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The water is the focus of daytime entertainment on Ambergris
Caye, from sunbathing on the docks to windsurfing, sailing, fishing,
diving, snorkeling and glass-bottomed boat rides. Many hotels rent
equipment, and there are several specialist dive shops
offering instruction. A word of warning : there have been a
number of accidents in San Pedro where speeding boats have hit
people swimming off the piers. A line of buoys, clearly visible,
indicates the "safe area", but speedboat drivers can be a bit macho,
so be careful when choosing where to swim.
Before going snorkeling or diving, whet your appetite with a visit
to the excellent Hol Chan Marine Reserve office (Mon-Sat
8.30am-5pm; phone 226-2247) on Caribeņa Street, near the Texaco
station on the lagoon side. The staff are happy to answer any
questions and there are photographs, maps and other displays on the
reserve.
Bikes
, mopeds and very expensive golf carts can be rented for exploring
the Caye on the rough tracks that run north and south from town; for
bikes, try Joe's Bike Rental, at the south end of Pescador Drive (phone
226-4371; US$9 for 24hr, US$39 for a week). Heading south ,
you could ride at least part of the way to Marco Gonzalez , a
Maya ruin near the southernmost tip of the island, though there's
not much to see. North , after about ten minutes' walk you'll
come up against the Boca del Rio channel, crossed by a tiny
ferry (US$0.50), on the other side of which are some secluded
resorts and beaches. A fast ferry , the Island Express
(US$5 each way), runs several times a day from Fido's dock, in the
centre of town, to the resorts in the north of the Caye.
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 Belize
travel guide
Caribbean
guide
You could also take a guided day-trip to some of the Maya sites
on the northwest coast of the island - Daniel Nuņez (phone 226-2314)
is one of the best guides. On San Juan beach you'll be
scrunching over literally thousands of pieces of Maya pottery, but
per haps the most spectacular site is Chac Balam , a
ceremonial and administrative centre with deep burial chambers. On
the way back, you navigate Bacalar Chico , the channel
separating Belize from Mexico, now a national park and marine
reserve with a visitor centre and some great snorkeling. At the
mouth of the channel the reef is close to the shore; the boat has to
cross into the open sea, re-entering the lagoon as you approach San
Pedro and so completing a circumnavigation of the island.
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