Driving WAY Down South: Way Less Heavy Traffic…More Rustic Beachy Vibes
I really need to make this drive more often. After 18 years on Ambergris Caye, you’d think I’d know better – but it’s been over four years since I last headed down south way to the end of the island. And wow…what a reminder. It’s so pretty down here.
Sand roads, scraggly pine trees, and that laid-back, no-giant-dump-trucks-roaring-past-you, beach-vacation-y feel – plus a whole new perspective. You can even spot Caye Caulker from the waterfront as you get farther south. It’s quieter too, with far fewer people around and, best of all, no endless parade of heavy trucks roaring past you, leaving you in a cloud of grit and dust. (Wait…did I mention that already?)
It’s also a totally different landscape than north of the bridge – lots more mangroves, wet lands, lagoons, and wild stretches of mangroved shoreline. Some things have definitely changed since my last trip…there are more beach homes, a few new businesses, and two massive reminders that we really need to be more thoughtful about granting permits for environmental destruction to…underfunded developers. Two huge, unfinished projects sit like – maybe a big over-dramatized but I don’t think so – open wounds on South Ambergris Caye. But best I show you in the pictures…I took a bunch!
If you want to head back to my older posts, check out March 2019: Driving To The South Tip of The Island – 25 Miles on Ambergris Caye and the two part July 2021 posts: Part One and Part Two.
Here’s my very amateurish map of the island – it’s about 25 miles in length. While mostly N-S, you can see how the orientation shifts from top to bottom.
Starting just south of town…across the street from the Belize Yacht Club. Construction for a GIANT new supermarket – I believe Public’s which is currently in a smaller building nearby. I still have questions (and thoughts) about why we have SO many HUUUUUGE grocery stores and hardware stores (in multi-million dollar new buildings) going up constantly on this island. Entire good-sized towns in the US can not support just one grocery store. Just makes you wonder…
About a block south, in the former location of Exotic Caye Resort and Crazy Canuck’s Bar a huge Marriott project just south of the new San Pedro Express water taxi terminal. (We are only about 1/2 miles south of town)
The old Banana Beach Resort has been fully refurbished under new ownership – the same as the large Grand Caribe Resort. It’s now called Bananas on the Beach. It has a new, pretty fancy restaurant called Gonzalo & The Princess after the “father of the Mestizos” – Spaniard Gonzalo Guerrero, shipwrecked in Belize in the 1500s, who married a Maya princess.
I got a few good reviews from folks after I posted a picture on Instagram – higher prices but very very good.
A few blocks down is the entrance to the Mahogany Bay complex. Resort (part of Hilton), homes (some under Marriot Bonvoy), stores…it’s HUGE.
Let’s keep moving south…
And then a bit farther is the HUGE home called Wataview. It owns the lot to its north that is a ocean front tennis court. (You can check out my inside look in 2014!!!!)
Or you can view the real estate listing – it’s currently for sale for a smidge under $6 million USD. (I had to google the term “legacy property” – it means: a property, typically a home or real estate, that is intentionally passed down through generations, serving as a source of generational wealth and family memories.)
I took pictures of homes with pretty signs or interesting information…
Many of the private homes can be found on VRBO or other rental sites. The one below, Wilson Point, looks modern and GORGEOUS!
And then one of those GO BIG and then GO HOME properties. A development that was called Salt Life – that gauged all sorts of canals and was selling condos and homes and then…during COVID…disappeared.
Here’s a look from their now-defunct Facebook page…
And now, it is re-opened as Sun Bay Shores.
Then pass a curve in the road with Casa de Mango and the cool, mysterious gate for Hotel California.
Across the street…
And then…a mess. The old La Sirene resort that was left abandoned in 2020/2021. It was put up for auction and, I have heard, purchased. Which is…wow. I hope someone got a good price.
This place is just…heartbreaking to me. Built so close to the shoreline that was once mangrove covered and just gorgeous. The water thru this channel is so beautiful.
And now…
There is some dredging equipment and a few guys…
12…15…18 years ago – the drive to this spot was epic. There was a broken down dock where you could fish and swim and sun and really just nothing else. There was an American/Jamaican guy named Robert who had a place called Ras Safari or Rastafari Bar. He did BBQ on weekends and was the last sign of civilization for a few miles. I’m not sure he even had electricity when I first went down…
On the not-so-romantic side…there could be the most insane clouds of mosquitos you’ve ever encountered down there.
Anyway…here’s what’s happening now.
I’m going to leave it there! I didn’t share all my pictures of a new-ish spot called Hula Bar (about 2.5 miles south) I have a soft spot for Tiki Bars…allegedly I took my first step in a Tiki Bar in Fairlawn, NJ in 1974. Probably while my parents were busy consuming fishbowl drinks and eating from a pupu platter. All while in a cloud of cigarette smoke. The 70s!
I’ll continue soon!
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You should have turned west at Las Brisas and seen the progress on Tarpon Bay. Its amazing! And Playa de Sala has 360 views of all the island from its rooftop restaurant and Bar.
I have never been…which sounds crazy but then…since I live 8 miles NORTH…maybe not 🙂
We contracted with the owner of Salt Lick for some custom furniture, the deck chair we still have and is in good shape, everything else warped so bad it had to be thrown away,
And he wouldn’t replace it.
Spell check or did you mean to call it “Salt Life”. Tee hee. I like it!
