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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Easy Guide to Ambergris Caye, Belize<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

                                  [On-line TEXT version]

Ambergris Caye is the most-popular tourist destination in Belize,
and for many it's the perfect choice for a laid-back tropical trip.

By LAN SLUDER

Editor and Publisher of Belize First Magazine. Copyright 1993-1994.  All
rights reserved under U.S. and international copyright conventions.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Although fairly developed by Belize standards, Ambergris Caye
(pronounced Am-BER-Gris Key) is a world away from the high rises of
Cancun or the timeshares of Cozumel.

Ambergris is an island off the coast of Belize, just south of Mexico, in the
Caribbean Sea.   The only town, San Pedro,  is small, with 2,000 residents,
sleepy around the edges, and prosperous in a Belizean way.

Your arrival on Ambergris will tell you a lot about the kind of island this
is.  You can come by boat from Belize City (US$10 one way).   Most visitors
fly, either from Belize's international (US$35 one way) or municipal
airport (a bit less.)   Flights are frequent.  Ask your hotel to make
reservations for you.

Your Island Air or Tropic Air flight lands at the San Pedro airstrip,maybe
after a brief stop on Caye Caulker's unpaved runway.  You look around.
You're at the edge of San Pedro. Terminal?  What's that?  There are just
offices for the little commuter airlines.  The folks behind the counter and
the hangers-on are friendly but not pushy. There's no rush of  car rental or
hotel hustlers as you find on many Caribbean islands, even well-off ones
like Anguilla, and certainly no beggars, as in Haiti or the Dominican
Republic.

The streets are mostly sand.  There are only a few cars and pick-up
trucks, and some golf carts.  Houses and shops nearby are in one and two-
story wood frame houses, painted in island blues and pinks, many with tin
roofs, or in small Caribbean-concrete buildings.  Close by is a primary
school, Leny's Restaurant and the Sun Breeze Hotel.  If you walk into town,
on the "main" streets, Barrier Reef Drive or Pescador Drive, as they're
called now, you'll find this is no hurly-burly resort.  It's a real village,
with Belizeans going about their business, and highly relaxed visitors who
are happy they aren't in Florida.

Just next door to Barrier Reef Drive is the Caribbean Sea.  There are few
postcard-perfect stretches of white sand here, because the barrier reef
keeps the wave action from forming the kind of beaches you see in the
Yucatan.  But, out there, just a few hundred yards away,  in the
ridiculously turquoise sea, is the reef, rich with life and beauty.  A breeze
keeps things cooled down and the bugs away.

Ambergris is a place to kick back.  Put your watch away.  Settle in.  Grab a
Belikin for breakfast.   Have lunch at Elvi's or snack on some of the best
pizza south of Chicago at the Pizza Place at Fido's.  Walk and talk.  Maybe
tomorrow you'll get out to the reef, maybe tonight you'll have conch
fritters at Lily's or listen to some music at Tarzan's.  Or maybe you'll just
read that Travis McGee novel again.


WHERE TO STAY

The first thing you need to decide is whether you want to be in San Pedro
town, south of town or north of town.

Each location has pluses and minuses.

If you stay in town, you're close to what action there is -- restaurants,
bars, shops, docks.  You can walk most places and won't need to take a taxi
(a few dollars) or rent a golf cart (grossly overpriced at US$30 to $50 a
day).  The downside is that most of the in-town hotels are less luxe,
especially less so than the top places south of town.  Some can be noisy.
And, you're in a town, albeit a small one.

Stay south of town, and you're in San Pedro's "suburbs."  Several of the
nicest hotels are here, but you're a mile or two away from the attractions
of San Pedro.  Each of the areas has advantages.

North is a special situation.  You get here only by water taxi.  This
location is for people who really want to get away from it all.   Also,
because getting from your resort to San Pedro and back, especially after
dark, is a hassle, you'll probably find yourself eating only at your resort,
which -- regardless of how well-prepared the food -- doesn't give you a
chance to sample different restaurants and styles of cooking.

