Travel Log: Ambergris Caye, Belize

Winter in Seattle is gloomy and grey with lots of rain (sometimes snow), so many PNW residents plan warm weather vacations as a reprieve. This year, my girlfriends and I planned a long weekend in Belize for the second year in a row, but this time we decided to visit one of the islands: Ambergris Caye. Belize winter temperatures fall in the mid 70's to low 80's, which felt perfect for a sun-deprived Seattle-ite like me. Packing spring outfits as well as swimsuits and sandals for this trip brought me so much joy, as did getting a fresh mani pedi with bright spring colors! We planned an itinerary that included a few island musts, but also left us plenty of time to relax. Please read on for more photos and details of our long weekend on Belize's largest island, Ambergris Caye.

Traveling to Belize from Seattle requires a bit of time, but really isn't too bad. There are no direct flights, but you can connect through Houston (United), Dallas (American), or Atlanta (Delta) to Belize City and the total trip should be ~10 hours including a layover. From Belize City, you can take a 15 minute flight on a small prop plane from one of two airlines (Maya Island Air or Tropic Air) to reach Ambergris Caye or a 90 minute ferry. I chose the plane, which was a bit more expensive but landed me on the island much faster. The view from the plane was incredible--that blue green water!

I landed in Ambergris Caye Friday afternoon around 1pm, met up with my girlfriends who were already there, and had some time to relax before our scheduled sunset cruise. Catching sunset from a catamaran is always pretty, but in Belize it was exceptionally gorgeous with crystal clear water, warm temperatures, and of course great company. 

Golf carts are the best way to get around the island, and on Saturday morning we jumped in our rented chariot and drove out to Secret Beach. I'm not sure why they call it Secret Beach, because it is certainly not a secret with a variety of beach bars and restaurants, but the area is beautiful. Secret Beach has shallow water hundreds of yards out, making it an ideal place for swimming, paddle boarding, or just floating in the sunshine. We drove out fairly early in the morning to claim good spaces at the beach bars and maximize our time in the warm water and sunshine. I absolutely loved our relaxing day at the beach!

Beautiful sunsets abound in Belize, and we enjoyed several on Ambergris Caye! Saturday evening offered another amazing opportunity to enjoy the evening light and take photos before dinner.

Belize is well known for its barrier reef, the second largest in the world after Australia's Great Barrier Reef. If you dive, this is definitely a place for you. My girlfriends and I don't dive, so we did a snorkel tour on Sunday morning and it was incredible to explore the protected reef. We saw so many different types of sea creatures: two sea turtles, three types of rays (eagle, manta, sting), nurse sharks, so many different types of fish, and all types of coral (but the brain coral was the coolest). The water was so clean, and everyone was very conscious of keeping it that way. Our snorkel guides told us that the only thing we were allowed to touch was garbage--if we saw any, to grab it or point it out to them. I appreciated that although there were a number of snorkel tours in the same area that morning, everyone managed to find their own space and it didn't feel too crowded. I definitely recommend getting out on the reef when you visit Belize!

After an adventurous morning snorkeling, we took some time to chill before walking to dinner. There are so many amazing things I can say about Belize, but I really love the chill island vibe that forces you into vacation mode. We accidentally ended up walking almost an hour to dinner, but we were having such a great time chatting that we didn't really notice! The restaurant had some hammocks and swings, so I definitely had to take advantage of the photo opportunity.

Ambergris Caye has so many photogenic spots, and we made sure to leave plenty of time in our weekend to explore and take photos. I mean, I wouldn't be a good Instagrammer if I didn't take a bunch of photos...

I can't say enough good things about Belize. This was our second visit to the country, and I'm leaning toward making Belize an annual girls' trip! We loved the beautiful white sand beaches, clear blue green water, chill vibes, and friendly people. Have you been to Belize? If so, leave me a comment and let me know about your visit. Thank you for visiting my blog today, and I hope you have a great rest of your week!