Driving Way North on Ambergris Caye

We take this ride together a few times a year – driving north on Ambergris Caye.  Jeff does it way more often than I do – or at least as much as he can – to do some catch-and-release flyfishing.

You can get lots more information on DIY flying fishing on Ambergris Caye in my book – Jeff wrote a chapter about the subject.

And here is more information from the last time we went up and I took a bunch of pics – January of this year:  Driving Up North On Ambergris Caye: El Secreto Resort (RIP), the New Margaritaville and Tranquility Bay Resort

Here we go… the same route but we went a little farther north, and man…it was a gorgeous day.

The sign at about 9 or 10 miles north – just as you pass the bar/restaurant called Chat n Chill.

Note:  It’s impossible not to mention the plastic on the beach…there is a bunch of it.  Much of it looks like it’s been in the water for a long time…I saw some marked Made in Columbia and Haiti and Jamaica and Mexico and Guatemala and Belize.  On all this unpopulated beachfront, it can be a bit shocking.  And absolutely depressing.

But other than that, the beaches looked pretty good – we have not been seeing much sargasso seaweed for the last few months.  And the water was gorgeous.

El Norte Beach Bar.

And then, about 1 mile more at Mile 11-ish, the old luxury resort El Secreto.  I’ve posted pictures of it over the years…after it was abandoned and is falling apart.  2018 – just closed and still quite beautiful.

I believe they opened in 2012…and there were iPad controls in every room – it was LUXURY.

Now falling back into the bush.

A flock of Yucatan jays was screaming in the roadside trees.  They are AMAZING.  Jet black with the bluest of blue wings that glint in the sun. And only found on the Yucatan peninsula.

We kept going…at about 13 miles north, Margaritaville is being completed.  With all the Margaritaville fixings.  Like the giant flip-flop!

The bar looks pretty cool.

Onward!  A last look at the Margaritaville dock through the mangroves.

And then the last proper hotel as you head north – Tranquility Bay.

I took a few quick pics but we were headed a bit farther north.

Signs up for turtle nesting and that indicate that much of this area is Bacalar Chico national reserve.

And in a bit…Jeff and his friend Wil wanted to do a bit of wading…we found the most beautiful spot.

Where the reef meets the land…

I took about 100 more but I’ll stop there…just so pretty!  We were up there for about an hour and headed back to Tranquility Bay for some lunch.  I’ve never seen the place so crowded – there were at least 8 or 9 tour boats all getting lunch.

Just a glorious day.

And then maybe my favorite view – the conch platter!  Fritters and fingers and ceviche…

Deeelicious.

That’s all from our ride north – I hope you enjoy the pictures and enjoy Christmas.  If it helps…it’s cold here.  I mean relatively…grey and in the low 70s is COLD in Belize.

Enjoy!