AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums Talk Belize Travel Walk me through getting to SP by water taxi

The few people that come and visit and don't enjoy themselves, usually have a story that starts with some problem getting from BZ international to San Pedro via taxi and water taxi. Trust me.

Last year my plane was delayed by weather in Belize City. We circled for a while and went up to Cancun to wait for the weather. When we finally landed at about 6pm Tropic told us that they didn't fly after 5 pm. (We needed a flight down to Placencia). We had to stay at a motel not too far from the airport until morning. There where a few hundred of us in this predictament. Does Tropic fly after 5 pm ?

This is already posted somewhere on this board, and is a standard answer to incoming guests:

Yes, you can get here by water taxi. We generally suggest that guests take the plane to get here and the water taxi on the way back. Here's why: when you arrive at Belize International (which is in Ladyville), you must go through immigration before you get your bags and then customs. If you take the water taxi, once you find your bags, you must take them outside, hail a cab and have the cab take you to the Municipal Airport in Belize City. Make sure the taxi driver doesn't see you "buddying up" to another person who wants to share a taxi with you as they will only take those people truly "traveling together" for the $25 fare. There you get your bags, again, and take them to the pier where they are loaded onto the water taxi. The trip lasts about one hour and forty minutes. The water taxi can be very crowded. (see picture below), The boats are generally open without tarps. Once here, you have to get your bags again, and take them to another taxi. The taxi then takes you to your hotel. You can walk to your hotel, but even the best luggage doesn't roll well on sand streets. The cost of the taxi in Belize City is about $25 US. The water taxi fare to the island is $35.00 per person. The taxi in San Pedro can run anywhere from $3 US to $7 US depending on where you are staying. On top of that, you have been traveling all day and you have no control over the weather. A two hour boat ride in 75 degree weather, if overcast, feels very wet and cold. Depending on your arrival time into Belize International, you may not make the last water taxi, which leaves at 4:30. The last plane out of International for San Pedro leaves at 5:30, and you arrive in San Pedro at 5:55.

If you take the taxi when you leave, the costs are the same, but at least you are "fresh", i.e., you are doing the above in reverse, but haven't traveled all day, and you will almost always have the option of taking the plane if the weather is not excellent.

The plane trip over is $63.00 US, We can make the arrangements for you, add it to your bill. We only need to know the passengers' names as they appear on passports and your arrival time into Belize International. You will only have to retrieve your luggage at the International airport, find a porter who will load your luggage onto a plane for San Pedro. Once here, another porter will retrieve your luggage from the airstrip and a taxi driver will load onto your taxi for your hotel.

If there is anything else we can answer for you, let us know!


Water taxi from Belize City to San Pedro

"We generally suggest that guests take the plane to get here and the water taxi on the way back."

I would have thought the other way. Nothing like getting on a icy cold plane sunburned and covered in salt spray.

Forgot to add the numb bum factor.

Placencia doesn't have a lighted runway and the planes have to come back north for the night hence the problem with delayed flights to Placencia. San Pedro has a lighted runway and passengers will be flown (weather permitting and coming off an international flight arriving at BZE) until they have all arrived.

Thanks, there must have been something else happening that day because there were people in our group who wanted to go on to San Pedro. I have taken the water taxi many times and knew it was too late to go by water, so I let these people know. Normally, we go straight to SP but last year we decided to visit Placencia first, then go on to SP. It was all a minor inconvience and we all made the best of it and had a lot of laughs.

True Simon, (I did forget about the sunburn/salt concept!) but some people "think" they want the water taxi experience until they fly over when they arrive. 99% of the time, they ask to have their flight booked back over to International when they leave. Particularly when they realize how much of their last day is going to be taken up by the water taxi travel, to get them to the airport two hours prior to their departure.

Ok...I just checked ..and it's true, it's much cheaper to fly to SP from the muni airport...but how much is the taxi fare (2 people) from the international airport to the municipal one???

Hint: It's listed at least 5 times in this thread.

The Taxi fare from the internarional to the WATER TAXIS is in the thread---but not from international to MUNICIPAL AIRPORT as far as I can see???and I read it all twice before posting!!