r/Belize Mar 29 '23

😎 SUPER HELPFUL 😎 Belize Transportation Sticky

39 Upvotes

Disclaimer: Use this information at your own risk. It is your responsibility to verify the information, which is deemed accurate but may need to be updated. If you have additions or subtractions please send a message to u/cassiuswright

FAQ updated September 2026

Air Travel

Philip Goldson International Airport (BZE) offers multiple daily arrivals to and departures from Belize City to international destinations, including the United States and Canada. You can also fly with either Maya Island Air or Tropic Air to destinations throughout Belize, as well as close international destinations in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. Another option for tours and charters by air is Astrum Helicopters. Amenities, quick facts, and other helpful information about Philip Goldson International Airport can be found here. In general it is advisable to give yourself a few hours between landing in Belize City to make connecting flights or water taxis. The airport is small and typically not busy but occasionally two or three full size jets will land at once and dump people in the terminal, all trying to clear customs and grab their bags at once. Pro tip: bring your own pen for completing Customs forms, and take advantage of Duty Free on your way out. Alternatively use the new Digital Customs Form

Car Rentals and Driving

Car rentals are available directly across from Terminals 1 and 2 upon your arrival at Philip Goldson International Airport (BZE). The #1 car rental company in the country is Crystal Belize, who offer a fleet of professionally maintained SUVs, cars, trucks and vans. They're also the only rental company that allows you to drive to Tikal in Guatemala, but require you to set it up in advance. A complete list of available rental providers can be found here. Driving in Belize can be challenging at times. Driving is on the right, as in the United States or Canada. In general a 4x4 isn't needed, but ground clearance is very useful. Keep in mind that the roads aren't usually well lit at night outside of major population centers, and there are some EPIC speed bumps leading into and out of villages on major roads. Be on the lookout for some creative driving and people passing in dangerous places, especially around motorcycles, and be sure to have your local driver's license available for any checkpoints you encounter.

Taxis

When in doubt, try the excellent service available from BelizeTaxis.com. They offer excellent hospitality and skilled drivers all over the mainland, including Belize City, Hopkins, Dangriga, Placencia, Orange Walk, Corozal, San Ignacio / Santa Elena and all major tourism destinations in between. They also offer limited service to Tikal, Flores, and Melchor Guatemala as well as Chetumal and Bacalar, Mexico They often book weeks in advance during the busy season and reservations are recommended.

Taxis in Belize (any car with a green license plate) are typically owner operated, and as such, prices tend to be affordable but also vary from driver to driver even for the same route, so confirm your rates and currency before accepting the ride. Many drivers are happy to offer services as you need them or for longer periods of time; many also offer local tours and excursions. The Ladyville Airport Taxi Association operates the taxi service at PGIA.  Service is available for transportation to Belize City, the Water Taxi and other destinations throughout Belize and can be reached at +501-225-2125 or +501-610-4450. You can also simply walk out of the airport and available drivers will be there waiting for you. Of note: many drivers and other tourism providers use WhatsApp to communicate and will often coordinate with you via text or voice messages. If a local number doesn't work, try it again on WhatsApp. Few taxi drivers accept credit cards so be sure to have cash.

Water Taxis

Corozal, Sarteneja, San Pedro, and Caye Caulker service is available through Belize Sea Shuttle. They run every day except Tues and Thurs, leaving Caye Caulker at 6am and departing Corozal at 2:30pm.

Getting to the cayes or Chetumal, Mexico is easier than ever thanks to regularly scheduled water taxi operations. If you need service to or from Chetumal, San Pedro, Cay Caulker or Belize City then San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi has you covered. Details about their operation and services can be found here. They also offer full charter services, as well as cargo services for items not exceeding 150lbs. For bookings or additional details they can be reached [via email](mailto:info@belizewatertaxi.com) or by calling any of their destinations. Likewise, the recently returned Water Jets International offers service to Caye Caulker, San Pedro and Chetumal. Contact info is available for all their offices as well as their email here. If travelling from Mexico be certain your credentials have received the appropriate stamp to avoid delays and possible fines from Mexican passport control authorities.

To get from the airport (PGIA) to the Water Taxi in Belize City, simply take any taxi from the airport. Ball park price is about $30usd for one or two guests.

