One of our fondest memories is our ferry trip on the Andrea II from Belize City to the island of Ambergris Caye, where San Pedro is located. Spanish music was playing on the radio and it was a real initiation into the culture that has remained on the islands.
We totally enjoyed our day-long snorkeling trip with Manuel Azueta who took us to several sites and to Caye Caulker for lunch. Highly recommend!
We stayed at a small hotel called Rubies which I recommend if you are on a budget and not looking for plush. It was right on the beach and cost /night. I hear it's now. Next door there was a weekly beach bar-be-que which shouldn't be missed!
Across the "street" is a school and the children coming and going were so adorable, dressed in their neat little uniforms. We never heard any whining, and they were so polite - always asking, "How you like our island?"
Quick Tips:
There are a variety of accommodations in and around San Pedro. And because English is the official language of Belize (you may remember it as British Honduras), you won't have any trouble calling for reservations.
I enjoy visiting more when I have researched my destination ahead of time. Buy a book, visit the Web, etc. This is true if going as part of a tour, but especially so if you're winging it.
Best Way To Get Around:
Belize has one international airport, so you must book a flight into Belize City. Flying within the country seems to be the norm if you are not upset by the small planes and airstrips. This is how we left San Pedro when we decided to see Western Belize. Windy Hill Resort sent a driver for us by the name of Godwin Buckly who talked as if he were getting paid by the word. We learned a lot about all aspects of Belize from him and he made the ride very pleasant.
We rented a golf cart one day while on the island, but bicycles would have served us as well. We covered it by noon.
We are now planning our return to Belize and hope to travel by bus from Belize City to Placencia in February. Have been looking into accommodations there with "private bath" being a criteria, but not much else. Hope to stay right there for a week, do some snorkeling and kayaking, maybe a day trip, but mostly just relax.
More and more people are discovering Belize, and we want to return before it gets to touristy.