.

Golf carts parked outside Ugly Duck Sports Bar & Grill in San Pedro on Ambergris Caye in Belize.

A sign reading "Don't Hesitate Vaccinate!" in San Pedro, Belize.

Golf Carts parked on Ambergris Caye in San Pedro Belize.

Wahoo's Lounge in Ambergris Caye

Caliente restaurant in San Pedro, Belize.

Belicolor store in San Pedro Belize.

A street in San Pedro, Belize.

A golf cart is driven in a San Pedro rain storm.

"Kindly wash hands keep masks on until seated Thank you" sign outside a restaurant in San Pedro, Belize.

Salty Dog Gift Shop in San Pedro, Belize.

A closed storefront in San Pedro, Belize. Written on the wall is “Liquor is not to be consumed on the premises. Liqour will not be sold to anyone under 18 years."

The pool at Grand Caribe Resort in San Pedro Belize.

A beachside road on Ambergris Caye Belize.

Plastic washed up on the shore of Ambergris Caye, Belize.

A road on Ambergris Caye in Belize.

A stray dog sleeps on a dock on Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Tranquility Bay at the northern end of Ambergris Caye in Belize.

Signs for Tranquility Bay and El Norte on Ambergris Caye in Belize.

Ambergris Caye, Belize,

Ambergris Caye, Belize

San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize

Grand Caribe, Ambergris Caye, Belize

San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize

San Pedro Store in Belize

San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize

Sunset Lounge, San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize

San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize

San Pedro, Belize as seen from a city rooftop.

San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize

The Truck Stop restaurant in San Pedro, Belize.

Marbucks Coffee House on Ambergris Caye in Belize.

Condo's in San Pedro, Belize.

Las Terrazas Resort, Ambergris Caye, Belize

White Sands Dive Shop in San Pedro Belize. https://whitesandsdiveshop.com

Las Terrazas Resort in San Pedro Belize.

Las Terrazas Resort in San Pedro Belize.

A Beach House on Ambergris Caye in Belize.

Coco Beach Resort, Ambergris Caye, Belize

Abandoned hut Ambergris Caye, Belize

A man sits in a hammock on Ambergris Caye, Belize.

The central pool area at Grand Caribe Belize, a large condominium resort located just north of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. Built in the mid-2000s and expanded over the following decade, the property is known for its Mediterranean-inspired architecture—arched balconies, stucco facades, and red tiled roofs—adapted for the island’s coastal climate. The interconnected pool system is one of the resort’s signature features, designed to serve the multiple residential buildings that form a semicircle around the courtyard. This part of the island has seen substantial development since the early 2000s, with resorts like Grand Caribe playing a major role in shaping the tourism corridor along the island’s northern shoreline.

A view from the swim-up bar at Grand Caribe Belize, a prominent condominium resort on Ambergris Caye just north of San Pedro. The bar overlooks the property’s main interconnected pool complex, which includes bridges, shallow lounging areas, and landscaped islands designed to serve the surrounding residential buildings. Swim-up bars became common in Belize’s resort developments beginning in the 2000s as tourism shifted toward larger, full-service coastal properties. Grand Caribe is one of the island’s largest of that era, part of the northern development corridor that has expanded rapidly over the past two decades.

Mangroves in San Pedro Belize.

A calm evening sunset over the shallow waters of Secret Beach on Ambergris Caye, Belize. The wooden overwater tables and palapa-style shade canopies sit just offshore, a distinctive feature of this west-facing stretch of the island where the coastline opens onto the protected waters of Ambergris Bay. As the sun drops toward the horizon, the sky reflects soft orange and pink tones across the glassy surface of the bay, highlighting the area’s reputation as one of the island’s most popular sunset viewpoints.

PUR Boutique Cabanas & Taco Bar on Ambergris Caye, Belize.

PUR Boutique Cabanas & Taco Bar on Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Alaia Marriott Hotel Ambergris Caye, Belize

Mayor Parking, San Pedro Ambergris Caye, Belize

A menu in San Pedro Ambergris Caye, Belize.

BLUE House in San Pedro, Belize.

San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize

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chad@chaddavis.photography

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