Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
with fun nights like Throwback Thursdays, with tunes from
back in the day, plus Ladies' Night on Fridays, with drink
discounts for the gals.
Daily 11am-midnight.
Wahoo's Lounge
At the Spindrift Hotel
T
226 2002;
map p.95.
Formerly
Pier Lounge
, this relaxed bar
gets packed every Wednesday evening (6pm) for the
caye's famous “chicken drop”. It also hosts lively karaoke
on Sunday nights.
Daily noon-midnight (or until last
person leaves).
Wayos
On the beachfront, next to the Aqua Vista
Beachfront Suites; map p.95.
The perfect little beach bar
- and the perfect spot to meet locals, expats and the
popular owner himself, “Wayo from Cayo.” Knock back a
Belikin or five and enjoy the breezes off the Caribbean,
either at the cosy bar or the picnic tables on the sand.
Daily
noon-midnight (or when last person leaves).
SHOPS AND GALLERIES
San Pedro offers a range of retail opportunities, from
souvenir shops
spilling over with “Belize it or Not” T-shirts and
cheap magnets to
art galleries
with unique watercolours to
handicraft centres
with beautiful Belizean hardwoods
fashioned into everything from chopping boards to dolphins. There are a number of
supermarkets
around the island,
including Island Supermarket, on Coconut Drive at the southern end of town. Note that the small corner grocery markets
dotted around town will sometimes stock cheap souvenirs (dusty and tucked away on back shelves), such as miniature
bottles of rum, which are far cheaper than at the tourist shops.
3
Belizean Arts
Barrier Reef Drive
T
226 3019,
W
belizeanarts.com; map p.95.
The island's finest shop
for local art and handicrafts, including detailed
woodcarvings, oil paintings depicting daily life on the
cayes, watercolours of lush tropical landscapes, delicate
ceramics, handcrafted jewellery and more.
Mon-Sat
9am-10pm.
Belize Chocolate Company
Barrier Reef Drive
T
226
3015,
W
belizechocolatecompany.com; map p.95.
Artisan, microbatch “bean to bar” chocolate company
which uses fair-traded cacao (“kakaw” in Maya) beans from
farms in Southern Belize. This darling shop - the first of its
kind on Ambergris Caye - sells all sorts of chocolate treats,
including some flavoured with local fruits and in fun shapes
like dolphins.
Mon-Sat 9.30am-6.30pm
Graniel's Dreamland
Pescador Drive
T
226 2632,
W
granielsdreamlandbelize.com; map p.95.
Many
tourist shops have Belizean woodcarvings, but few offer
this kind of quality. Woodworker Armando Graniel has
been in the business for over 25 years, and here you'll find
his beautiful creations, from salad bowls and tongs to
chopping boards and wall hangings. Graniel also does
large-scale pieces, from cabinets to tables.
Mon-Sat
9am-noon, 1-5pm & 7-9pm, Sun 10am-noon
Wine de Vine
Coconut Drive, near Island Supermarket
T
226 3430; map p.95.
The island's best wine shop is
stocked with everything from French to Italian to Spanish
vintages, along with imported cheeses. It also hosts lively
“wine socials” where you can sip wine, gossip and sip more
wine.
Daily 9am-6pm.
DIRECTORY
Banks
San Pedro has several banks, including Belize Bank
and Atlantic Bank, both on the main strip of town, Barrier
Reef Drive.
Note that you needn't worry about changing
money on Ambergris Caye, as US dollars are accepted
everywhere, in both cash and travellers' cheques.
Post o
ce
The post o
ce is in the Alijua Building near the
middle of Barrier Reef Drive.
Police
The police station (
T
206 2022) is at the northern
end of Pescador Drive.
Hospitals
San Pedro has the only hyperbaric chamber
(
T
226 2851) in Belize, located behind the airstrip; your
dive operator will have all the details in case of emergency.
There are also several medical clinics, including the San
Carlos Medical Clinic (
T
226 2918) on Pescador Drive.
Caye Caulker
You'll see the sign “Go slow” throughout
CAYE CAULKER
, and after a day or two on the
island, that's exactly what you'll be doing. The beautiful, palm-clad island, which lies
south of Ambergris Caye and 22 miles northeast of Belize City, derives its name from a
local wild fruit, the
hicaco
, or coco plum. It's an island of lazy pleasures - soaking up
the sun by day, and drinking rum punch to reggae music by night. But while Caye
Caulker will probably always be on the Belize backpacker circuit, it now also attracts
families and more upmarket travellers. Accordingly, services have sprung up to cater to
them, including smart condos with sparkling pools which share the sandy lanes with
clapboard budget lodgings.
