San Pedro Town sits at the southern tip of Ambergris Caye and its streets bustle with activity from locals and visitors in golf carts alike.
One of the best parts about San Pedro Island was visiting Xunantunich Ruins on its southern end, providing us with a tranquil oasis away from crowds.
Blue Hole
One of the most beloved attractions in Belize is the Blue Hole. Nestled within Lighthouse Reef Atoll, this massive sinkhole is known for being the world’s largest sinkhole and an avid diver’s dream come true.
Coral Gardens is an increasingly popular dive site among snorkelers due to the beauty of the coral formations surrounding its holes, which make this an UNESCO World Heritage site and must-dive location in Belize.
If you want to see the Blue Hole but prefer not scuba diving, a scenic helicopter tour from the mainland offers the ideal solution. This tour will fly directly over all three natural wonders – Blue Hole, Turneffe Atoll and Belize Barrier Reef – providing a spectacular aerial view.
I found this experience absolutely unforgettable! It was incredible being able to fly over the Blue Hole from above and capture so many breathtaking photos. Our group consisted of around 11 passengers, making the ride over really effortless with several fly-bys either way of the hole to take in all its magnificence from above!
Bring comfortable clothing, sun protection, a towel, mask and fins for snorkeling as well as money to cover any personal expenses that may arise during your adventure.
No matter your diving ability or experience level, you’re sure to love diving the Blue Hole. Tour operators San Pedro offers several tours directly into this enigmatic underwater realm from islands such as Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker as well as mainland locations.
Mayan Ruins
Belizean Maya ruins are among the most breathtaking sights in Central America. While most are hidden deep within dense jungles or rainforests, others such as Cahal Pech, Xunantunich Altun Ha Lamanai Nim Li Punit are easily accessible for tourists.
Cahal Pech, Xunantunich and Lamanai can easily be reached via rental car or guided tour. Though these ruins are smaller in scale than others in the country, they still merit exploring for their fascinating histories and amazing artifacts left behind.
Xunantunich (Maiden of the Rock), located not too far from San Pedro, boasts one of Belize’s tallest ruins with six plazas, sun god bas relief masks on building walls, as well as remnants from over 25 palaces and temples.
An excellent way to explore ancient city ruins is with a private tour. Your driver will transport you directly to the site, taking you around, and sharing some background history about its previous inhabitants.
As well as tours to Belize’s ruins, they also offer excursions into other areas of Belize, such as countryside tours of western community villages, hand-cranked ferry rides across Mopan River and enjoying delicious lunch in a nearby town before returning back to your pickup point.
An easy and enjoyable way to explore the ruins is with a golf cart tour from Drift Inn in San Pedro. These tours are perfect for families with young children!
Drift Inn is located just 45 minutes away from San Pedro Ruins, making them an excellent day trip from San Pedro. Though they may not be as famous or large as some of the other ruins in Belize, these still offer visitors an exceptional way to gain insight into Belizean culture and life.
Cave Tubing
Cave tubing offers the ideal blend of adventure and history in Belize. This thrilling experience takes you through an underground world full of sparkling stalactites and limestone formations that transports you back in time – it will truly feel like another dimension!
This activity can be found throughout Belize, such as at Caves Branch Archaeological Reserve. It provides an ideal way to gain insight into Maya culture while also seeing some of the most stunning caves. Don’t miss this incredible experience and don’t be dissatisfied!
For this tour, first take an hourlong flight or boat ride over to the mainland and arrive at Caves Branch Reserve where your guide will equip you with an inflatable inner tube and headlights, followed by a short hike through the jungle until reaching its caves.
Start out in the water, float through caves for one hour, enjoying crystal-clear waters, coconut palm trees swaying in the breeze, stunning coral formations and even exploring nurse shark colonies! If you feel brave enough, explore them all by floating out to sea!
No matter your level of experience, this trip offers something for every level of snorkeler. Experience stunning aquatic biodiversity such as parrotfish, stingrays and turtles on this exciting tour.
Before embarking on your adventure, it’s essential to dress comfortably in clothing that can protect you from the sun, rain and mosquitos. Lightweight yet sturdy shoes with non-flip flop soles should also be worn; after completion of your expedition you will have access to changing rooms where you can change into dry attire.
Snorkeling
Snorkeling is an enjoyable activity for tourists visiting Belize, offering unique underwater discoveries across its beautiful coral reefs. Tour operatorss in Belize City, Caye Caulker, and Ambergris Caye offer snorkeling trips that allow tourists to discover this UNESCO-listed barrier reef system.
The Belize Barrier Reef is truly remarkable, boasting sea fans, tropical fish and coral formations to admire from a distance. A trip to this protected reserve allows snorkelers to get up close and personal with these remarkable organisms.
Make the most out of your snorkeling adventures by booking a tour with an authorized guide. Your guide will make sure that you are well prepared for their tour, and safely explore one of Belize’s vibrant marine reserves.
Mexico Rocks are famous coral heads near San Pedro that attract various sealife. Since this area is shallow and sheltered by its barrier reef, Mexico Rocks makes an excellent place for beginners.
Harvest Caye, a small island near Placencia, provides another excellent location. Here, visitors can take part in various activities on its beautiful beach as well as dining options from its restaurants, shops and palapas.
Starfish Island, a private island off of Belize City’s coast, offers excellent snorkeling conditions. A popular cruise ship stop, Starfish offers activities for adults as well as kids alike.
The water is crystal-clear, providing plenty of opportunities for snorkeling enthusiasts to encounter starsfish, lobsters, octopus, stingrays, eels, Spanish dancers, toadfish and much more! Also enjoy night snorkeling when many marine life species come out to play and feed!
Art Gallery
Those interested in art will find plenty of activities in San Pedro that appeal to them. From visiting galleries to helping your child create something personal through hands-on painting classes and experiences.
San Pedro Belize boasts an amazingly diverse arts scene. Numerous local artists showcase their talent through galleries.
Belizean Melody Arts, owned by Melody Sanchez Wolfe is a small art gallery which showcases handmade crafts and original pieces by regional artists. Located on Middle Street heading north towards the bridge.
Shopping at Belize Market is an excellent way to find gifts and souvenirs made in Belize, or purchase artwork or jewelry made just for you! Additionally, this market provides an opportunity for local artists to sell their paintings or pieces of jewelry created especially for you!
This gallery is the oldest art gallery in Belize and is known for showcasing paintings by many acclaimed Belizean and expat artists like Walter Castillo, Pen Cayetano, Nelson Young, Leo Vasquez Piva Eduardo Garcia Curvin Mitchel among others. Additionally this gallery stocks Latin and Caribbean art as well as ceramics wood carvings and limestone statues.
Visit The Image Factory, an incubator for emerging Belizean artists located in a bustling part of town and an ideal choice for shopping art, books, music albums and poetry.
Truck Stop, an entertainment hub located within a shipping container park, offers shoppers another place to purchase gifts and souvenirs. Here you’ll find New Haven-style pizza, Asian and Latin food, as well as delicious ice-cream treats to satisfy any sweet cravings after enjoying all that excitement!
Golf carts provide an effective means of exploring an island more fully, and with valid driver’s license can be rented from hotels or towns on the island and used to access those sights that would be difficult or too far to access by walking alone.
