Below is how I usually compare the two islands.
You can take a water taxi from one to the other -- it takes about 30 minutes.
--Lan Sluder
http://www.belizefirst.com
AMBERGRIS CAYE (often referred to as San Pedro):
* The biggest island in Belize (originally a peninsula jutting
down from the Yucatan) — northern Belize.
* Settled by Mestizos from Mexico.
* Most popular destination in Belize (for many good reasons)
* Tends to attract a crowd in their 30s and older, mostly couples.
* Almost 20,000 people on the island.
* # 1 area in Belize for foreign investment and expat living —
second homes, condos, retirement.
* Mostly sand streets (though some of the town streets are now
paved with concrete cobblestones), formerly no building over
three stories (though some new developments have four stories).
• Significant new development taking place in the zone from
town to about 2 miles south of town, and also on North
Ambergris -- some 500 condos are under construction on North
Ambergris.
* By far Belize’s widest selection of restaurants and hotels.
* Among the best top-end hotels: Victoria House, Azul Resort,
Seascape and condotels Villas at Banyan Bay, Grand Colony,
Belizean Shores, The Palms, Xanadu.
* Among the best mid-range lodging: Mayan Princess, Corona
del Mar, Banana Beach, The Tides.
* Among the best budget lodging: Ruby’s, Sanpedrano, Pedro’s
Backpacker Inn.
* Some shops, sizeable groceries, lots of bars and places to
hear live music.
* Some excellent restaurants including
Expensive: Rojo, Blue Water Grill, Rendezvous, Casa
Picasso, Elvi’s
Moderate: Wild Mangos, Papi’s, Caramba, Caliente
* Very nice beaches though like all beaches inside the reef
somewhat narrow and with some goop bottoms and a good deal
of seagrass.
* Beaches along most of the Caribbean side (20+ miles).
* Reef just a few hundred yards offshore, closest at the far
north.
* Your first decision is to decide where to stay — in town, south
of town or on more remote North Ambergris.
* Lots of snorkel tours and day trips to the mainland to visit
ruins.
* Good recreational diving locally and excellent diving on day
trips to Turneffe or Lighthouse atolls.
* Get there by flights from international (US$60) or municipal
airstrip (US$32) or by water taxi (US$12.50)
* Safe and friendly though usual cautions are in order — burglaries
and thefts are fairly common, murders not unknown.
* Transportation on the island — bikes, rental golf carts, cabs,
water taxis.
* Traffic in town is starting to get really bad.
* New bridge over Boca del Rio (carts, bikes and pedestrians
only) is helping open up North Ambergris, but cart path there is
still very rough.
* Hotels from US$15 to $600+ a night.
* Small condos and vacation rental houses available US$100 to
$2000+ a night.
* Golf available on nearby Caye Chapel (but expensive —
US$200 a day).
* Tennis available at sports club and at several hotels.
* Water — safe to drink from municipal system or RO/wells.
* Good fishing — tarpon, bonefish and other.
* Little snorkeling from shore (best snorkeling requires a short
boat ride to Hol Chan Marine Reserve including Shark-Ray
Alley).
* About the same amount of rain as Atlanta, Ga.
CAYE CAULKER:
* Still a charming, laidback small village atmosphere with a Caribbean resort vibe
* The main part of the island really is just one village of about 1500 people, and on the average day maybe 300 or 400 tourists
* The vibes are laidback, easy-going, calm.
* This is Ambergris Caye's little sister -- smaller and a cheaper date.
* Moving more upmarket, with several condos under development, but it is still mostly a budget and backpacker island. Only three hotels on the island have a pool, for example.
* Sand streets, few cars, you get around by shank's mare, bike or maybe a golf cart.
* A mix of people on the island, Mestizos, some Creoles, a few gringos.
* About 55 hotels and vacation rentals, mostly very small, with a total of around 900 rooms.
* Beaches are not the island's strong point, though an effort was made to renourish the beach with sand a few years ago. Some of this has washed away. A little swimming from piers and one or two places south, but the Split is the main area where folks swim.
* No municipal water or sewage system -- pipe water in many places smells strongly of sulphur.
* Best hotel on the island costs only about US$150 a night.
* Iguana Reef Inn and the rebuilt Seaside Cabanas are the most "upscale" choices for Caulker, and both have a pool.
* Other good low-moderate choices -- Tree Tops, Trends Beachfront, Shirley's, Anchorage, Jaguar Morning Star, Lazy Iguana B&B, Auxillou Beach Suites, Caye Caulker Condos, De Real Macaw, Maxhapan and others
* Good restaurants at the "top end" include Habaneros, Rasta Pasta, Don Corleone's ... and good food, too, at Rainbow Grill, Sand Box, Syd’s, and others
* Two or three dive shops do dive trips -- snorkeling and diving here are a little cheaper than San Pedro and Placencia ... the reef is just a few hundred feet out
* For booze and what action there is, hit the Lazy Lizard and I&I
* Rastas occasionally bug you
* No golf or tennis (golf available on Caye Chapel)
* Getting there is easy -- it's a US$7.50 water taxi ride from Belize City or San Pedro; also, by air on Maya Island or Tropic Air, US$60 from international, US$32 from municipal
