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Travel to San Pedro, Belize or Caye Caulker, Belize from Chetumal, Mexico is quite easy to do by using one of the water taxis available in Chetumal. The other slighlty cheaper option is to travel over land but this is going to take a couple more hours of travel so it won’t be discussed here. The marine terminal is located at the southern most point in the city off Bahia Blvd near Independencia Avenue. The Maritime Terminal of Chetumal can actually be seen on Google maps and distinguished by the long dock if you zoom in. At the end of this dock you will find the ticket counters on the right for the two companies that offer services. These companies are Water Jets International (which we have used) or Belize Express. Only one of the taxis run on any given day so which company you use will depend on your day of travel. They both offer the option to purchase/reserve online and also recommend getting your tickets in advance. We purchased the day before at the terminal and did not use the online option, however, we did travel in the low season of mid September. The cost is $55 USD on the websites but we were charged $60 USD by Belize Express and Riley (7 years old) was charged $50 USD to go to Caye Caulker. The trip ending in San Pedro is about $5 USD cheaper. They do not take credit cards at the terminal so be sure to have enough cash on hand. They will give you the necessary custom and arrival forms for Belizean Immigration when you purchase your tickets. You should also make note of the vessel number and company which will be required for your Belize Arrival Form. This was in the window of the ticket counter.
On your day of travel, you will need to go through Mexican immigration. The window opens at 2pm so it is recommended to get there at that time to begin the process. The immigration officer will then process and take your Mexican tourist card which was given to you upon arrival to the country. You will also be asked to pay the tourist tax of 500 pesos per person. They do not accept credit cards either so be sure to have cash for this fee. It is possible you have already paid this tax if you took a flight into Mexico so it is best to check. I have read that an itemized flight receipt will have a UK code that you will need to show the immigration officer to prove you paid. If you can’t prove that you paid the tax (like us) then you will have to pay. Please note there is an ATM at the white judicial building (up the steps) to the left as you exit the dock if you need more pesos.
Each person will be required to pay 500MXN to leave the country so be sure to have this cash before going through Mexican immigration.
You will be waiting to board your taxi now but luckily there is free wifi at the terminal. There is also a shop there to buy drinks and snacks. The departure time for Water Jets is 3:00pm and Belize Express is 3:30pm. Around the time of boarding, the taxi service will take your checked luggage and place it on the boat for you. Passengers will be asked to place their carry-on belongings in the middle of the immigration waiting area where an armed officer from the marina security team will have a dog scan the luggage. There are clear warnings in the bathrooms regarding transport of illegal drugs so I can only assume this security check is not for explosives. Once the dog is finished, everyone picks up their carry-on luggage. The boarding process will now begin you a line will form in front on the boat. Since there aren’t assigned seats, I would recommend getting to the front of the line so you have your choice seat and possibly sitting in a seat with a comfy fan right above your head. The 90 minute ride to San Pedro will be loud from the three outboard engines so consider having your headphones or earplugs handy. Our particular trip was very smooth but I am sure it can be choppy depending on the weather. The landing in San Pedro is on the west side of the island. You will exit the boat and your luggage will be handed to you on the dock.
At this point, you will go through a three step process. The first desk will be the immigration officer who will stamp your passport and process the Belize Arrival Form. Please be sure this form is filled out in entirety including the vessel number and company. The next desk (5 feet away) is the customs officer who will take the customs form (1 per family) given to you by the taxi company. The last step is at the desk across the room is where you will be entered in to the immigration database and pay your fee to enter the country. I can’t find any posts regarding this small fee or why we were charged so we paid it and went on our way.
The fee to enter Belize is $3 BZD and must be paid in cash.
They take other currencies. We paid $3 USD (Riley was free) for both of us and a group of 6 in front of us paid $8 USD. If you don’t have any money, they will take your passport and allow you to go to the ATM a few blocks away. If San Pedro is your final destination then you are finished with immigration and your Belizian vacation can begin. Going to Caye Caulker requires one more boat ride. After you pay your fee, you will be redirected back to the dock where you arrived to board a different vessel going to Caye Caulker. The trip takes about 30 minutes and will land you on the west side of the island. There are golf cart taxis waiting to take passengers to their final destinations on the island.
Arriving in Caye Caulker around 7pm after some delays in the trip.
