La Isla Bonita: A Tour of San Pedro Town

 

Last night I dreamt of San Pedro

…Tropical the island breeze
All of nature wild and free
This is where I long to be
La isla bonita…

…The beautiful island

I fell in love with San Pedro…

…I want to be where the sun warms the sky
When it’s time for siesta you can watch them go by
Beautiful faces, no cares in this world
Where a girl loves a boy, and a boy loves a girl

Last night I dreamt of San Pedro
It all seems like yesterday, not far away…

 

This morning I awoke with the melody of Madonna’s “La Isla Bonita” playing in my head. I indeed dreamt of San Pedro, of our recent holiday to the tropical island paradise. This town, the only one on Ambergris Caye, was in fact the inspiration for Madonna’s the beautiful island song. And throughout San Pedro are small reminders or evidence of the island’s la isla bonita nickname. Romance aside, much of how the song describes the island is exactly as you’ll find it today.

Today we are continuing with the travel postcards from a recent trip to the Belizean island of Ambergris Caye. This instalment will take us on a mini-tour of San Pedro Town on the island.

(If you missed the previous instalments they can be found here and here.)
 

Ambergris Caye is for those looking to get off the beaten path, for a very laid back holiday. There are many water activities to partake in (like snorkelling, diving and fishing), but since we live in a beach town we were more interested in exploring San Pedro to see how the locals live. The town is very laid back, to be expected of a Caribbean island. The people, or San Pedranos, are very friendly and every one greets each other with a smile. The structures are colourful, small, and for the most part quite humble dwellings. There are many restaurants to choose from as well as places to stop and get supplies for your daily needs. On the streets people buzz by in golf carts or bicycles.
 

 
 

On our way back to the hotel we took the sandy road, otherwise known as the beach. Off in the distance we could see a rainstorm approaching. It did indeed rain but in the Caribbean these light showers last but no more than 10 minutes…if that.

 
 

Remember the immigration office I mentioned in the previous post? Well this is it! And if you arrive too early for the ferry you can always go next door for a drink. Don’t you just love the sign? Now why can’t going through immigration at the airport be this easy?!

 
 

This is how we not only spent nearly all of our holiday, barefoot, but also how we lined up for immigration and the ferry check-in. Ah, the joy and benefits of island life!

 

Have a beautiful day!