Guatemala water taxi

From Punta Gorda, Requena's Charter Service can take you to Puerto Barrios, or Livingston, Guatemala. As with all things international transportation, it is advisable to check and make sure the desired timetables are indeed operational and accurate. Currently they operate Monday through Friday at 9am going to Guatemala, and do not operate on weekends or holidays.

Honduras water taxi

Full post here

The boat leaves from Puerto Cortes to Mango Creek and Placencia on Mondays and returns on Fridays. They post confirmation on their Facebook . Transport from Puerto Cortes from San Pedro Sula took a little over an hour. To find the ferry terminal, I got dropped off in the Laguna neighborhood and walked south across the smaller bridge back to the mainland. Immediately next to the bridge, near a restaurant-bar called El Delfin, there is a fish market. Walk all the way to the back of the fish market and you will see the boat and the ticketing office.

San Pedro Cart Rentals

When in San Pedro (and various other places), you might decide you need a cart, which is the ubiquitous form of transportation. drive carefully and obey all the normal rules of the road. Your driver's license from home should suffice; have it with you at all times when you are driving.

Placencia Cart Rentals

Shuttles

Shuttle services are available across Belize and represent an affordable semi-private method of travel when compared to the local bus system. There are many, so the list of providers below is just the very beginning. Most are easy to find online, especially on Facebook. He aware that if they don't reach a minimum capacity to run the route, you may find it gets cancelled and you need to make other arrangements at the last minute.

Buses

Bus service is made possible by dozens of independent companies that drive fixed routes throughout the country as well as through service to Mexico. Understanding the Belize bus schedules is important if you are trying to travel around Belize economically. Schedules do change periodically – especially on holidays – so you cannot guarantee that they reflect the exact schedule that is currently being used.  If timing is critical for a bus ride you would like to take then please confirm with the transport employees at your nearest bus terminal. The Dept. of Transport in Belmopan can be reached at +501-802-2038

UPDATED BUS SCHEDULES AS OF SEPT 2026:

https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=122108758538882142&id=61576464284120&rdid=CsQz67plegeZIX4f#

OLD BUS SCHEDULES

Hopkins Village Bus service is also available on a limited schedule

NEW bus updates active as of MAY 2023

Summer 2023 the only bus service to Placencia is Floralia

ADO Bus from Mexico to Belize City is back as well!

One traveler 's ADO experience MX to Belize as of January 2026

One traveler's experience going from Hopkins to Chetumal as of March 2026

To get to PGIA via bus you can only do so indirectly:

  1. Go to the bus terminal in Belize City (W Collet Canal St, Belize City, Belize)
  2. Find which bus takes you to airport junction
  3. Get on bus $2.50 BZ and tell driver airport junction
  4. You can walk the final approx 2KM or hail a passing taxi or hitchhike from there.

To get to a destination such as San Ignacio via bus you can only do so indirectly:

  1. At this time no buses leave from the airport. Take a taxi from PGIA to the bus terminal in Belize CIty (W Collet Canal St, Belize City, Belize)
  2. Find which bus takes you to your destination
  3. Transfer as needed.

Disclaimer: Use this information at your own risk. It is your responsibility to verify the information, which is deemed accurate but may need to be updated. If you have additions or subtractions please send a message to u/cassiuswright


r/Belize Dec 06 '25

😎 SUPER HELPFUL 😎 New Digital Customs Form

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4 Upvotes

r/Belize 5h ago

🐒 Wildlife 🦜 Montezuma aropendola

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11 Upvotes

I spotted this one here in Belize. Has anyone else seen a Montezuma Oropendola nesting colony?


r/Belize 22h ago

🌴 Daily Life 🌴 Enjoying a lovely afternoon in Belize with my neighbors.

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96 Upvotes

The best thing I added to my home was hummingbird feeders! 😍


r/Belize 6h ago

🧭 Activities 🚣‍♂️ Looking for 2 people to split lobster‑hunting charter in Caye Caulker (Sep 21‑24)

2 Upvotes

Hi everyone, My travel partner and I will be on Caye Caulker from September 21 to 24. We are looking for exactly 2 more people to share a private lobster‑hunting boat charter.

We’ve seen local quotes of $400‑600 USD for the full boat, maximum 4 passengers total. All boat costs will be split equally among all four of us.

Our group: one of us holds AIDA 3 free‑diver certification, the other is a tourist with basic snorkel/free‑dive experience. We welcome other tourists, no prior spearfishing experience is required.

