6 Quick Guides to Belize

What I’d do again

Ambergris was home to an estimated 20,000 Maya traders at the height of their occupation of the caye. There are 18 sites recognized on the 25-mile-long island, but only one of them is preserved: the Marco Gonzalez Maya Site.

I spent the morning walking through the site with Jan Brown, who gives private tours. The ground is covered in pottery shards and the site itself has not been completely excavated, so it’s a great opportunity to see a site before it becomes “managed.”

The chances of finding arrowheads, jewelry, and bones are very high. I swear I found a pair of carved breasts!

What I’d skip

Manatee watching. But only because I fell out of the boat and didn’t see any manatees.

Where I slept

* The privately owned condos at The Palms Oceanfront Suite are located close enough to the town of San Pedro that I could easily walk to the water taxi, restaurants, and clubs. But the rooms and balcony views are pretty enough that I never really wanted to leave.

* For over a week, I had an entire apartment at Portofino Resort and Diving to myself, which included a secluded white beach and delicious room service. The dive shop took me snorkeling at nearby Mexico Rocks and The Aquarium.

What I ate

* Elvi’s Kitchen started as a small hamburger shop before Ambergris Caye was a tourist destination. Today, Elvi and her daughter, Jenny, are serving authentic Maya and Mestizo food.

On Friday nights, Elvi runs a high-end buffet with a rotating menu that included: che chac soup, chicken tacos, lobster enchiladas, shrimp with vegetables, tamales, and more. Locals say Elvi has the best rice and beans in Belize.

* El Fogon is named after the open fire that Susana Eiley cooks creole and Mestizo style food on every day for lunch. When I ate there she had prepared gibnut, chilmole, and stew chicken over a fire of coconut husks.

Susana recommends coming early to really see the fire roaring and to make reservations for dinner served family style. El Fogon is known to have the best conch fritters in San Pedro. I’d have to agree.

* Kakaw Belize Chocolate – This small, artisan chocolate factory is on the south end of the caye and can be toured by appointment. I sampled the sweet and spicy 70% dark bar with chili while interviewing owners Jo and Kris.

Most memorable moment

Easily, my most memorable moment was lobster diving with a pair of fishermen on the second day of lobster season. We left the dock at 5am, checked hundreds of shades for lobsters, and pulled in over 400 of them by the time I called it a day at noon.

I was sick from the waves and heat but it was a really fun morning. Lobster diving is hard work! Check out my photo of a flying lobster.

What Belize would like to promote

Ambergris Caye is the closest castoff point to the world famous Great Blue Hole diving site.

The boat ride out there is a rough three-hour crossing through open water. Once actually at the Blue Hole, as a snorkeler, I got to see baby reef sharks and interesting coral, but I was more impressed with the other dive stops after Blue Hole. However, the divers on the trip absolutely loved it and saw 15ft reef sharks.

I’m glad I had the opportunity to go, and the dive shop who took me, Amigos Del Mar, was incredibly fun, well-run, and professional. Think cold snicker bars post-dive.

Check out more of my tips on snorkeling in Belize.

What Belize would like to forget

San Pedro used to have a problem with young boys feeding frozen chicken to crocodiles as a way to impress tourists and earn money. Eventually, the crocodiles began to associate humans with food and became a threat. Locals started to shoot the endangered crocodiles and a viscous cycle began.

Then came ACES, the American Crocodile Education Sanctuary. ACES captures “problem” crocs, measures and tags them, and relocates them farther from San Pedro. They also run community awareness programs.

ACES allows visitors to come with them to find and tag crocodiles. I went twice, and it was an unforgettable experience. Contact ACES directly to schedule your own adventure.