Altogether, Ambergris Caye has about 65 hotels with 900 hotel rooms.
The smallest have just one or two rooms, and the largest, Journey's End,
has 70 rooms.   The large majority of Ambergris hotels are owned and
operated by U.S. and Canadian citizens.  Only a few, such as Rubie's and the
San Pedrano, are owned by Belizeans.   Japanese investors are looking at
hotel properties here and recently bought one.

Here are some of our favorite and recommended hotels on the island, in
different price ranges.   Just because a hotel doesn't appear in this list
doesn't necessarily mean that we don't like it.  And NONE of the hotels
here is perfect by any means.

Note that package prices, when combined with air fare and other
amenities, may be a better deal than the regular rates shown here.

South of Town

VICTORIA HOUSE:  P.O. Box 22, San Pedro, tel. [phone], fax 501-26-
2429,   2 miles south of San Pedro, U.S. Address:  P.O. Box 20785, Houston,
TX  77225  Tel:  [phone],  fax:  [phone].

Victoria House is one of the most attractive and best-run resort hotels in
Belize.  The beautiful Eli Pearly and her architect husband, Don, who have
been managing the hotel since November 1992 (the previous manager was
there nine years) appear to do an excellent job in giving guests a ╥casual
luxury╙ experience.  The 26-room hotel on about 16 acres has
accommodations in a variety of buildings.  The original, 14-year-old
structure now houses the dining room and the least-expensive, non-air
conditioned units.  More deluxe air- conditioned units are in concrete
four-plexes,  two up and two down. They are airy and bright, with tile
floors and a comfortable bed and a small balcony with a sea view. There
are also thatched casitas and deluxe beach-front villas.

The hotel is on the sea,  with a pier, dive facilities (two-tank dive US$50)
and ╥human-assisted╙ beach dotted with hammocks and coconut palms.
Around the hotel buildings are bougainvillea, croton and other tropical
plants. As on most of Ambergris, swimming is not all that good off the
beach, due to the sea grass, but the hotel has removed the sea grass from
a small area at the end of the pier.  A comfortable and well-stocked
╥Nelson╒s Bar╙ is at hand, when you need it.  Drinks, especially local rum
and beers, are reasonably priced (US$1.50 for a rum and tonic.)

The restaurant is pretty good, although dinner often relies on Belizean-
style stewed dishes, served buffet-style.  Breakfasts are excellent,  at
US$10 for a full, made-to-order meal, $5 for fruit and fresh-made rolls.

The hotel has a small kitchen garden for some of its restaurant needs.
Across the road is a nature trail, currently in need of some upkeep.  A
swimming pool would be a welcome addition here.

On a recent stay, the off-season rate for a ╥deluxe air conditioned╙ room
was US$90 single, plus 6% government tax and 10% service.  Other summer
rates from US$68 to $128 single, $80 to $176 double.  There are also
deluxe, tastefully furnished two- and three-bedroom villas for sleeping
four to nine for $380 to $500 per night.  In-season rates are higher.  Dive
and fishing packages also available.  Meals are US$20 for dinner, $10 for
lunch or breakfast, and $5 for a continental breakfast.

CARIBBEAN VILLAS:  P. O. Box 71, San Pedro, 1 1/2 miles south of San
Pedro, tel. [phone], fax [phone].

These apartment-style units, built in 1991,  look very attractive.
Management is friendly and efficient.  No pool but two outdoor hot tubs,
pier, small beach area,  ╥people perch╙ for bird watching.  Suites have
fully equipped kitchens, verandas and attractive furnishings.  No
restaurant or bar.  For families or those wanting a do-it-yourself, quiet
vacation in a lovely setting, this is ideal.  Rates are excellent values on
Ambergris:  Summer rates are US$65 for a room to $145 for a deluxe suite
for six people;  winter rates $85 to $180.  Plus tax but no service charge.

