"Belize City" covers three departure points, and choosing the right one matters more than choosing boat or plane. International flights land at Philip Goldson International Airport (BZE) in Ladyville, outside the city. The water taxis leave from the Belize Marine Terminal on North Front Street downtown. Island flights leave from both BZE and the Sir Barry Bowen Municipal Airport in the city itself, which the Belize Airports Authority lists alongside the San Pedro and Caye Caulker airstrips in a tender for security screening at domestic airfields.
How do I get from Belize City to Caye Caulker or San Pedro?
Caye Caulker is the first stop and San Pedro, on Ambergris Caye, the second; the same boats serve both in sequence, and the airlines serve both too. The Belize Tourism Board describes regularly scheduled water taxis between Belize City, Caye Caulker and San Pedro and calls local airlines the fastest way around the country.
| Route | Where you start | Time on the move | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water taxi | Belize Marine Terminal, downtown | About 45 min to Caye Caulker, 1 h 30 min to San Pedro | Travellers already in the city, one checked bag each, daytime |
| Flight from BZE | The international airport | Short hop; see the airline chart below | Arriving international passengers, late arrivals, extra bags |
| Flight from the municipal airport | Belize City | Short hop | Travellers staying in the city who want to fly |
The boat times are San Pedro Belize Express's own figures from its FAQ, which also puts Caye Caulker to San Pedro at about 30 minutes. If San Pedro is your base for snorkelling, our Hol Chan Marine Reserve guide covers the reserve fees paid on the island.
The water taxi: schedule, luggage and what is not published
San Pedro Belize Express operates from 111 North Front Street, at the Belize Marine Terminal. Its 2025 timetable, still the one posted in September 2026, shows eight departures from Belize City to Caye Caulker and San Pedro: 08:00, 09:00, 10:30, 12:00, 13:30, 15:00, 16:30 and 17:30. Heading back, boats leave San Pedro between 06:00 and 16:30 and Caye Caulker between 06:30 and 17:00.
Each passenger may check one bag of up to 23 kg (50 lb) plus one small carry-on that fits under the seat. Oversized or overweight bags are charged at cargo rates, and luggage must be checked in with a uniformed staff member at least 15 minutes before departure. The company's Belize City page asks passengers to reach the terminal 30 to 45 minutes early. Card payment is accepted (Visa, Mastercard, Discover).
The operator's website does not list fares outside its booking engine, and we could not confirm current prices. Fares are regulated rather than informal: the Belize Port Authority requires every water taxi permit application to include a list of fares for the requested route, alongside insurance, a seaworthiness certificate and certificates of competency for the master and deckhand.
Flying to the cayes from either Belize City airport
Tropic Air advertises hourly flights to both Caye Caulker and San Pedro on Cessna Grand Caravan EX aircraft. Its fares appear only in the booking search, and the checked-bag allowance depends on the fare type you buy. If you connect from an international flight at BZE having bought extra baggage, the airline advises allowing at least three hours.
Maya Island Air allows one checked bag of up to 50 lb and a carry-on of up to 15 lb, with excess baggage from BZE to San Pedro or Caye Caulker charged at BZ$0.41 per pound. If your international flight is delayed, it asks you to email three hours before your local flight to be rebooked on the next flight with space at no extra fee. Its posted seasonal schedule, uploaded in February 2023 and possibly out of date, shows nine daily municipal-airport departures to San Pedro and three to Caye Caulker, plus BZE flights to San Pedro including two evening departures marked as restricted to passengers arriving on international carriers.
Tropic Air's own comparison chart for BZE to San Pedro puts the total trip by air at about 1 hour 40 minutes, including a minimum of about three-quarters of an hour for immigration and customs, against close to four hours by taxi and water taxi. Its Caye Caulker chart shows about 3 hours 20 minutes by boat. These are an airline's own estimates, published in 2023, but they match the boat operator's figures: roughly 25 minutes by road to the terminal, 30 to 45 minutes of waiting, then the crossing.
Is the water taxi or the plane better with luggage?
The plane is usually easier on bags. Both the water taxi and Maya Island Air cap a checked bag at 50 lb, but the airline publishes a per-pound excess rate, while the water taxi sends anything heavier to cargo rates it does not publish. Belize's currency makes the conversion simple: the Belize dollar has been fixed at BZ$2 to US$1 since 11 May 1976.
Timing is the other deciding factor. Using the operators' own figures, catching the 17:30 boat means arriving at the terminal by about 16:45, which means leaving BZE by about 16:20 after a 25-minute transfer. Add the time Tropic Air allows for immigration and customs, and a flight landing after about 15:30 is unlikely to make the last boat. That is the point where flying from BZE, or a night in Belize City and the first boat next morning, becomes the realistic choice.