AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye Golf Carts on the Beach

FYI - Golf carts on the beach are illegal.
Curious folks ride up and down the beach, damaging a lovely environment and ruining the chance for anybody (including themselves) to sit peacefully by the Sea they came to experience. One neighborhood association will soon be placing signs that say no carts on beach. Others are building roads behind properties to take the carts off the beach. Please dear guests - don't destroy this island with thoughtless curiousity? Please? If you want to experience the beach, take a walk or hire a boat-captain. Please.

Thanks, I support less impact to the beach, or is this gringo owners wanting exclusive access to there beachfront.

Is this law new?

Are you talking about north of the cut? When the back road gets bad, would beach use be allowed?

Or elsewhere? I've never seen a cart on the beach south of the cut.

Are you restricting bikes also?

Specv
Unless there is no other path, I support no carts on the beach. Will bikes and walkers be next.

It is unlawful to ride a bicycle on the beach in San Pedro Town. North of the cut, I"m not sure of. We always ride bikes on the beach north of the cut without hassles. Even further south of town you are not supposed to ride bikes/carts on the beach. ONly walking. Unless things have changed.

Wups, I didn't know that. The packed coral beach is perfect for bikes. I'd say the locals ride the beach more than tourists, and we know how they respect the law;), and enviorment.

Jeff
Isn't the San Pedro speed limit 20mph?

...speaking from the perspective of someone who lives North (5 miles) of town, there has been a DRAMATIC increase in cart traffic on the beach over the past few months. My understanding of the "law" (as it reads on the books here and coming from various folks in the know) is that "property owners must provide passage to man with cart and mule"... So anyone driving a rented golf-cart on the beach that is accompanied by a mule, carry on. In all serious though, as the traffic on Ambergris INCREASES (which it is) the carts-driving-on-the-beach issue is going to come to a head, which it IS presently doing. The main problem is obviously that, once past Journey's End, there is no maintained road to drive on, thus carts are forced on to the beach. A number of property owners North of town are working very hard, putting their own time and money into improving and maintaining a road for carts, so that access to the beach can be restricted to bikes and pedestrians. Until that is accomplished, if you ARE driving on the beach, first, please drive SLOW (it's amazing how fast some carts speed by) and please respect the fact that resorts and property owners go through great lengths to maintain the beach areas... and when the time comes that cart traffic is diverted away from the beach, please realize that it's not being done from a selfish perspective (IE, gringos blocking their property with a "not in my front yard" attitude) but rather from concerned indivuals who LOVE Ambergris, who want to protect the resources here, and who want tourists to have an enjoyable experience. If all the beaches are turned into parking lots & "pavement", AC will be that less of an attractive destination/place for us all...

Speed limit on Ambergris Caye is 15 MPH islandwide and 10 MPH in the village. Even that is too fast when the kids are walking to and from school. SLOW DOWN!!!

The beach is Queen's land.

Access must be granted unless a passable road is available. Captain Morgan's set a nice example of how to divert traffic around their property.

It is illegal to block access.

"Progress breeds problems" - R. Hon. George Price.

Could you elaborate on "we know how locals respect the law and environment"?

I do not blame the tourists-last night I saw three local business owners racing down front street on their golf carts the wrong way-many many young born here San Pedranos think it is their right to drive on the beach (esp. South of town where without a doubt there are goodish roads).

I'm staying at Costa Maya. I have seen pictures of the "road" in the North, and it looks pretty bad in spots -- huge rocks right in the middle of the path.

I hear that property owners in the North are trying to make improvements. Are they making any progress in getting the debris cleared from the path?

Costa Maya has golf carts to rent. Is it unrealistic to think that we can take a cart all the way down to San Pedro? I don't want to take the water taxi the whole time. Also, are there places to explore even further North than Costa Maya? How do you get to them?

Hey Sandytoes, if you want to go further north & the roads are no good, how about walking. Isn't that how you got the name "Sandytoes"?