BELIZE YACHT CLUB:   P.O. Box 1, San Pedro, 1 mile south of San Pedro.  tel.
501-26-2777, fax [phone], or call the UTELL reservation service, at
800-44-UTELL

Well-done suites in 12 four-plexes of Mexican-style design, on landscaped
grounds with beautiful swimming pool, completely equipped health club,
and pier.  Located south of San Pedro town, these units, built in 1991,
were sold as condominiums for US$190,000 to $230,000 (for one-half of
the four-plex) and are now managed for owners, who get 40% of the
revenue.  These suites are probably the nicest accommodations on
Ambergris.  Normal summer rate is US$125, but specials are available for
$99, or $198 for a double (up and down) suite, plus tax.  No restaurant on
premises, and management is perhaps not as friendly as as some other
hotels.   Higher rates in the winter.

MATA ROCKS is recommended as a good value south -- studio apartments
and a pleasant atmosphere.  501-26-2336, or 800-288-8646.

In San Pedro

SPINDRIFT HOTEL:  Phone [phone] or 800-327-1939,  fax 501-26-
2251. Attractive, centrally located and popular hotel, constructed of
reinforced concrete on the water in San Pedro.  Basic economy rooms are
US$47.50 double, with nicer beach-front rooms $82.50 plus tax and 5%
service.  Good Italian restaurant, Mary Ellen╒s, on premises.  On
Wednesdays, the Spindrift is home of the famous Chicken Drop.

RAMON╒S VILLAGE:  Tel. [phone], fax [phone], U.S. number 601-
649-1990 or 800-MAGIC-15.   One of the best-known and most-popular
hotels on Ambergris, at the edge of San Pedro, often recommended by
travel agents.  Ramon╒s has grown to about 60 thatched-roof units with a
pool and pleasant, small beach.  Newer, more-expensive units on the water
are attractive;  some of the older units with fans can be hot and look a bit
tired.  Attractive restaurant and bar, with appeal to a younger, active
crowd.    Full dive and fishing facilities.  Rates US$105 to $225, perhaps a
little higher than they should be.

BARRIER REEF HOTEL:   Tel. [phone], fax [phone].  "Authentic,"
island-style frame building in the heart of downtown San Pedro.  Fairly
basic but clean rooms.  One of the better in-town values. Normally US$48
single, $65 double, but ask for the special summer rate of as low as $30
single.  Pleasant restaurant.   PARADISE VILLAS:  Tel. [phone], fax
501-26-2249.  Three-year-old condos in two-story duplexes.  Nice
landscaping and fresh-water pool.   Like the Belize Yacht Club, these units
are mostly owned by North Americans, and on-island management rents
them to visitors.  Good, upscale in-town choice.  About US$125.

PARADISE HOTEL:    Tel. [phone].  (Don't confuse this with the
Paradise Condos or Paradise Villas).  Older, well-known resort, on a
decent in-town sandy beach, now owned by a Japanese group.  Casual
ambiance, with both thatched huts and other rooms.   Popular restaurant.

SUNBREEZE:  Tel. [phone], fax [phone]. Large, very nice rooms
with phones and TV and, a rarity for San Pedro,  good A/C,  but hotel is
near airstrip, so there╒s some noise,  and things are a bit slow around the
desk.  Public areas are often dead and not as spiffy as they could be.
Prices:  US$75 single to $110 double in summer, $90 to $145 winter, plus
tax and 5% service.

RUBIE╒S:  Tel.  [phone], fax [phone]. Good choice in a budget,
Belizean-owned and managed hotel.  On the waterfront in San Pedro.
Known as having excellent guides for fishing.  Very basic rooms sharing
baths from US$12.50, nicer but still basic rooms with a sea view, from
US$25.

