Ambergris Caye, Belize - HGG's trip review

Bump for the folks asking in my other threads.

Slow your roll.

That phrase is something that anyone needs to fully embrace before visiting this island paradise. As relaxed as you may be, this island moves at a glacial pace. Appointments are simply suggested times and you should expect most things to run behind schedule. No need for fancy clothes or fancy shoes. Shorts, swimsuits, cover ups, flip flops, casual skirts and maybe a lightweight sweater are all you really need. Ambergris Caye is what Cancun or Costa Rica were like 20 years ago. You won't find crazy nightlife, paved roads, or restaurants open all night. Having said that, be warned that as the island is constantly improving, there are no paved roads on the north end and some areas of the beach that are privately owned are not well maintained so you may be walking along the beach one minute on pristine sand, and without warning you'll come across trash and debris piled up. Don't let that deter you from embracing the beauty of this tiny gem. They're working on resolving these issues but it won't happen overnight...

There are four primary ways to get around the island: by foot, by bike, by golf cart and by water taxi. There are taxi vans in San Pedro but once you get in town you don't need them as it is very small and easy to walk around. Many places are within walking distance or bike. You can rent a gas-powered golf cart for about $65/day. The water taxi is $5-$7 US per person, per trip. We didn't rent a bike so I'm not familiar with those prices but I would imagine they are fairly inexpensive. The exchange rate is $2 Belize to $1 USD. Everyone takes US currency but they may give you back change in Belize.

You should purchase alcohol at the airport in Belize City @ duty free, then bring it onto Ambergris Caye. The prices for buying bottles of wine and liquor on the island are astronomical compared to the mainland. On that note, I would strongly recommend you take the puddle jumper flight from Belize City over to AC, the view is amazing and the 15 minute flight beats the hell out of an long boat ride.

Lastly, the island is not known to be popular with the younger crowds. Caye Caulker is where the 20/30 somethings hang out.

Now onto the good stuff....

============== DINING ==============

Despite being small, Ambergris Caye has a shite ton of places to eat, from small hole-in-the-walls to nicer establishments. But one thing to note, pretty much all places will let you inside as long as you have a shirt on. Here are the places we ate:

El Fogon is a VERY authentic and local place to get your Belizean palate anointed. They use a huge pit to cook their meats and you can smell it down the street. We had the seafood creole with coconut rice, and the garlic lime shrimp with rice and beans. For the appetizer, we got the omnipresent conch fritters served with a spicy honey mustard sauce. The entrees were phenomenal and if you eat at one place on the island for authentic local food, this needs to be it.










Waruguma is a place that's cash only, that serves awesome lobster burritos. They are also known for their pupusas which are like mini calzones but with a Latin twist. We got a lobster burrito and split it (along with some pupusas just to say we did)...all the food was excellent. If my memory serves me well, the burrito was $14 USD and had loads of lobster meat, inside and out. I can only fathom this would cost $40+ in the US.








Hurricane's Ceviche Bar & Grill had some pretty good ceviche, something you will find on damn near every menu on the island. We got the standard fish ceviche along with a mango/conch bruschetta. Enjoyed both and would go back again.








For breakfast, we ate at Estel's Dine by the Sea. We ordered pancakes and the classic Belizean breakfast, which is the equivalent of huevos rancheros. They do serve up "fry jacks", which looks like a puffy pastry. They open at 6:30AM for you earlybirds and their coffee is strong! The menu is on a chalkboard and the floors are sand. VERY COOL spot to eat breakfast, the view is great, too!







View from our table.



Another beachfront lunch/dinner spot (just down from Estel's) is called Lick's Beachside Cafe. The owner is Mario and is super friendly, he makes an effort to go by every table and chat for a few minutes. We sat on the top deck and enjoyed curried conch and baked scallops with lime butter.







The view



Aji Tapas Bar has OK food. Based on the inviting space, we had hoped for much more variety and more eclectic tastes, but felt this place came up short. The atmosphere, however, was the most romantic you will find in the island. Each table has its own "area" that's covered by handmade pergolas and lights, along with tiki torches. It may seem cheesy for some, but it was great for us. The bar area is raw but cozy. It rained like hell when we ate there, so we hung out with the new owner (Tony) and had drinks under the palapa.








ON Caye Caulker, we had lunch at a cuban place called Brisas Del Mar, and the food was quite good. Nothing stood out as being local, but it was a nice change from the seafood we had been gorging on for the past several days. Snag a table by the water and relax. CASH ONLY.