|
New Page 1
Getting to
San Pedro is easy as key lime pie, but it does require at least one stop along
the way. There is no international air service direct to San Pedro's little
3,000 foot airstrip. Continental, American and TACA fly nonstop into the
International Airport at Ladyville just north of Belize City from four U.S.
gateways:
Charlotte, North Carolina via US Airways
Houston, Texas - via Continental Airlines or TACA Airlines
Los Angeles / Long Beach, New Orleans, and San Francisco / Oakland - via
TACA Airlines
Miami, Florida - via American Airlines or TACA Airlines
Occasionally there are charter flights to Belize from large U.S. and
Canadian cities. International travelers fly into the newly renovated and
expanded Philip Goldson International Airport in Belize City. From there,
connections can be made to various destinations within Belize, including:
Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker, Corozal, Dangriga, Big Creek, Placencia and
Punta Gorda; as well as to Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. Charter flights
can also be arranged to off-the-beaten track destinations as there are many
private airstrips throughout the country. Belize's International Airport
also has nonstop service from San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Flores, Guatemala,
and San Salvador, El Salvador.
From
Belize City, you can either fly or take a boat to San Pedro. By air, it's a
20-minute flight; the boat trip takes about 75 minutes.
Coming in
by air- The easiest method of travelling around Belize is by air. Two Belize
airlines, Maya Island Air and Tropic Air, each have about one flight per
hour every day to San Pedro, starting at around 7:30 a.m. and ending at 5:30
p.m. In peak visitor season, sometimes additional flights are added to
accommodate demand. Flights originate from both the International Airport in
Ladyville about 9 miles north of Belize City, where your TACA, Continental
or American flight arrives, and Municipal Airport, a small airstrip in
Belize City. In many cases the same Maya Island and Tropic flight picks up
passengers at both airports, making the short hop between the two in a few
minutes.
Should
you fly to San Pedro from International or Municipal? Depends on whether
you'd rather save time or money. It's easier just to fly into International
and walk over to the domestic terminal and catch your connecting puddle
jumper. But you'll save money, especially if traveling in a party of several
people, by flying from Municipal. Adult and child one-way fares on both Maya
Island and Tropic are approximately US$47 from International; from
Municipal, adult one-way is US$26 and children under 12 are US$18.
Round-trip fares are twice one-way. Rarely are there any bargain fares or
discounts for advance booking.
Transferring between the airports requires a 20-minute taxi ride. A taxi
from International to Municipal is US$17.50 for up to five passengers. A tip
isn't necessary unless the driver carries a lot of your luggage, in which
case add a couple of bucks. Taxis -- they have green license tags -- are
plentiful and await passengers just outside the main lobby.
A party
of four will pay almost US$400 round-trip to San Pedro via International,
and less than US$250 round-trip from Municipal, even including the taxi
transfers. If the party has children under 12, the savings will be even
greater.
Do you
need to make reservations for Maya Island or Tropic flights in advance?
Off-season, it's not really necessary, though having a reservation won't
hurt. In-season, a reservation might save a wait, though more often than not
flights are boarded on a first-come, first-served basis, regardless of
reservation status. Most hotels on Ambergris Caye will arrange for your air
travel to the island at the time you make your hotel reservations, and
there's usually no extra cost to you. The hotel gets a small commission from
the airline.
You also
can book direct with the airlines by telephone or over the Internet. Here's
contact information:
International wholesale air is available
from all U.S. departure cities through Belize Tradewinds.
Regular
international services are maintained to the United States (Miami, Houston,
Dallas), Mexico and Central America by TACA, American and Continental
Airlines. The Belize International Airport is located 10 miles (16
kilometres) from Belize City.
After
deplaning from your flight at Philip Goldson International Airport outside
of Belize City, you will pass through Belize Immigration showing your
passport and the immigration card you filled out on the airplane. Your
baggage will come out on the belt. There are several porters to assist you
with your bags. They will carry your luggage to the customs area for you. If
you are handling your own luggage just proceed to customs. More often than
not, a customs officer will open your bags, or ask you to do so. After
clearing customs, go into the main terminal.
