The trip to and from town can be a fun adventure; remember that roads in Belize and especially on the island are not what you are used to; between your accommodations & town the route involves hard sand packed road as well as road made of cobbled pavers with several speed bumps en route. (The road is paved in town and for 2 miles heading south from town it’s cobbled pavers with speed bumps; from then on it is hard packed sand.) But who needs to go fast when you’re on La Isla Bonita?
Here are your options:
Cabs You’ll want to be met on arrival at either the San Pedro airport or scheduled water taxi dock by our recommended cab driver, who has a van that can fit up to 6 passengers plus luggage (& can bring a colleague with another van if your group is larger!). You can always call for a cab ride throughout your stay of course also.
Golf carts are the #1 way tourists get around the island (it’s not possible to rent a car). Carts can be either 4 or 6 person & we would be happy to reserve one (or more!) for you. The cart(s) are often delivered to and picked up from your accommodations for the period of your rental, as that can be easier than getting the cart at the airport or water taxi dock & juggling luggage in the cart between town & your accommodations.
There are daily rates that go down the longer you rent a cart; for example it might be US$75 for one day for a 4 person cart but US$320 for the week. The carts run on gas (US$6.80/gallon as of October 2022); there are a couple of gas stations on the island & you will pass Caribeña Fuels on the main road as you travel between your accommodations and town. Drivers must be 18 years or older & carry a valid license while driving the cart. There are periodic checkpoints so do not plan to put more people in a cart than it is made for and be sure to carry your license. Traffic rules are the same in general as driving a car, ie stop at stop signs, no drinking & driving, use headlights at night, etc.
Note there are no infant/child car seats available; please bring one if you would like to have one.
Lock carts when not in use so no one takes your cart by accident; many golf carts look alike and ignition keys are all the same.
Bicycle Get your exercise in and ‘go slow’ in the process! Single speed beach cruisers are what you’ll see on the island; many people bike on the beach as well as the roads. Some accommodations offer complimentary bikes for daytime riding. Bike rentals are also available at Bakkatown Belize, plus in December 2022 Sun Cycles opened for ebike rentals.
Walking is a great way to get around & enjoy the views! Stay on or by the beach if you can to benefit from the breeze; note that not all parts of the beach are groomed so wear appropriate footwear in case you need to step over some ‘tricky bits’.
Boat If you are going on an excursion, in most cases you will be picked up/dropped off at your dock. If you want to go to Caye Caulker for the day, you can do so via excursion or by the public scheduled water taxi (the latter is a ~25 minute trip each way on Ocean Ferry/Caribbean Sprinter or San Pedro/Belize Express).
There is no ‘on demand’ water taxi service on the island (unless you want to charter a boat).