Among other places to consider in and near San Pedro town is the Mayan
Princess (nice condo units, formerly the Ambergris Lodge).  The San Pedro
Holiday Hotel and the Seven Seas Hotel are also pleasant.  Martha's and San
Pedrano Hotel are two popular budget spots.  North of Town

CAPTAIN MORGAN'S:  Tel. [phone], fax [phone].  Captain
Morgan's has 21 thatched casitas and a pool.  We get mostly positive
reports on this resort, although not everyone likes the by-water-only
access here.  Very expensive, at around US$160 per person including all
meals.  Packages and off-season discounts available from Magnum Belize
and other U.S.-based agencies.

Other places north include Journey's End, which bills itself as having
appeared on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Green Parrot, a moderately
priced spot,  and El Pescador, a fishing resort.

DINING

One does not come to Belize for gourmet dining, and prices are higher for
meals here than anywhere else in Central America.   But the seafood is
fresh, and in many cases the meals are tasty, if not innovative.  The
following restaurants offer good food and in many cases attractive
settings.  All are in San Pedro town.

Elvi╒s Kitchen:   Not as laid back as some of the other restaurants, but the
food is good, and the setting is interesting -- the "renovation" has
maintained the sand floor and the tree growing in the middle of the dining
room.  Moderate.

Mary Ellen╒s Little Italian:  Run by an expat lawyer.  Good Italian and local
dishes.  Moderate.

Pizza Place:  Some of the best pizza south of Chicago.  Inexpensive.

The Palm:  At the Paradise Hotel.  Nautical atmosphere, decent food.

Jade Garden:  This little restaurant sits on stilts south of town.  Basic
Cantonese, but pretty good.

Celi╒s:  Dependable, moderately priced seafood and other dishes, near the
Holiday Hotel.

Leny╒s:  Near the airport.  Simple, inexpensive Belizean dishes.

BOOZE & CLUBS

Big Daddy's across from the Barrier Reef Hotel attracts locals and
tourists.  Tarzan's nearby is another disco.  The Tackle Box is another spot.
Note that a local couple, an internationally known garden writer and her
retired Brit armed forces husband, were murdered in February 1994 after
a long night of clubbing in San Pedro.   While crime on San Pedro is not the
constant problem it is in some places in Central America, and most
visitors will feel entirely safe, don't drop your guard too far.  Bad things
do happen to good people, even in paradise.

Since the murder in February, reports are that crime prevention steps --
put in place by local citizen groups and the government -- are working,
and that crime is down significantly.




RELAX!

The main thing to do on Ambergris is to kick back and relax.

If you want to dive, most of the hotels can arrange it.  Among the better
known dive companies are Fantasea Watersports at Victoria House, Out
Island Divers near the Spindrift Hotel and Indigo Belize, which operates
the M/V Manta IV diving boat.  Two-tank  dives are around US$50.

For snorkeling, either just on the reef (a few hundred yards offshore) or at
the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, check with your hotel.  Hustler Tours, Island
Adventures, and the operators at the Tackle Box and at Rubie's do
snorkeling trips.  Expect to pay around US$10 to $15, plus a $3 entrance
fee to the marine park,  for a part-day snorkeling trip to Hol Chan, or $35+
for a full-day excursion.

Day and overnight trips, via local air hoppers, are available to Tikal, the
incredible Mayan city in the Peten jungle.  Trips can also be arranged to
the wonderful Maya sites in Belize, including Caracol (physically larger
than Tikal), Lamanai, Altun Ha, Xunantunich and others.


PRACTICAL MATTERS

Here is information on traveling to and living on Ambergris or elsewhere
in Belize:

Official Language:  English, but with increasing legal and illegal
immigration from other Central America countries, Spanish is becoming a
first language in several areas.  San Pedro natives speak Spanish among
themselves, but virtually all are fluent in English.  Some Belizeans use a
Creole patois which is not easy for outsiders to understand.  Maya
dialects, Garifuna and German are spoken in some areas of Belize.  Many
Belizeans are bi- or tri-lingual.

Time:  Same as US Central Standard Time (Greenwich Mean Time minus 6).
Daylight Savings Time is not observed.

