Driving in San Pedro Belize

Turning your page to a short story about everyday life in downtown San Pedro.

Yesterday, (Sunday) morning, I was fortunate enough to score the Lunch Box golf cart for two months. I am beyond excited and already putting it to good use today and making future trivia night plans with friends.

This afternoon, after dropping my friend Sanford off at Tropic Air, I decided to do some stationary store shopping on my way home. I got a mild shocker, when I walked out to my parked cart at the RVS store, only to realize that a motorcycle had pulled a “New Yorker” on me and double parked blocking me in.

Rather than get flustered, I unlocked the cart and sat down to study the scene and take a few pictures for you. As I looked around to consider where the double parker might be, I noticed there were two unlocked helmets on the bike, which was a good sign that the owner was only parked for a fast errand. Restaurants and grocery shopping were the two main likely possibilities.

A few minutes later, both the passenger and owner of the motorbike turned up. No sooner did he pull out, when a cart full of women and children pulled in beside me (since the double parker had freed up the option of two store front parking spaces.) I backed out with a smile on my face and went on my merry way to the other end of Back Street to buy a jar of coffee and thinking ” “that’s So San Pedro.”

As far as the unofficial road rules, they are wide open. You will see many wheeled vehicles doing things that they shouldn’t be doing, while driving around Ambergris Caye. For example, a parent doubling 2 kids on a bike at the same time, driving into oncoming traffic to pass a parked car, or in a moving vehicle driving one handed while talking on the phone.

My featured image shows a good example for some of the large objects you see people carrying on bicycles – this time it was a mid sized suitcase I saw last night on my way to get a vegetarian Asian Wrap at the Juice Dive Restaurant. Currently their new menu is fully plant based and very and very delicious. I have also tried the Korean Bulgogi bowl and would eat it again.

While on that outing I noticed something that was normal to living here but might take getting used to and might not even happen if you are visiting.

For some reason beyond my knowledge, my cart had been moved one full parking space forward.

June Weather San Pedro Belize

Current time and Temperature for Monday June 12, 2023. It’s 3:30 pm, hotter than two goats in a pepper patch and as sticky as a box of saltwater taffy on a warm summer day.  

June is the start of hurricane season and although we have not gotten a lot of rain so far, it’s a good idea to bring some sort of waterproofing options if you are planning a trip to Belize anytime between now and November. It’s smart to pack a lightweight rain coat and some sort of dry bag, the size depends on who you are traveling with and what activities you are planning. This one comes with a waterproof phone case. I also recommend phone sized quart sized ziploc bags in a pinch, they work great to waterproof yourself and your friends or family fast and take up very little of your precious packing space. (Links above will earn me a small commission if you are an amazon shopper.)

I will leave you with one last pic to show our powder blue skies with white fluffy clouds and the absence of rain in the rainy season. It’s also a great illustration of the quirky driving and sneaky short term parking around town.

I watched the cart to the left of the middle blue cart do a sneaky slide into a place beside someone who was already parked in a space that is generally free of parking – the front of the lottery store. 

Want to know more about Driving in Belize?

Click through If you want to know more about Getting around Ambergris Caye or 5 San Pedro Traffic Hot Spots.