Why Honeymoon on Ambergris Caye
Few Caribbean islands combine reef access this good with so little hassle. You can be snorkeling with nurse sharks and stingrays on the same afternoon you leave Houston or Miami. English is Belize's official language, so arranging tours and dinners is easy.
The island's relaxed, barefoot culture is another draw. Days revolve around the water and evenings around sunset drinks and seafood. Dress codes are almost nonexistent. Yet there is genuine luxury here too, from boutique beachfront resorts to Cayo Espanto, an award-winning private island with only seven villas. You can mix lively and secluded in a single trip without ever packing a suitcase twice.
When to Go
The dry season, from roughly late November or December through April, is peak time on Ambergris Caye. Expect sunny days, cooling trade winds and the busiest resorts, especially around the holidays and spring break. Book popular properties well ahead for these months.
May and November are sweet-spot shoulder months, with warm water and fewer visitors. June through November is the wet season and Atlantic hurricane season, which runs officially from June 1 to November 30, with the highest risk generally from August through October. Many days are still sunny and rates fall, but buy travel insurance and keep plans flexible. Lobster season, which opens in mid-June, brings lively celebrations to San Pedro and fresh lobster to every menu.
Where to Stay
For honeymooners who want privacy above everything, Cayo Espanto has no real rival. Located about 3 miles off San Pedro and seven minutes by boat, this private island has just seven villas, six with private plunge pools and one overwater bungalow, Casa Ventanas. Meals are tailored to your preferences and a dedicated houseman looks after your villa. Spa treatments come to you. It has a long track record of travel-magazine romance and service awards.
On Ambergris Caye itself, the hotels range from boutique beachfront resorts north of town, where the island is quieter and more spread out, to stylish options south of San Pedro within golf-cart range of restaurants. Think about the balance you want: stay north for seclusion, closer to town for walkable dinners and nightlife, or split your stay between the two.
Romantic Things to Do
Snorkeling at Hol Chan Marine Reserve, near the island's southern tip, is the essential Ambergris experience. Glide over coral formations teeming with fish, then continue to Shark Ray Alley, where nurse sharks and southern stingrays gather close to the surface. For divers, a full-day trip to the Great Blue Hole, the near-perfect circular sinkhole made famous by Jacques Cousteau, is a serious adventure best suited to experienced divers; a scenic flight over it is a fine alternative.
On calmer days, try fly-fishing for bonefish, permit and tarpon on the flats, or take a sunset sail to laid-back Caye Caulker. Rent a golf cart and bump up the island to Secret Beach on the lagoon side, where you can sip cocktails while sitting in the shallow water.
The beaches here are narrow and the shallows have seagrass, so most swimming happens off piers and docks rather than from a wide strand of sand. For the most romantic evening, book a private sunset cruise and ask the captain to anchor by the reef for a last swim as the sky turns pink.
Getting There & Around
Fly nonstop to Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (BZE) in Belize City; flights from Miami and Houston take under two hours. Many other US hubs offer service. From BZE, local airlines Tropic Air and Maya Island Air fly to San Pedro in about 15 to 20 minutes. Alternatively, a water taxi from Belize City takes roughly 90 minutes, often stopping at Caye Caulker.
On the island, golf carts are the main way to get around. Renting one is part of the fun. Bikes and taxis are also available. Water taxis connect resorts north of town with San Pedro. If you're staying at Cayo Espanto, the resort meets you at the San Pedro airstrip for the boat ride, or can arrange a helicopter direct from Belize City.
Food & Drink
Seafood dominates. Ceviche made with conch or shrimp is everywhere, as are grilled snapper, lobster in season and fish tacos. Start your day with fry jacks, puffy fried dough served with beans, eggs and cheese, or drizzled with honey.
San Pedro has a surprisingly varied restaurant scene, from beach-shack barbecue to candlelit dinners with your toes in the sand. A golf-cart dinner date, moving from cocktails at one beach bar to dinner at another, is island life at its best. Belikin is the national beer. Local rum shows up in rum punch and creative cocktails. On a private island like Cayo Espanto, your chef will design menus around your tastes, including catch-and-cook meals made from fish you landed that morning.
Honeymoon Tips
- Book Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley early in your stay in case weather forces a reschedule.
- The Great Blue Hole is a long day by boat; consider a scenic flight if you're not an advanced diver.
- Wear reef-safe sunscreen and never stand on or touch coral.
- Use cash or US dollars for golf-cart rentals and tips; the Belize dollar is pegged at two to one with the US dollar.
- Pair Ambergris Caye with the Cayo District for a reef-and-rainforest honeymoon.
- Golf carts share the road with taxis and trucks. The island's main road can be dark north of town. Take a taxi or water taxi home after a long dinner with drinks.
- Some years, sargassum seaweed washes ashore between spring and late summer. Resorts rake it daily, but ask your hotel about recent conditions if a perfect beach matters to you.
- Use repellent at dusk for sandflies and mosquitoes. If you're pregnant or hoping to be soon, check CDC travel health notices for Belize.