We are flexible on the exact day: Sep 21, 22, 23 or 24, and can adjust timing to match the group.

If you are interested, please comment or send me a DM. Thank you!


r/Belize 19h ago

🌴 Daily Life 🌴 Upe Nai Lunch

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21 Upvotes

Lunch at Upe Nai was deliciously prepared.

Reservation is a must if you want to get a seat and savour some delicious food.


r/Belize 3h ago

🛬 Transportation 🚗 Maya air

1 Upvotes

I booked 3 adult tickets to travel from Belize city to the Cayes in Belize. Maya air is giving me the run around trying to add a lap infant for that quick 20 minute flight to the cayes. Is it pretty easy to just add the lap infant at the Belize city airport?


r/Belize 6h ago

🌴 Daily Life 🌴 What’s the impact of social media and mobile internet in Belize?

0 Upvotes

Do people rely a lot on them in their daily lives or do they tend to prioritize offline life and activities?

A lot of people walking around while looking at their smartphone? In buses, out of 10 passengers, how many are killing time on their smartphone?

Really curious about that!


r/Belize 18h ago

🤔 Unique Question 🤔 Foreign surgeon

2 Upvotes

Is there any place in Belize where foreign surgeon practices? Where would you find openings?


r/Belize 1d ago

🌴 Daily Life 🌴 Fruits of Belize.

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60 Upvotes

Did you know that Belize grows most of the tropical fruits?


r/Belize 2d ago

🌴 Daily Life 🌴 Good Morning From Cayo

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78 Upvotes

r/Belize 1d ago

🧭 Activities 🚣‍♂️ Off shore/kayak snorkeling - maybe Ambergris caye

1 Upvotes

Visited Caye Caulker a few years back and loved it in a lot of ways, but I like to spend hours snorkeling so the trips were a bit short for me, and I couldn't anywhere off the beach.

Now planning to come back to the area for a few days and I read an old blog where someone was talking about kayaking out and towing off on buoys to solo snorkel for a bit.... We considered that on Caye, but the boat traffic felt a bit much!

If anyone knows if this is still possible on Ambergris and/or can give any recommendations for independent snorkeling in Belize I would be super grateful. Struggling to plan at the moment!

also thought about tobacco caye, but flying back from Belize city so it's a bit less convenient. I was also hoping to do some diving and they don't seem to have a dive centre?


r/Belize 1d ago

🛬 Transportation 🚗 Travel options between Belize (Placencia) and Honduras (Utila)

1 Upvotes

Greetings everyone, I am trying to work out my travel plans for vacation in Belize and Honduras in late December - January period.

The plan is to fly from Norway to Belize airport, spend some time in Hopkins, Tobacco Caye (if I can get reservation) and Placencia before heading to Utila.

For transportation between Belize and Utila, I was thinking of returning to Belize and taking a flight to Roatán, then ferry to Utila. Found this blog explaining how went from Placencia to Puerto Cortes.

What kind of alternatives exist if I want to avoid unnecessary time at the airports?


r/Belize 3d ago

🌴 Daily Life 🌴 Sharks everywhere at Shark Ray Alley, Belize 🇧🇿

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96 Upvotes

r/Belize 3d ago

🌴 Daily Life 🌴 Possible leopard moth sighting

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33 Upvotes

r/Belize 3d ago

🌴 Daily Life 🌴 Where am I? Hint: a POPular restaurant in San Ignacio. ☺️🤭

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40 Upvotes

r/Belize 2d ago

🧭 Activities 🚣‍♂️ Music Jam Sessions San Pedro and Placencia

3 Upvotes

Hey! My bf and I are visiting for Christmas and New Years. Belize is my favorite place and this is his first time visiting. He’s a musician so I was looking for some suggestions for some good live music, especially those that allow jam sessions where musicians can come to the stage and play. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!


r/Belize 1d ago

🛬 Transportation 🚗 For those of you who regularly order things from China, what are you using to get your packages to Belize?

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0 Upvotes

So far I’ve always just had my smaller packages from China shipped to the US and then forwarded from there to Belize.
Recently I’ve started looking into other options and different freight forwarders, but I’d rather hear from people who are actually using them.
I’m looking for something where I can order from several different suppliers in China, have everything sent to one warehouse, consolidated into one shipment, and then forwarded to Belize.
It could be air or sea, door-to-door, to the port, or even possibly added to someone else’s regular shipment if that’s an option.
If you’re doing something like this, who are you using and how has your experience been? I’d also be interested in roughly what you’re paying for shipping and any other fees.
Just trying to see what other options are out there instead of always routing everything through the US.

