There is no direct flight to Secret Beach. You fly into Belize City, then take either a fifteen-to-twenty-minute hop in a small plane or about an hour and a half on a fast boat.
- Step oneFly into Philip S.W. Goldson International (BZE), outside Belize City. Nearly every visitor lands here.
- Step twoDomestic flight to San Pedro (SPR) from the same airport, about fifteen to twenty minutes. Or a taxi into town and the ferry, roughly an hour and a half. Or a private boat charter.
- Step threeNorth up the island to Secret Beach, about forty minutes from the airstrip. Everaldo drives it.
Landing at BZE
The airport is about ten miles north-west of Belize City, near Ladyville, with one terminal and one baggage belt. Direct flights come from a spread of US and Canadian gateways, and most North American arrivals land between late morning and mid-afternoon. Allow most of an hour from landing to walking out with your bags. Immigration is straightforward; customs can take longer if you are carrying anything unusual.
Late arrivals are fine. The domestic airlines fly to San Pedro into the evening, and a private boat charter covers anything later. Send us your flight number rather than the arrival time you hope for. We watch the inbound and adjust the transfer.
The domestic flight
Tropic Air and Maya Island Air fly BZE to San Pedro in about fifteen to twenty minutes, several times an hour through the day and into the evening. The domestic terminal is a short walk from international arrivals, so you don't leave the airport. The planes are turboprops seating up to thirteen, and they fly low enough over the lagoon to see the reef and the cayes.
Large bags are fine. Full-size suitcases go in the hold. There is a weight allowance, so bags are weighed at check-in. The flight skips the taxi into the city, which matters most on a departure morning with an international connection, and it can have you at the villa within ninety minutes of clearing customs.
The ferry
San Pedro Belize Express and Caribbean Sprinter run scheduled ferries, locally called water taxis, from Belize City to Caye Caulker and San Pedro every day. Their terminals are a couple of blocks apart on the same downtown street and the schedules are similar, so take whichever leaves next.
Belize City to Caye Caulker takes about forty-five minutes. Belize City to San Pedro takes about an hour and a half, including the Caye Caulker stop, where loading takes a quarter of an hour. Caye Caulker to San Pedro is about thirty minutes. San Pedro Belize Express runs eight sailings a day each way, leaving Belize City from morning until late afternoon, and the first boat back from San Pedro leaves early enough for most international connections.
The boats are fast, covered and busy, with a bathroom on the larger ones and luggage stacked under a tarp at the bow. On a calm day it's a pleasant ride. On a rough day it's a long ninety minutes, so if you get seasick, take something before you board.
A private boat
Private charters run from Belize City to the islands on your schedule. They cost more than a ferry seat and you still need the road transfer to the water, but they suit a large group, heavy luggage, an awkward arrival time or a missed last sailing. At the island end, a private boat can also take you from San Pedro to the villa's own dock, so the last leg is a lagoon crossing instead of a drive. It's worth asking about with a lot of luggage or small children. Delma and Everaldo arrange both.
San Pedro to Secret Beach
However you come, you arrive in San Pedro, and the villa isn't in town. Secret Beach is on the west-facing side of the island, well north of the bridge, about forty minutes from the airstrip. Everaldo, our caretaker and concierge, meets guests and drives it, so send your flight details ahead. There is also a ferry from San Pedro across the lagoon to Secret Beach, which we meet at the drop-off; it runs to its own schedule. Most guests prefer the private boat to the villa dock once they know about it. Allow the same forty minutes on departure, plus margin.
From Mexico or elsewhere in Belize
A scheduled international water taxi runs between Chetumal, Mexico and San Pedro on set days of the week, with a mandatory check-in window and border formalities at both ends. It suits a trip that already includes the Yucatán; don't improvise it on arrival day. Within Belize, the domestic airlines link San Pedro with Belize City Municipal, Caye Caulker, Corozal, Placencia, Dangriga and Punta Gorda, which makes a mainland day trip easy (see our four-day itinerary). Ferries also run between Corozal and the islands, stopping at Sarteneja.
Practical notes
Book a golf cart before you arrive. You don't need a car, but carts get booked up and the companies need notice. We send guests to MTK Golf Cart Rental, who deliver and collect, including at the airstrip. Give us your dates and we'll arrange it.
US dollars are accepted everywhere at a fixed two Belize dollars to one. Prices are quoted in both, so ask which currency before you pay, and carry small bills for taxis and boat porters.
Apple Pay is widely accepted by San Pedro restaurants, shops and tour operators and by the ferry operators, but rarely at small stalls and beach bars. Cash always works.
English is the official language. You'll also hear Kriol and Spanish.
Plan departure day carefully. Work back from international check-in through the transfer and the forty minutes from Secret Beach. If you're taking the boat back to the city for a flight, leave an hour and a half between the boat docking and check-in.
Which to take
- The planeShort on time, small children, prone to seasickness, a rough sea, or an international connection on departure day.
- The ferryYou like arriving by sea, or you're stopping at Caye Caulker anyway. Add the road transfer to your timing.
- A private boatLarge group, heavy luggage, an awkward arrival time, or a run straight to the villa dock.
Send us your flight numbers when you book and we'll arrange the rest. Our guest guide covers what happens once you arrive.
Common questions
Is there an airport on Ambergris Caye?
Only the domestic airstrip in San Pedro (SPR). International flights land at BZE near Belize City, and you connect from there.
Can you take large bags on the small planes to San Pedro?
Yes. Suitcases travel in the hold and are weighed at check-in against a weight allowance.
Is Apple Pay accepted in Belize?
Widely in San Pedro, but not at most small stalls and beach bars. Carry some US dollars as a fallback.
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A private beachfront villa on Secret Beach, Ambergris Caye, with your arrival arranged for you.
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