Ambergris Caye, Belize in July And Typical July Weather: 2022

So…you are thinking about visiting Belize in July.  The reef, the people, the food (!), the wildlife, the adventure but…is July a good time to visit?  How’s the weather in July?  Is it busy?  Are there lots of things going on?

July’s a great time to visit.  You can often find deals on your favorite resort, all restaurants and bars are open but they are not crowded and you should have plenty of hot sunny days.  AND we’ve got festivals!  Some big ones.

But let me get to the specifics.  And start with everyone’s first issue:

July Weather in Belize

Belize tourism, at the most simple, is split into “High Season” and “Low Season”.  High is the time of year when everyone up north is dying to get away from the cold of winter and when the weather down here in Belize is at its peak.  Dry and warm but not too hot.  Generally, mid-December to Easter (end of April) is considered the dry season in Belize.  Often, from the end of January to about mid-May, we won’t see a drop of rain on Ambergris Caye.

And as we get into late Spring and Summer, temps go up and some rains come.  Generally at night/early morning to start.  And then, as the stormy season advances, we can get more.

July is, in general, quite warm (temps in the high 80s during the day) with chances of showers during the day.  The daytime showers generally move by and the sun emerges hotter than ever.  Most of the rain (sometimes as thunderstorms) is in the night and early morning.

Here’s a packing list of things you might want to include in your bag for this season.

Note:  Tropical Storm season is officially June 1st to Nov 30th.  This part of the Caribbean sees more development during the late part of the season – Sept and Oct – but it is good to keep an eye on the National Hurricane Centers info.  Since I’ve been in Belize (since 2007) – my home state of NJ has seen MUCH more storm destruction than my new home of Ambergris Caye, Belize has.

Now that’s the weather, let’s talk about visitors.

Is it Crowded in Belize in July?

Short answer:  No.

If you are comparing to say…Cancun for Spring Break, Ambergris Caye is never crowded.  We just don’t see as many visitors in this much smaller country.  But if you visit around Christmas time, you probably want to get reservations at the most popular restaurants or get to Secret Beach on the early side, if you want to snag a table in the water…

Photo at Blue Bayou Bar at Secret Beach.

July is the perfect time to visit – there’s lots going on, there aren’t crowds, a great time to meet and hang out with the people that live here.  AND get a table in the water and at your favorite restaurant in town.

Grab a copy of my book for lots of food info and other great things to do while visiting Ambergris Caye

Check For Deals at Your Favorite Resort (Or The One You’ve Always Wanted to Stay At)

July is considered the “low season” – so many hotels and resorts will have deals during this time.

For example, check the Phoenix Resort’s website (and my stay there recently…so good!)  A perfect spot to stay during San Pedro’s Lobsterfest- you can walk to most of the events AND they have a Kids’ Club…I mean…not that you don’t want to take your kids EVERYWHERE but…I mean…for parents?  it’s just good to know.  They offer Low-Season Rates.

This brings me to…

Events in July

July is all about Lobster Festivals in Belize.  Not just the week-long event on Ambergris Caye.  But you can pop across for a day trip to Caye Caulker – and experience their laid-back fun music and cocktails island “block party” to start it all off.

Note:  You have plenty of time to order these from Amazon if you don’t already own them.  I mean…wow.

And double WOW when you see how much lobster footwear is available in this world.

San Pedro LobsterFest

You can follow all the updates on the San Pedro Lobsterfest Facebook page for the 2022 Festival.  There are events each day – July 1st to July 8th – called the Lobster Crawl…leading up to the Block Party on the evening of Saturday, July 9th.

Here’s a look at the last block party – 2019.

And while you are crawling, you can pop over to Caye Caulker – our “little sister” island with the official motto:  Go Slow.  The festival officially starts on Friday July 1st but I’d recommend the weekend for when things really get going…

Caye Caulker’s Lobster Festival 

You can ride over on the water taxi (though be early for your ticket – lots of people love to head over the Caye Caulker’s lobster festival) or maybe hire a boat…I promise you, you will be very very glad you went.

Walk down Caye Caulker’s sandy main street…it’ll be lined with booths, arts and crafts, live music, and lots of BBQs grilling lobster.  It’s such a fun day and…please don’t spread this around…it’s my favorite lobster festival.  AND I HAVEN’T BEEN IN 8 YEARS!!!  I’m going to have to remedy that…

And this year, there is a new festival for music lovers –

THE FIRST Belize International Music and Food Festival

BIMIFF?  BIMIFF!  On July 30th and July 31st, international artists and DJs will be performing – and local vendors will be serving food for this exciting new festival in San Pedro’s Saca Chipas field – “the old football field” in downtown San Pedro.

If you are wondering why the field is called Saca Chispas…(which translated means “makes sparks”)

International performers include Koffee (Jamaica, reggae), Barrington Levy (Jamaica, reggae), Patrice Roberts (Trinidad, soca), Ricardo Drue ( Antigua, Soca and performed in San Pedro for September celebrations in 2015) and more…

There will be lots of Belizean artists like Supa G and Ernestine Caballo.

You can read the full press release here.

And to one last thing…because it can’t be ALL festivals, right?

SCUBA Diving and Flyfishing

Ambergris Caye, generally, has a nice breeze blowing from the ocean.  In March, April and sometimes May, we can get “Easter Winds” or the “Easter blow” and when those winds get particularly gusty, it can make snorkeling and SCUBA, and flyfishing difficult.

July winds tend to be lower – not as gusty.  Smoother water and less gusts = a great time for these activities.

Pair that with large migrating tarpon (generally late Spring to early fall) and you’ve got yourself some excitement.  See Bluebone Fish’s write-up on the fishiest times of year.  (July looks pretty good!)

Cayo Farm and Fly guest Simon catching a nice tarpon with a guide

Tres Pescados Fly Shop in San Pedro hosts their annual Tres Pescados Slam on the island each year (though it’s been on hold for a few years now due to COVID).  They’ve announced the 2022 Tournmanet for July 21st to July 23rd.  Check here for more info and past winners of this catch and release tournament.

There you go.  Sounds like you will be here for the full month of July.  Pack your sunscreen, a bit of bug spray for the mornings and evenings, and those lobster slippers.

I’ll see you in Belize for July.