Just online looking at the ways of traveling from Cancun to Belize in mid-Spetember. We will be in Cancun for 3 nights, leaving on a Satruday morning for Ambergis Caye, and returning back to Cancun on Tuesday to catch a flight back to the States. What would be the fastest way to get to Ambergis Caye (San Pedro) from Cancun? I am not much on sitting on a bus for hours and hours, but would like some suggestions on how to get there. Thanks!

The fastest way is by flight. Maya Island Air fly between Cancun and Belize City, then get a flight to Ambergris.
Maya Island Air, http://www.mayaregional.com/

If you do decide in favour of the 5.5 hour bus trip to Chetumal, there is a daily water taxi from Chetumal to Ambergris.

More information about the buses & water taxis are on my BelizeBus site: http://belizebus.wordpress.com/

Thanks so much for the information. Did not realize that the ride was 5.5 hours. Have you been on this tour before? I was thinking that we might take the bus trip down there, but fly back. Thoughts? And if there is anything else about these destinations I should know about, please let me know!

Hi Carli,

A good idea to fly one way and bus the other way.

I've done the bus trip both ways. The Mexican ADO buses are excellent - reclining seats, a/c, toilet, video. The a/c always seems to be set to "freeze" so you might want to wear long pants and have a long sleeved shirt to put on in case you get cold.

I do the trip by bus so that I can spend time in Chetumal, Tulum & Playa del Carmen, or wherever else I feel like going.

There is an airport shuttle bus operating between the Cancun airport and Playa del Carmen, and there's an airport bus that departs from Chetumal (goes direct to Cancun airport, but it departs around midnight -- check the ticketbus site for schedule).

I'd recommend the water taxi between Chetumal & Ambergris because you might not like riding the old buses in Belize.

Playa del Carmen is very touristy; Chetumal is not very touristy (that's why I like it). Tulum has a great beach. Any guide book should give you more information.

Was on the mayaregional website looking at Cancun to Belize City. Are those prices in US dollars?

Yes, they are all in USD

I was wondering if those prices were sent in stone or not. I have never been to Belize, so this would be my first time traveling from country to country. On another note, does anyone have the name of the ship that goes from the Chetumal to Ambergis Caye? Since I am not sure of all of the prices, I am thinking that my friends and I would drive to Chetumal, than take the boat to San Pedro (how far is that trip?)


Carli

Sometimes the airlines have specials.

There are two water taxi companies providing service between Ambergris Caye and Chetumal:

a) San Pedro Water Jets International:
http://www.sanpedrowatertaxi.com/index.html

b) San Pedro – Belize Express:
http://sanpedrobelizeexpress.com/index.html

Trip time: 90 minutes.
Fare: US$30 one way, US$55 round trip.

Despite what their websites state, this is the information I have received directly from the water taxi companies.

When daylight saving is in effect in Mexico, SP Water Jets departs Chetumal at 3:30 pm Mexico time (2:30 pm Belize time), and SP-B Express departs Chetumal at 4:30 pm Mexico time (3:30 pm Belize time).

In Chetumal, water taxis use the main pier, “Muelle Fiscal”, which is close to the big Government building, “Palacio Gobierno”, at the waterfront. Both companies have offices at the pier.

Check the information on my BelizeBus site because there is a map of Chetmal showing the location of the pier:
http://belizebus.wordpress.com/

Carli, With only 3 days, leave Cancun on Sat. and a return for a flight out of Cancun on Tues. the only practical way you will make that on a short run is by air. You need to extend your trip for a few days and enjoy AC because even by air it will not give you much time. Good luck.

Get the bus and boat schedules and put down a time line on paper. It is tighter than I would like. By bus/boat it would be tight getting to SP Sat. night but maybe you could do it. If you miss the boat, there is not another till the next day. You would have to leave SP on early Monday morning for a mid day flight out of Cancun on Tuesday. Lot of traveling for possibly 1 day in SP. The contrast between Cancun and SP is like day and night. Come on down to San Pedro and spend some time that you may never forget. Again good luck.

If you do that, once you get to San Pedro you will wish you had spent the whole time there instead of Cancun.