From the Bus station in Belize City, it was only a 15 minute walk to the marine terminal. I arrived at around 2 PM, there was plenty of time to catch the 3 PM ferry or the later ones if I miss that. There are two companies that run ferries/ fast boats from Belize City to Caye Caulker and San Pedro (Ambergris Caye). These are Carribean Sprinter and San Pedro Belize Express. Caye Caulker is between Belize City and San Pedro, so tickets to Caye Caulker are a little cheaper. Ticket sold by San Pedro Belize Express are cheaper than tickets sold by Carribean Sprinter, but not by much (about 3-5 USD) so you might as well pick the schedule that’s more convenient for you. The fast boats/ ferries depart from different terminals, but they’re just about a 5 minute walk away from each other, so you could easily go from one terminal to the other.

I went to the Carribean Sprinter first. The lady selling tickets told me that a one way ticket so San Pedro costs 36 US dollars.

I was like… what the f*ck?

I went to San Pedro Belize Express next. The lady selling tickets said it costs 32 US dollars to San Pedro. Again, I thought to myself… what the f*ck?

First a little backstory, in case you’re wondering why I was shocked at the ticket prices. At the hostel back in San Ignacio, one of the owners gave me a tip to save money. He said that if I’m heading to Caye Caulker or San Pedro, I should buy ferry tickets in one of the tour shops in San Ignacio because tickets are way cheaper. They buy tickets in bulk using the rate for locals, that’s why they’re able to sell tickets real cheap. You can’t get tickets with the cheaper local rate when you buy tickets at the ferry terminals because they ask for proof that you’re a Belizean citizen. Once you already have a ticket though, they won’t ask for identification as you board the ferry. So buying ferry tickets in San Ignacio would save you money.

But then when we passed by some of those shops, they had ferry ticket prices posted outside. They were selling one way tickets to San Pedro for 21 USD. One of my new friends who had just been to both Caye Caulker and San Pedro told me the ticket prices were the same, so I might as well just buy a ticket at the terminal. So that’s why I was surprised when they were asking for 32-36 bucks. As soon as I boarded the ferry I sent a message to my friend, thanking him for making me spend more money. LOL.

So that’s one pro tip: if you’re in San Ignacio and you plan on heading to San Pedro or Caye Caulker, buy all your ferry tickets in San Ignacio if you already have definite dates set.

Many travelers visit both Caye Caulker and San Pedro. However, a lot of people don’t have time to visit both. If you only have time to visit one place, which one should you choose? We were able to visit both, so I can lay out the differences.

Many folks use the terms “San Pedro” and “Ambergris Caye” interchangeably, but these places aren’t exactly the same. San Pedro is the main town in the huge island called Ambergris Caye, and this is where you’ll see most establishments. Think of San Pedro as huge resort town by the ocean. You’ll find everything you need here. There are huge grocery stores, lots of hotels, many restaurants, lots of bars in town. In general, it’s more expensive in San Pedro compared to Caye Caulker, but there are still a number of cheap places to eat… just eat where the locals eat. Since it’s a pretty huge town, and Ambergris Caye is a pretty huge island, many travelers rent golf carts while they’re there. There’s more to explore. The nightlife is also better than Caye Caulker. It gets pretty wild on weekends, especially at Jaguar’s. On weekdays it’s pretty mellow, but you’d still surely find a bar that’s open until late. There are plenty of accommodations to choose from, but there seems to be only one hostel. I guess it’s because it’s not really part of the backpacking route. Since it’s basically a resort town, you’d see more of couples and families here. Aside from San Pedro town, many travelers head to “Secret Beach” in Ambergris Caye, which is on the western side of the island. It’s about 40 minutes away from San Pedro town on a golf cart. I have no idea why they call this place a secret beach because there’s nothing secret about it lol. Everyone in town knows about it, and it can get real crowded on weekends. It’s worth checking out, but honestly I wasn’t too fond of it. There were too many people, I didn’t find it relaxing. There wasn’t even an actual beach party, yet the place was really noisy with music from different speakers blasting on full volume.

Caye Caulker on the other hand is definitely part of the backpacking trail. There are a number of hostels to choose from, and these are often full so it’s best to book a few days before your planned arrival. It’s not hard to see why most backpackers prefer to stay here. The vibe is incredibly laid back. It’s the type of place where you can just pick a spot and do nothing all day. A lot of tourists also go here, so naturally it’s not a cheap destination in general. It is relatively cheaper compared to San Pedro though. You can see this when you compare the prices of snorkeling and diving tours. Since there are a lot of backpackers here who are on a budget, rates are a little cheaper to attract them. I would recommend joining the snorkeling tour that includes the Shark Ray Alley and Hol Chan Marine Park among others. It’s pretty pricey for about 90 US dollars, but to me it was worth it. I’ve done lots of snorkeling tours in many countries, and this is the one that impressed me the most. It’s even better than the great barrier reef tour I did a couple of years back. The sheer number of marine life sightings was unbelizeable (lol). Loads of colorful corals, lots of different fishes, sharks, manta rays, sea turtles… and you don’t have to struggle to find em. They were everywhere! you could even swim with sharks at Shark Ray Alley— that was awesome. Check out some of the pictures I took below. I suck at color correction though, so these pictures do not do this place justice.

