The largest island of Belize with a length of 25 miles and a width of a little more than one mile in some places is called Ambergris Caye, one of some 200 cayes dotting Belize’s coastline. It is located just off the tip of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and surrounded by the glittering shallow waters of the Caribbean Sea. The coastline of Ambergris Caye is protected by the 190 miles long Barrier Reef, which is the second largest coral reef on the globe.

 The history of Ambergris Caye goes back to the days of the Maya, when it was a trading post and the Marco Gonzalez ruins at the southern tip of the caye and the Basil Jones site to the north as well as numerous home sites that have been recently excavated in the heart of San Pedro town give evidence to a former Maya population of 10,000. The Maya also dug the small channel between Mexico and Belize to dispose of a trade route from the bay of Chetumal to the Caribbean Sea. Whalers and buccaneers followed the Mayas and finally Mexican refugees fleeing the Caste War arrived at Ambergris Caye, the ancestors of the majority of the present day residents. Nowadays tourism is the most important income source for the islanders, but in the past the island’s economy was dependent on the coconut industry, followed by the fishing industry.

 San Pedro Town is the only inhabited area on the island clustered with wooden houses decorated in Mexican or Caribbean style; you can still find some buildings with the English colonial architecture, too. The atmosphere of San Pedro Town is that of a small bustling fishing village and the mahogany skiffs are still in service for charter fishing and diving.

Gift shops, boutiques, bars, cafes, and restaurants adorn the Barrier Reef Drive and the Pescador Drive (the former Front and Middle streets). You can feel the friendliness of the people when getting out to walk in the small streets of the town and watch their lifestyles as they are doing their daily chores. T-shirts, and shorts, barefoot compose the typical dress code of the "Sanpedranos" who are speaking their own island dialect mixing up English, Spanish, Creole, and Maya all at the same time. Since the eighties when mostly Mestizos (Maya-Spanish) lived on the island the population has changed a lot simultaneously with the picking up tourism and nowadays Ambergris Caye is home to a colorful mixture of Creole, Maya, Central American refugees, and Americans.

The Belize Barrier Reef running parallel along the entire coast of Belize is the biggest tourist attraction of the island. The reef is easily accessible for diving because it is only a quarter mile from the beach of Ambergris. The island's seaside is jammed with jetties and dive shops offering trips to the different dive sites and to the Great Blue Hole, certified scuba lessons in NAUI, PADI, and SSI. One of the most popular dive sites is the Hole Chan Marine Reserve, which is only a ten-minute boat ride from town. The overwhelming beauty and richness of the reef has placed Belize among the top ten dive destinations in the world. If you want to take a day off from diving join a day tour to the Maya ruins and rain forest or just relax a daylong on the sandy beach.

At night you will find tourists and islanders at the different bars and restaurants listening to reggae and Latin music and sharing the day's adventures. Without any doubt, the most famous restaurant on this marvelous island is Elvi's Kitchen, where you can indulge yourself with a sumptuous dinner. This establishment won the International Gold Star Award and is a really delightful place.

If you are looking for an exotic island that offers everything but crowds, remember this name . . . Ambergris Caye!