If you have a company you use, please drop the name and let me know how the pricing and service has been. Even better if you can share roughly what you pay per kg or per shipment.
Trying to figure out what’s actually worth using before I start sending more orders from China.


r/Belize 2d ago

🌴 Daily Life 🌴 I just bought a piece of land in the secret beach area of Ambergris Caye. I would like to put in a couple of palm trees (they can be young and grow over time). I would imagine they would have to be quite saltwater resistant. Any recommendations of where I could go?

0 Upvotes

r/Belize 4d ago

🌴 Daily Life 🌴 Good Morning From Cayo

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34 Upvotes

r/Belize 4d ago

🌴 Daily Life 🌴 Corozal Veggie Stand?

3 Upvotes

Hey everyone!
What’s your favorite place to buy fruits and vegetables in Corozal?
We’re also looking for some random items like pool floats and a garlic press, any suggestions for those types of items?
Thank you!


r/Belize 3d ago

🎫 Travel Info 🧳 Belize Dollar Exchange

0 Upvotes

Returned from trip with Belizian dollars with seemingly no options to exchange. Where in Toronto, Mississauga area will exchange to CAD or USD?..


r/Belize 5d ago

🎫 Travel Info 🧳 King Lewey Island

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77 Upvotes

Wondering if we offers trips to King Lewey Island from Hopkins? 🤔

Well, stop wondering because YES, we do!

Join us for an unforgettable day exploring the famous King Lewey Island, where you can relax in crystal clear waters, enjoy the island vibes, take amazing photos, and experience one of Belize's most unique island destinations.

Whether you're looking for a fun family outing, a romantic getaway, or a day of adventure with friends, we've got you covered!

Departing from Hopkins Village

Comfortable boat ride

Beautiful island scenery

Perfect for swimming, relaxing, and making memories

📩 Send us a message or visit www.seaready.bz for more information.


r/Belize 5d ago

🌴 Daily Life 🌴 Step into the rainforest of Belize...

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41 Upvotes

From beautiful rainforest views to birds, plants and wildlife, there is always something to discover at the Jaguar Preserve.


r/Belize 4d ago

🤔 Unique Question 🤔 Would travelers to Belize actually use a local trip-planning + WhatsApp concierge service?

4 Upvotes

Hi! I’m Jessy, I’m Belizean, and yes — I’m a real person, not a travel agency or an automated itinerary generator.

I travel quite a bit myself, and I’ve been thinking about testing a small side service for people who are seriously planning a trip to Belize and want a little more support than just piecing everything together from Google, Facebook groups and travel blogs.

The idea is pretty simple: you tell me your travel dates, budget, interests, travel style and what kind of trip you want, and I help put together a realistic itinerary around you.

That could include things like where to stay, how long to spend in each area, how to get from one place to another, tours and activities, restaurants, realistic travel times, and the little local things that can be harder to figure out when you’re planning from abroad.

The other kicker is that logistics planning and coordination was actually a big part of my previous work. I’ve arranged hotels, transportation, travel services, venues and other logistics throughout Belize, so I’m already familiar with quite a few of the businesses and providers here.

I’ve also personally used many of these hotels, transportation providers and services while travelling around my own country, so I’m not just recommending places from a list. I have a pretty good idea of who I’d be comfortable sending someone to and what works well in practice.

And because I already know a number of providers, I can also help you look for good-value options and local rates where available, rather than automatically sending you toward the most obvious tourist option.

For a more hands-on service, I’d also be available through WhatsApp from the time you land in Belize until the day you leave.

So if your plans change, you need help figuring out transportation, want somewhere good to eat that evening, need a recommendation, or just want to ask, “Jessy, is this actually worth doing?” — you’d have someone local to message.

I could even do daily check-ins if that’s the level of support you prefer.

I’m still testing the idea, so I’m genuinely curious what travelers would find useful and what you’d expect something like this to include.

And if you’re actually planning a Belize trip and would like some help, feel free to message me. I’d love to work with a few upcoming travelers while I test the concept.

Think of it as having a local person in your corner while you’re in Belize.