Entry Requirements:  Valid passport required for everyone.  Birth
certificates will NOT suffice.  Visitors from the U.S., Canada and most
other countries do NOT need visas.  Entry is normally for 30 days, with
extensions up to a total of six months possible.

Telephone:  The Belize telephone system is one of the best in the region.
International calls are expensive -- about US$1.60 per minute for direct
dialed calls to North America.  To call Belize from the U.S. or Canada, dial
011-501 and the local number.  You should drop the first 0 in the local
number.

Electricity:  Same as in the U.S. and Canada, 110 volts AC.  You can plug in
your U.S.-made appliances in most areas with no problem.   Isolated caye
and jungle resorts may have their own generators putting out DC.

Currency:  Belizean dollar, fixed at 2 Belize dollars to 1 U.S. dollar.
Belizean dollars are usually abbreviated BZE$ or BZ$, but be sure which
dollar you are talking about.   You can exchange money at banks, and a bank
currency exchange office is located the international airport in Belize
City.  The US dollar is widely accepted, and many U.S. travelers do not
exchange money.

Weather:  Belize has a mostly sub-tropical climate, somewhat similar in
temperature to that of Central and South Florida.  Temperatures
nationwide are typically in the high 60s to mid-90s F, cooler in the
mountains.

Winter on Ambergris means mostly delightful weather, with an occasional
cool wave from the north keeping visitors out of the water.  The summer
can be hot, but prevailing winds from the sea generally keep things cool
and the mosquitos and no-see-ums at bay.   In most cases, rain storms,
when they happen, are intense but brief.  Hurricanes are a potential threat
from July to November, but severe hurricanes have hit Belize only about
once every two decades.  International Airlines Serving Belize:  American,
Continental and TACA and all fly to Belize from the U.S., with gateways
including Miami, New Orleans, Houston, Washington,  San Francisco, and
Los Angeles.  Lowest fares range from around $300 to $700 round-trip,
depending on gateway and time of year.  Aviateca, Aerovias, Taesa and
AreoBelize provide service from Guatemala and Mexico.  Charters fly from
Toronto and several large U.S. cities, especially in the winter.  Several
small airlines including Island Air, Tropic Air and Maya Airways provide
internal service.

Health:  The water is safe to drink in most areas, including Ambergris
Caye. The standard of health care and hygiene is among the highest in the
region, though not up to U.S. standards. Some hotels provide bottled water
because their water is from wells where the water may be salty or have a
high mineral content.

No inoculations are required for entry.  Anti-malarial treatment is advised
if you are spending time in the jungle, especially in the south.  Mefloquine
(trade name Larium) is often prescribed.  Hepatitis A and B inoculations
are also sometimes advised for long-term stays outside the main areas.
Tetanus, diphtheria and typhoid immunizations may also be advisable.  Ask
your health professional, but most visitors to Ambergris take no
precautions or medication.  Few if any Ambergris visitors become ill,
unlike in Mexico and most other Central American countries except Costa
Rica.

Investment Opportunities:  Belize is becoming an off-shore tax haven.
100% foreign ownership of Belize companies is permitted, although the
government encourages Belizean participation.  Tax abatements and
holidays are available.  Investment is especially sought in agriculture.
Products must be exportable, as the home market is small. There are also
opportunities in tourism.

The International Business Company (IBC) Act of 1990 and the Trust Act
of 1992 were passed, in part, to increase foreign investment in Belize.
These laws are supposed to protect investments in Belize from either
appropriation or taxation.  IBCs do not pay income taxes and do not file
income or dividend statements with Belize or other governments.
Shareholders are not identified.

The legal system of Belize, like that of the U.S, derives from English
common law, where innocence is presumed, rather than the system
common elsewhere in Latin America, including Mexico, where you are
presumed guilty and may be jailed pending proof that you are not.

