Bright blue water framed by palm trees to the left surrounded by clear blue skies with a few clouds in the distance.

Our Ambergris Caye Budget Itinerary

You know when you need a vacation from your travels sometimes? That is exactly where we found ourselves when googling about Ambergris Caye. Finding the perfect property on www.booking.com is the reason we decided to go to Ambergris Caye and why we culminated this Ambergris Caye budget itinerary as part of our Belize vacation/travels! Originally, we scratched Ambergris Caye off the itinerary as it isn’t the most budget friendly location. When putting together our DIY Budget Belize Itinerary , we knew we wanted to:

  • avoid crowds
  • not spend a lot of money
  • relax ( this was the ” vacation” part of our Belize vacation/travels, after all)
A pink hotel on ambergris caye promoted as a budget option without crowds
the front porch of a hotel on ambergris caye that can be booked on a budget

But, when we found this hotel, we knew we finally scored a happy medium of a budget ( ish) spot without crowds and decided to choose this as part of our Belize vacation!

How to get to Ambergris Caye

The most budget friendly ( and fun way) to get to Ambergris Caye on a budget is to catch the water taxi. For about $20-30 USD and 1 hour of your time, you can go from Caye Caulker ( our favorite spot in Belize!) to Ambergris Caye. Coming from the airport in Belize city, the water taxi is 1.5 hrs. If you have your ESIM already installed, then it’s easy to coordinate a ride right to the ferry port!

Flight to Belize: Ambergris Caye

Getting to Ambergris Caye by air: Belize’s domestic airlines ( Maya Island Air and Tropical Air) both offer flights between San Pedro, Caye Caulker, and Belize City.

Cheap Flights to Belize?

If you’re looking to score a solid deal on your flight to Belize, go through Kiwi which pools thousands of creative ( i.e. budget friendly) searches at the same time!

Ambergris Caye Weather

Ambergris Caye can definitely be a year round destination thanks to the great weather. The dry season is from December to April and the Low Season is from May to November- regardless when you choose to go, the weather in Ambergris Caye will still be a nice treat!

Where to stay in Ambergris Caye on a Budget

We really enjoyed our stay at Seaview Caribe Island that we found through www.booking.com! For around $65 USD/ night, you’ll have your own studio apartment, pool, and private beach front. Considering the average price of hotels in San Pedro town is almost $200 USD a night, this is a great deal! When we traveled in April, there were only a few other guests at the property so we had many ammenities to ourselves. In addition to the private beach front, guests also have access to a very long private dock to jump right into the ocean!

The main key to this property is that it is NOT in San Pedro ( the main town). Unless you like crowds ( and lots of American tourists), there is no reason to be in the town center. This hotel is a few miles south of the ” main street” but still walkable to several other hotels ( with restaurants) and plenty of local spots!

Ambergris Caye Beaches

One of the best features of our stay in Ambergris Caye is the private beachfront property! We love having a small stretch of the Ambergris beaches essentially to ourselves.

What to Expect for Budget Ameneties by Ambergris Caye

Regardless if choose to stay in the town center or not, you will pass through it since the ferry port is there. You’ll find some of the larger grocery stores, restaurants, and coffee shops to puruse through. Once you leave the town center- you’ll still have plenty of options- and a lot less people!

Within a 20-30 minute walk from Seaview Caribe Island and it’s neighboring properties, you can get to smaller markets, coffee shops, and many more local restaurants.

You know it’s an authentic option when prepared in the front yard next to laundry!

What do to on Ambergris Caye on a Budget

Since this was the ” vacation” part of our travels, we really took advantage of the slow pace of life and hope you do too! You can enjoy coffee on your balcony, walk a few feet to the pool, and a few more feet to the private beach area. Many of the hotels also have lawn games available to play too. The best thing about staying at Seaview Caribe Island area is that you are beachfront– and it’s always free to swim in the ocean!

Ambergris Caye budget itinerary suggestion features this beach front hotel with a pool
It’s certainly a luxury to have the pool to yourself, let alone crowd free!

If you are feeling up for an adventure, there are so many tours to take adventure that you can find on Get Your Guide or Klook from snorkeling, to golf cart rentals, to cooking classes.

Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker?

Honestly, if you have the time, we recommend visiting both Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker. With the ferry, they are so close to each other ( less then 1 hour) so it’s actually common for people to visit Ambergris Caye AND Caye Caulker as day trips from each other.

If you only have time for one Belizean island, that we have to say that Caye Caulker is our pick. It’s small, car free- and full of local delicious food easily accessible. We also think it’s a bit easier to find more budget accommodations in Caye Caulker!

Overall Experience on Ambergris Caye Beaches

We are SO happy we found a remote spot to relax for a few nights and think the Ambergris Caye beaches provide a great mid budget option. So whether you are deciding between Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker time in Belize City, or some jungle and ruin time in San Ignacio, the Belizean islands are a great way to round out your time in Belize!

Looking for other itinerary ideas in Central America? Check Out:

Belize

Mexico

Chile

Love budget travel friendly locations? Check out our SE Asia recommendations:

Welcome! We're Vic and Pat- 30 somethings that have accumulated 10+ years of international travel experience who finally have the guts to share their experiences. We focus on budget couple travel in unique locations that aren't necessarily on a "bucketlist." We don't believe in taking time for granted and we do believe in living our life on the move. Sometimes we have long weekends, sometimes we have a 2 week holiday, sometimes we travel and work remotely for 2+ months at a time. Regardless of what chapter of life we're in, we want to show you how to stretch your budget, maximize travel hacks, and create memorable experiences.