Best Way to Get to San Pedro, Belize: Flight vs Ferry
I am a participant in affiliate programs, so basically I earn a small commission if you use any of the affiliate links on this post - at no extra cost to you! Dope right?
Before we touch on how to get to San Pedro, where even is this destination??
The beautiful country of Belize is known for their incredible outdoor activities. From traversing the jungle to visit Maya temples to diving head first into the world’s largest living barrier reef, and so many more excursions in-between, it’s hard to nail down one specific best thing to do in Belize.
But chances are, if you’re leaning more towards the water side, you’ll be heading over to one of the many islands off the coast of Belize. From there, you’ll be closest to all the best snorkeling, diving, and beach-lounging spots in the country.
For my first trip to Belize, I decided to hop over to Ambergris Caye and stay in the small town of San Pedro. Mostly because I wanted to stay at the Mahogany Bay Resort and use up my Hilton resort credits before they expired. But also I’d heard good things about it. There was just one question.
How was I supposed to get to San Pedro?
Since San Pedro is on an island and the international airport, Philip Goldson International Airport (BZE), is on the mainland in Belize City…there’s quite a bit of water in-between. As mentioned in the title, there are two primary ways to get to San Pedro, Belize. You can either take a short domestic flight or a water taxi.
Depending on your itinerary and budget, one option may be a better fit for you. I actually ended up doing both, taking a flight to get to San Pedro and then taking the ferry on the way back. For me, there was definitely one that worked better for me, but I’m going to give you an unbiased overview of what to expect for each.
Let’s get into how to get to San Pedro!
Table of Contents
Taking a Flight
- cost: ~100 USD one way per person
- duration: ~15 minutes
The biggest pro to taking a flight to get to San Pedro (or any of the other nearby cayes) is that it is super fast, scenic*, and convenient. You depart from BZE so you can set off as soon as you land after going through customs. There are flights that leave pretty much every hour, so it fits pretty much every itinerary.
The biggest con…well, it’s expensive. I paid $107 USD (per person) for my flight to get to San Pedro. I was actually planning on taking the ferry at first because our flight from the US would be arriving at 6pm. Unfortunately, the last water taxi departs Belize City at about 5:40pm.
So…the only option to get to San Pedro was taking a flight.
There are two local airlines who do flights to the cayes: Tropic Air and Maya Island Air. I personally flew Tropic Air, but I don’t think there is much difference between the two. I bought my ticket in advance, which I highly recommend if you are taking one of the later flights just so they know to expect you. It was a quick 5 minute walk over to those terminals and it was all very casual.
Since many hotels in San Pedro offer complimentary pick up, the airline employees ask for your hotel when you get to the gate so they can call on your behalf so they know when to head over to the domestic airport in San Pedro. I thought that was a really nice touch.
The planes are small, so you board from the tarmac. They’ll also arrange your seating by your approximate size, so they’ll make sure the plane is balanced between front/back/left/right. Now, because we were flying over at around 7pm, it was completely dark and we didn’t get the scenic* view. But if you fly during the day, yes, it’s absolutely gorgeous and sometimes you can even see wildlife splashing in the turquoise blue water.
I will say that if you are an anxious flyer…taking a plane to get to San Pedro, Belize might have you clenching your knuckles WHITE. You feel everything, and we had quite a bit of wind – but nowhere near the worst our pilot has ever flown in! Again, these pilots fly dozens of these trips a day. They are very experienced and you are in good hands, but just a heads up.
There was one pitstop at Caye Caulker, where a few of the passengers hopped off, and then after a total of about 13 minutes, we arrived in San Pedro! Super fast, very easy, but…yeah, it was the most expensive flight I’d ever taken per minute basis.
Taking the Ferry
- cost: ~30-40 USD one way per person
- duration: ~90 minutes
Then, as I mentioned before, I took a water taxi on the way back to the mainland to catch my flight home out of BZE. But you can also take it to get to San Pedro as well! The biggest pro to this method is hands down the price. It is less than a third the cost of taking a flight. If you have a fear of flying, or specifically flying in small planes, then the water taxi option is hands down more chill.
The biggest con…well, it’s a heck of a lot longer at 1 hour and 30 minutes. There are multiple boats and taxis and “ferries” (in quotes because they are smaller than the ferries you may be imagining), but the two main local companies are San Pedro Belize Express and Caribbean Sprinter. Again, they have someone similar schedules but a bit off-set from each other, so I’d recommend going with whichever fits your itinerary best.
Since I hadn’t made up my mind on how I was going to get back to BZE, I waited until the day before my departure home and then went to the Caribbean Sprinter terminal in San Pedro to buy my ticket in person. Just know that technically, tickets are slightly more expensive ($5-10 USD) buying at the terminal than if you buy online, but I felt more comfortable talking it out with them and making sure it would fit for my itinerary.
Another con is that the water taxis are not attached to the BZE airport. Mind blowing, I know, but just factor in that you’ll need transportation between the terminal and the airport, adding another 20-30 minutes to your travel time and ~$30 USD for the ride. Caribbean Sprinter offered the service for $15 USD a person, so since it averaged to about the same price and we wouldn’t have to find a ride on our own, we chose that add-on service.
The water taxis are more like ferries to mee since there is a large interior that shields you from the wind and splashing. Since I get seasick easily, I was nervous about the journey but it was a lot smoother than I was expecting. Mostly up and down bouncing rather than side to side swooshing. It’s a commuter route, so the boat does get busy with residents going between the islands. There’s one or two pitstops, and you travel through a beautiful mangrove…but aside from that, the views are fine.
However, I will say the seats are HARD and not comfortable at all. Again, for the price, okay, but just a heads up.
Conclusion
Now for the grand conclusion…what is my preferred method to get to San Pedro, Belize? Well….hands down I would have to say taking a flight. For me, the convenience alone was worth the price. Basically door to door service, quick times, and (if you go during the day), stunning views.
If y’all know me, then you know I’m a curious cat, so I ended up taking the water taxi back because I wanted to know what it was like. Well, I found out haha. I’m not saying it was bad. In fact, quite the opposite, it was a great water taxi and for travelers on a budget, it’s the best way to get to San Pedro.
But since I was only in San Pedro for 5 days, for this trip specifically, the flight was the better option for me. Also, my butt was really sore after that water taxi ride hahah. It could be true that your methods to get to San Pedro may vary depending on your itinerary.
Let me know in the comments below though. What seems like the best way to get to San Pedro to you? Have you made the journey before? Let me know your experiene! And check out my other Belize posts to help you plan your trip!
Pin these Methods to Get to San Pedro, Belize