If you
are dressed for cold weather, this is an opportunity to change into more
comfortable clothing. (The dress code on Ambergris Caye is shorts, t-shirts,
tropical blouses - shoes are optional). Only light clothing is required the
year round and should preferably be washable. Light, informal tropical
clothing is recommended except for hunting trips. For jungle excursions to
the mainland, the thick forest growth and the possibility of insects should
be taken into account.
Most travel packages will include vouchers for
flights to the island. There are two airlines that serve Ambergris Caye from
International Airport; Tropic Air (http://www.TropicAir.com)
and Maya Island Air (http://www.mayaairways.com).
Check your baggage and go to the
departure lounge. Flights leave hourly and are scheduled to correspond with
the arrival of the major carriers (TACA, American Airlines and Continental).
They fly
into San Pedro until about 6:30 (there are lights now!). You can make a
reservation but it is not really necessary. After clearing customs go into
the main terminal and try for which ever airline you can get on the soonest.
It is about $86 US return per person.
The
flight from International takes around twenty minutes and is spectacular. If
you fly low enough, you can see the manta and sting rays and coral
formations as you approach the island.
Visitors
coming to Belize in private aircraft must obtain permission to land at the
Belize International Airport from the Chief Civil Aviation Officer 48 hours
before the scheduled time of landing. Pilots of private aircraft will have
their documents inspected, and must file the normal flight plan. Landing
fees are based on the weight of the aircraft and are charged per 1,000 lbs.
Parking fees are also charged per 10,000 lbs.
San Pedro Airport
Both Maya Island Air and Tropic Air service terminals are situated at the
North end of San Pedro Airport runway. The terminals face each other across
the aircraft turn around. At this time it appears that Island is the most
likely to be on schedule, especially during the busy time of the year, for a
variety of reasons.
Tropic
Air is the oldest Inter-Belize air service in this country. It also has a
connection, via Ladyville International Airport with Tical in Guatemala.
Both San Pedro Airport air carriers have regular daily flights to seven
major destinations throughout Belize and "On-Demand" stops can be arranged
at airstrips on island and resort hide aways scattered throughout the
country and along the barrier reef.
Both
Island and Tropic air services have connections to Ladyville International
where Continental, Grupo TACA, American Eagle airlines make daily stops on
their routes to and from the U.S. and Canada and most of the Caribbean and
Central and South American countries that Pan American Airlines left when it
ended service to Belize. One final caveat about Ladyville International
Airport... If you intend to air travel around Belize - don't go through
Ladyville International except to arrive and depart the country - air fares
to that terminal are literally double those of Belize Municipal Airport. As
a matter of fact - you can taxi into Belize city from the International
Airport; Tour around BC and then fly to San Pedro Town on Ambergris Caye
from "Muni" for about the same money as a one way flight from Ladyville
International to San Pedro, or vise versa, direct....
According
to Johnny Grief, chief pilot for Tropic Air, the latest runway extension is
60 feet wide by 2050 feet long. A temporary dirt strip has been made on the
west side of the old airstrip, allowing planes to taxi to the new area for
takeoff or return to the airline terminals after landing on the new section
of airstrip.
The total
runway length is 3500 feet with a 1500 feet overrun on 06( runway heading)
and 500 feet overrun on 24.There is also a runway on the northern end of the
island used by the Nova Shrimp Company and others, 2000 ft, long, however
authorization is required from civil aviation prior to landing.
Private
jets are not allowed to land in San Pedro. Jets are not neighborhood
friendly.
Runway
surface is not rated for more than 12,500 lb's.
No parking.
No blast fences for acft turnaround.
Getting here from the United States:
Miami,
Florida.- American Airlines or TACA International Airlines.
Dallas, Texas - American Airlines
Houston, Texas - Continental Airlines or TACA
Houston, Los Angeles/Long Beach, Miami, New Orleans and San
Francisco/Oakland - TACA
All flights are less than 2 hours and cost approximately $350-400 plus tax.
Caribee
Air Service: (501) 02 44253. Private charters only.
Javier's
Flying Service Ltd: (501) 02 35360. Private charters only.
|