Drugs:  Grass is fairly common in Belize, and in fact it is one of the
country's leading export products.  Quite a few Belizeans indulge.  This
doesn't mean that visitors can smoke openly.  In fact, frequently hotel
owners and others in the tourism industry turn in visitors using smoking
Breeze.  The person who sells the dope may also turn in his or her
customers.  Usually,  the unlucky visitor will get away with a fine, or
perhaps a bribe to underpaid local police, but you REALLY don't want to
spend your vacation dealing with the Belize legal and jail systems.

Sadly, harder drugs have become available on Ambergris.  Until recently,
there were several crack houses which seemingly operated without much
fear of being busted.  Police raids were always tipped off in advance.
However, after the murder of the expat couple in February 1994, just
south of San Pedro town,  the San Pedro police department was beefed up
and cleaned up, and there appears to be more effort to control crack and
other highly addictive hard drugs.

Purchasing Property:  Non-Belizeans CAN buy property in Belize.
Purchases of 10 acres or less outside cities or one-half acre or less
within cities requires no special approval.   There is a land transfer tax of
8% for non-Belizeans and 5% for Belizeans, typically paid by the
purchaser.  Attorneys fees and other closing costs runs to several percent
of the sales prices.  Property taxes are 1 to 1.5% of value annually, higher
in cities.   There is NO capital gains tax.  You should work with a
knowledgeable attorney or other adviser in Belize to assure that title and
other papers are sound.

Caribbean-view lots on Ambergris start at around US$10,000, with the
better lots MUCH more expensive.  Houses appealing to North Americans
start at around US$75,000.  Luxury condos, as at Paradise Villas and
Belize Yacht Club, go for close to US$200,000.

Here are two well-known real estate firms on Ambergris.

Southwind Properties, P.O. Box 1, San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize, C.A.
Tel.  [phone], fax [phone].

Langdon Supply Ltd., P.O. Box 15, San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize, C.A.
Tel. [phone], fax [phone].

Requirements for Residency:   About one-half of the more than 2,000
residents of Ambergris are North Americans, and most of the hotels and
tourism businesses are owned and controlled by U.S. and Canadian citizens.
Belize needs new residents with skills and cash.  The country "welcomes
immigrants who are in a position to come here and establish themselves
without government assistance for ... agricultural purposes, either on a
small holding or a plantation basis, industrial development or sponsored
employment by established commercial organizations" says the Belize
Immigration and Nationality Service.  Immigrants must have a medical
exam, provide evidence of good character through police reports for all
places of residence since age 16, and show evidence that funds are
available to finance the proposed undertaking.  Foreign nationals wanting
only to open a shop, store or restaurant are not likely to be approved.

Some expats avoid red tape by living in Belize as tourists for up to six
months, then leaving briefly and returning for another six months.

For More Information

For tourism information, contact the Belize Tourist Board at 415 Seventh
Avenue, New York, NY 10001, tel. [phone] or 212-268-8798, for in
Belize City at 83 North Front Street, P.O. Box 325, Belize City, Belize,
Central America, tel. [phone], fax [phone].  For information on
residency and investment, contact the Belize Embassy, 2535
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC  20008, tel. [phone], fax
202-332-6741, although due to lack of staffing many requests go
unanswered.

The weekly newspaper on Ambergris is the San Pedro Sun.  Subscriptions
mailed to the U.S. and Canada are US$80 a year, higher in other countries.



* * *

This information has been provided by Lan Sluder, publisher of Belize First
Magazine, the quarterly,  ad-free, independent guide to travel, life and
retirement in Belize and the beautiful Caribbean Coast of Mexico and
Central America.

A FREE sample copy of a recent issue of Belize First is available by
sending your snail-mail address to LAN SLUDER on AOL,   76357,147 on
CompuServe, or [e-mail] on the Internet.  Or contact
Belize First, 280 Beaverdam Road, Candler, NC  28715  USA.  Fax 704-
667-1717.

A full year's subscription to Belize First is $24, including four quarterly
issues, an annual "Best of the Caribbean Coast" guide, and a FREE color map
to Belize by ITMP in Vancouver, Canada, the best available road and
general map to Belize.