Caye Caulker is also a small island. You don’t need to rent a bike or golf cart, you can pretty much go to any place on the island on foot. Now, Caye Caulker is actually split in two. This occurred way back in 1961 due to Hurricane Hattie. The “Split“, the channel that was created after the hurricane, has developed into a recreational area with lots of bars and restaurants. Most accommodations and establishments are on the southern side. You can easily head to the northern side via overpriced mini ferries. You have to pay 5 BZD each way to cross to either side. It seems like a short distance, but swimming across the Split is generally not recommended due to strong currents. Is it worth going to the north side? it depends on what you’re looking for. There’s less people there, cause there’s just a few beach clubs and some private houses, and a couple of resorts. So if you want some peace and quite, it’s easy to find a secluded beach. This is also the downside. There’s not much going on there. When there’s a full moon though, they throw a massive beach party at Northside Beach Club (Koko King) and I’ve been told that’s worth checking out. Take note that there are lots of crocodiles in the wild on the north side, so it would be best not to stray off the beaten path.

Back on the south side where most of the action is, check out Iguana Reef Inn where you can feed sting rays during sunset. You’d see seahorses here too. For grilled food served in a backyard, check out Wish Willy for an authentic experience. Don’t plan on eating here though if you’re in a rush, they’re running strictly on “island time“. If there’s one thing I didn’t like about Caye Caulker, it’s the nightlife… or should I say the lack of it. On weekdays, most bars close early. The only one that’s open late is Sports Bar— and even that one closes at midnight. Once that closes, pretty much everyone who still wants to hang out heads over to the backyard at Bella’s Backpackers where people share drinks they’ve bought earlier at grocery stores. The fun will end though if people get too noisy because surely the police will arrive to shut down the party lol. This happened every freaking night I stayed at Bella’s. haha. From Thursdays to Saturdays though, nightlife gets better because Reggae Bar is open, and they’re open until around 4 AM. So basically if you want to party til late, Caye Caulker isn’t really a good option if you’d only be there from Sunday to Wednesday.

I’ve been talking a lot about Caye Caulker, so it’s pretty obvious which one I preferred lol. Ultimately the decision is up to you. What kind of vacation are you looking for? If you prefer to stay in a resort town along with the comforts that go with it, and if you prefer to party at night, San Pedro is the better option for you. If you prefer a more laidback vibe and you don’t really care about the nightlife, the answer is definitely Caye Caulker. It’s the type of place where you’d be content just relaxing all day, embracing the slow island life.

Now, since a lot of backpackers just stop by Caye Caulker and/or San Pedro on their way to Mexico, I might as well talk about transport options. By the time I post this entry, this information is still up to date. By far the easiest way is to take a ferry from Caye Caulker or San Pedro to Chetumal. It only runs on Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays, and Saturdays. You can check out this website for updates, maybe in the future they’ll be running this ferry daily. A one way ticket costs MXN 1,400 (about 71 USD) from Caye Caulker, and MXN 1,300 (about 66 USD) from San Pedro. Yeah it’s pretty pricey, but it’s also the most convenient option.

Now if your schedule isn’t flexible and you’d have to leave on a Tuesday, Thursday, or Sunday, there are other options. If you’re already in San Pedro, you can take a fast boat to Corozal. Currently there’s only one fast boat running this route, the Thunderbolt. A one way ticket to Corozal costs BZD 52. They run this route at 3PM daily, with one stop at Sartaneja. If you’re going the opposite direction, the fast boat from Corozal to San Pedro leaves at 7 AM. If you’re in Caye Caulker, just take one of the morning ferries to San Pedro, then take the fast boat to Corozal from there. Now if you plan to cross the Mexican border this way, you’d have to rush. The trip from San Pedro to Corozal takes about 90 minutes. Once you get there, there are lots of taxis waiting and they can take you straight to the border. Once you arrive at the border, head to the immigration office and pay the BZD 40 exit fee. Then take another cab to the Mexican border office where you’d have to pay USD 30 to enter. You could actually walk between border offices, the distance between em is only about 1 1/2 miles, but if you want to catch a bus to Tulum I highly suggest you take a cab or colectivo because it would take another 15-20 minute taxi ride to the Chetumal Central Bus Station. The last bus to Tulum leaves at 6:50 PM. If you’re heading straight to Cancun though, there’s no need to rush because the last bus leaves at 11:59 PM. Visit the ADO website regularly to check if there are any changes in bus schedules. This website is only in Spanish though, so you need to be able to understand basic Spanish at least.

Now a slightly cheaper option is to travel by land. First you have to take a ferry back to Belize City. Before, the process was simple since there was an ADO bus running from Belize City to Tulum/ Cancun. They haven’t resumed this service yet, but you can keep checking the ADO website for updates. Right now, you have to do this the hard way. Head to the bus station in Belize City and take a bus to Corozal. A one way trip costs 8-15 BZD, depending on the bus line.This trip takes 4 hours, more or less. Then similar to what I’ve stated above, once you’ve arrived in Corozal, grab a cab from the bus station to the border. You can opt to wait for a local bus if you’re not in a rush. You could even choose to stay for a night in Corozal to experience the “real” Belize, but keep in mind that this isn’t a touristy area. I have a friend who lives there. Though she says it’s relatively safe and violent crimes are practically non existent, petty theft is a pretty common occurrence.

If you’re gonna catch a flight from Belize City, flying from Caye Caulker or San Pedro is an option. A one way flight costs around USD 80. Yeah that’s more than double the price of the fast boat, but it’s also kind of an aerial tour since you’d get to see the reef from above. the flight also only takes 15 minutes. This is a good option if you don’t wanna rush since there are flights leaving every hour. And once you arrive, you’d simply have to walk to the international terminal which is just beside the domestic one. You won’t have to worry about taking a cab to the airport.

Overall, I’d say the two weeks I’ve spent in Belize was awesome, and it reminded me of the things I’ve sorely missed these past two years. As soon as I got home, I immediately made plans for my next trip.