If you haven’t found out as yet, Belize is not an island! Belize is a small country nestled between Mexico in the north, Guatemala in the west and south, and the beautiful Caribbean Sea in the east. A perk of having the Caribbean Sea east of the mainland is having access to the many sandy, low-elevated islands that have formed on top of coral reefs - called “Cayes.” One of the most popular cayes is Ambergris Caye, where San Pedro Town is located.


San Pedro Town is a lively town, popular for snorkeling, sailing, fishing and the best island vibes - which is probably why many tourists flock to the little island. Now, as a first-time traveler, you may be wondering, “how can I get to San Pedro and experience the best tropical island escape?” Many new travelers coming to Belize may want to take a ground shuttle transfer or a 10-minute taxi to San Pedro. I hate to break it to you, but those options won’t take you to San Pedro. Instead, you’ll have to either book a flight or book a water taxi ride to the island. Here’s what you need to know about getting to San Pedro from the Philip Goldson International Airport or Belize City to San Pedro:

For many international travelers entering Belize, their arrival location is at the Philip Goldson International Airport (PGIA) ,in Ladyville. Ladyville is the largest village in Belize and it is about 14.5 kilometers from Belize City.

Here are the available options to get to San Pedro from the Philip Goldson International Airport and/or Belize City:

Domestic Flights to San Pedro
If you are at the Philip Goldson International Airport and would like to take a direct flight to San Pedro, you can do so with Tropic Air. Tropic Air is the number one airline for domestic flights in all major destinations as well as international flights to cities in neighboring countries such as Cancun, Mexico, and Flores, Guatemala. 

A flight from the PGIA to San Pedro only takes about fifteen minutes. The flights offer a scenic view of the Caribbean Sea and beautiful Ambergris Caye. Flights to San Pedro are also available at the Belize Municipal Airport in Belize City if you have already traveled from the Philip Goldson International Airport to Belize City. 

Of course, domestic flights are the more costly option to get to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye; however, it will get you to San Pedro quicker and it offers great views for a nice photo op. The price for a flight to San Pedro is dependent on whether you book a one-way ticket or round trip ticket. 

For the best ticket rates, book on Belizing.com, where one way tickets start at $82 US and round trip tickets start at $72.50 US each way. 

If your budget does not allow for flight tickets, no worries. The alternate option is taking a water taxi from Belize City to San Pedro

As mentioned earlier, the Philip Goldson International Airport is located in Ladyville, which is about a thirty-minute drive to Belize City. In order to get on a water taxi to San Pedro, you must make your way from the PGIA to Belize City.

You should also know that there are two water taxi companies in Belize. There is San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi and Ocean Ferry. The price for a water taxi ticket varies between both companies and whether you book a one-way or round trip ticket.

To get to Belize City from the Philip Goldson International Airport, you can take a taxi cab or you can book a shuttle transfer. This would all depend on whether you want to pre book your ground transportation (recommended) or not.

Taxi cabs are parked and available at the airport. The rates may vary depending on the taxi cab, but the general price is about $50 US. If you prefer not to worry about finding a taxi cab when you exit the airport, then pre-booking a shuttle transfer is recommended. When you pre-book a shuttle transfer with a Gold Standard transportation provider, your driver will be waiting to greet you at the airport exit and take you directly to the water taxi terminal. 

A recommended ground transportation option is Belize Ground Shuttle. They offer affordable rates for one way and round trip transfers between the PGIA and the water taxi terminal. With Belize Ground Shuttle, you can also bundle water taxi tickets with your transfer booking for a seamless experience from the moment you exit the PGIA to your arrival at San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi Terminal.

The drive from the Philip Goldson International Airport to the water taxi terminal takes about thirty minutes, depending on the traffic. Once you are in the city and at the water taxi terminal, you would either purchase your tickets, if you haven’t pre-booked them, or you can check in your tickets that you have bought prior to your arrival. 

The water taxi ride from Belize City to San Pedro is about an hour and forty-five minutes to two hours depending on the weather. Before arriving at San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, about forty-five minutes into the journey, the vessel will make its first stop at Caye Caulker, which is another little island off the coast of Belize’s mainland. The motto of the island is “go slow” as the island vibes of Caye Caulker is very relaxed and easygoing compared to San Pedro. After all Caye Caulker passengers have disembarked the vessel, the journey to San Pedro continues for the next hour.

Along the way, you’ll be able to look out the boat windows and admire the beautiful sunny weather and turquoise blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. Once you land at San Pedro, the adventure begins!

Booking a flight to San Pedro via the Philip Goldson International Airport is as easy as 1, 2, 3! Simply go to Tropic Air Flights on Belizing.com and select a round trip or one-way flight from the Philip Goldson International Airport to San Pedro. Once you have selected your flight option, you would enter all the necessary information for your booking. Once you’re done, click the “book flight” button and you’re set!

A customer service agent will respond to your request and send your flight details via email. If you have any queries, there will be a customer service agent that will be ready to assist you.

Similar to booking a flight to San Pedro, booking a water taxi ticket is just as easy.