We spent an afternoon at Robert’s Rastafari. They did not have electricity but the best jerk chicken and rum punch. We hung out in the hammock swings partaking in and (few 🤭) rum punches waiting for the chicken to get done. We’ve been visiting the island as least annually since 2004and that was one of my most memorable days. So sad when he has closed down the next year.
It was such a cool funky special spot. Felt like SUCH an adventure to go down there…it was!
Great article and your photos are great! Keep up the good work😘
Thank you!
Thank you so much for all your information. I absolutely love reading your description of the island as you travel down the island. We own land at Secret Beach and are putting our home on the market in the state. We plan on building our house on the lot there at Secret Beach. But very concerned about all that’s happening with the amount of sargassum. I’m Worried that it will destroy the island’s economy and make it not a very vibrant place to be. Thinking about maybe holding off on building to see if anybody comes up with a plan to remove and contain all the sargassum that’s washing in. I would love to hear back from you in your thoughts regarding this. I know you’ve been on the island for a long time, but one of our biggest attractions is the blue water and how beautiful it is surrounding the island.
I didn’t thin sargassum was as big of a deal on the mainland side of the island. Am I wrong about that?
Placencia and Hopkins are both having a very tough time with it. Its definitely there.
remember thing we’ve seen on the main side of the island where all of the main restaurants in the town Square it’s really bad there. From what we seen on our side at secret beach it kind of protected and it doesn’t really have it there. But our worry is if the island doesn’t thrive on the front side, the entire island isn’t gonna thrive. thanks Dennis for all that you do with this site. My wife and I read it every time you put out a new post thing and it keeps us close to To Belize as we can be without being there. We generally travel down three or four times a year and now we’ve started bringing our friends
It’s such a hard call. I am NOT a risk taker. At all! It’s why I wasn’t the greatest bond trader. I like my money in my mattress 😉 That being said…I’m worried about the island economy due to sargassum. I’m worried about the US economy as well.
I’m not sure!
Good morning all that unfinished construction reminds me of Wyndham resort Venezia del Belize. When I was there. Any news on that place being finished
We stayed at Venzia Del Caribe by Wyndham this past January 2025. More of the big beautiful two bedroom condos are completed. Their Venice theme is taking shape. I’d like to share photos
I’d love to see photos – did you buy there?
It seems to be inching along? It’s hard to see it from the road but a few folks have posted here…
Yes I purchased 5 years ago. I feel that money is gone.
I remember fishing those channels back in the mid-nineties, the old rickety dock you spoke of, and of course rasta man. He was just selling cool drinks from a cooler from what I remember. It was indeed much less developed and somewhat lonely feeling. I still go running down south almost daily when down there, basically from Victoria House down to the hotel California and back. On cloudy, cooler, or rainy days I’ll head all the way to the end.
The hotel california sign is so perfect.
Linda Merrill
Wow, what a trip down memory lane you gave me! Going South was amazing! Our chief reason for going to Ambergris Caye was to fish! When we weren’t out with our guide and friend Enrique Marin, we would load the cooler, (for beers between bars, 😂) tackle boxes and Jerry rig our rods to the golf cart. There was another couple (great friends) that fished with us making amazing memories!!! I know every picture you posted and just got so many fuzzy feelings! To get up North we would cross on the barge! We’d drive along the ocean till the road washed away from the hurricane 😢We fished secret Beach before it was secret Beach! We knew every restaurant in town and would bring fish back to share with our friends that owned Ruby’s on the beach. Ah, our place was the room with a deck for people watching right next to the common area. After my fishing partner hubby passed and broke my heart, we scattered his ashes at Seven Channels. Then I would still stay at Ruby’s for a month every March because of our wedding anniversary and a different girlfriend would come and spend a week each to go fishing with me … and scour the island!!! Ahh, Thank You so much for a trip down memory lane!!!
Linda from Omaha
That sounds amazing. I’m happy your husband is somewhere he and you both loved.
PS
When my daughter, son-in-law, and three grands and I went down this year, I was heartbroken to see Ruby’s turned into a slick new establishment and lost every ounce of “laid back atmosphere” 😢
Enjoyed your post and pictures of your venture south….it is a shame that huge resort at the tip was never completed most likely would have employed lots of people, maybe someone with deeper pockets will step in…..and do it right!!
Someone did buy it at (strange, without my transparency, Belize) auction system…we shall see!
I hope all these new additions won’t destroy the charm of the island. I believe people like it the way it is now. I love it. ❤️ I wonder how the locals feel about it.
Thanks Rebecca, I use to enjoy an occasional ride down “South.” I lived a few miles North of the Bridge when there was just a rut filled mud path up there not much wider than a golf cart. Lots of changes and I long for a return visit. I’ll bet the Island hasn’t loss its charm, at least to me. Thank you for making me smile this morning.
When you do come back please message me. I’d love to hear what you think!
Rebecca,
Do you remember one of the largest if not the largest completed development South – Las Brisas? It was right across from the road to Tarpon Bay. I didn’t see any pictures. It has been there since 2010.
Keep up the good work
It’s just a matter of time before greed and huge construction trucks destroys this part of the island. So sad… there was a time when Ambergris Caye was a beautiful adventure. The sargassum is not the only threat … this small island can’t sustain its business growth. Very sad !!!!!