Hol Chan Marine Reserve
Belize's most visited marine reserve — Hol Chan's channel cut through the barrier reef teams with nurse sharks, rays, sea turtles and thousands of reef fish in crystal-clear Caribbean water.
SPR · MZSP · Belize
San Pedro John Greif II Airport
San Pedro, Ambergris Caye — Ambergris Caye. 5 min to San Pedro town / 10 min to most resorts.
Runway
915m
Surface
Asphalt
Elevation
9m
Hours
6am-8pm
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Airport at a glance
San Pedro, Ambergris Caye — Belize
The runway at San Pedro is in the town. Not near it — in it. Golf carts wait at the fence, the main street is a two-minute walk, and the barrier reef is visible from the beach a few hundred metres east. Ambergris Caye is Belize's largest island and its principal destination, and the compression of the arrival is a large part of why.
The airport was renamed John Greif II in 2010, after the founder of Tropic Air, for which it remains a hub.
At 1 metre (4 ft) elevation — effectively at sea level, on a sand caye. ICAO: MZSP. Coordinates: 17°54′50″N, 87°58′16″W. Daylight operations. Tropic Air and Maya Island Air operate to Belize City International, Belize City Municipal, Caye Caulker and Corozal.
This is a short daylight-only island strip: Cessna Caravan and Islander class, with baggage limits enforced.
Getting there
San Pedro John Greif II Airport — Getting there
The Corozal link is the one people miss: it is the practical route to the Mexican border at Chetumal, avoiding the whole length of Belize by road.
| Belize City Municipal | ~15 min | 75–90 min |
| Belize City International | ~20 min | — |
| Caye Caulker | ~8 min | ~30 min |
| Corozal | ~20 min | — |
| Placencia | ~45 min | — |
Nearby
Things to do near San Pedro, Ambergris Caye
Hol Chan Marine Reserve, at the southern tip of the caye, is a cut through the reef where the channel concentrates fish in extraordinary density — Belize's first marine reserve, established in 1987. Shark Ray Alley, inside it, is a shallow site where nurse sharks and southern stingrays gather; it began as a spot where fishermen cleaned their catch and is now the most-visited snorkel site in the country.
The Great Blue Hole is 70 kilometres east at Lighthouse Reef — a 300-metre-wide, 125-metre-deep collapsed cave system, and one of the most photographed pieces of water on earth. Diving it is a full-day boat trip; the scenic flight over it is the alternative and, for non-divers, the better one.
Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve, at the caye's northern end near the Mexican border, is part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing and considerably wilder than the south.
San Pedro. Made internationally famous by a Madonna song in 1986 and by the fact that the island has resisted becoming Cancún. Golf carts are the standard transport. The town runs along three parallel streets — historically Front, Middle and Back. Secret Beach, on the western lagoon side, has become the island's main sunset destination and is no longer remotely secret.
North of the town the caye narrows and the development thins; the far north, past the bridge, holds the quieter resorts.
San Pedro was a fishing village until the 1960s, and the shift is more recent than the resorts suggest. The lobster co-operative founded in that decade organised the island's economy for a generation before tourism overtook it, and the Lobster Fest each June is the surviving expression of it.
A toll bridge crosses the river north of town; beyond it the caye narrows and the development thins out quickly. The approach into SPR runs parallel to the reef, and on a clear morning the barrier and the drop-off are visible from the aircraft before you land.
Secret Beach, on the lagoon side of the caye, is now the island's main sunset gathering point — a shallow, flat-water bar reached by a rough track across the middle of the island, and no longer remotely secret. The windward side is the opposite: Playa Bluff, on the exposed east coast, has the island's best surf, the worst swimming and the turtle nesting beach.
Shark Ray Alley
One of Belize's most thrilling snorkel experiences — nurse sharks and southern stingrays swarm around snorkelers and divers at this legendary shallow site in Hol Chan Marine Reserve.
Great Blue Hole
Ambergris Caye's signature dive expedition — overnight live-aboard or private day charter to the Great Blue Hole atoll, where stalactite formations descend to 125 meters of deep blue clarity.
Premium Diving — Ambergris Caye
World-class barrier reef diving from Ambergris Caye — private dive guides, exclusive dive sites beyond the tourist routes, and encounters with whale sharks, eagle rays and hawksbill turtles.
Offshore Sport Fishing
Deep sea fishing from Ambergris Caye — marlin, sailfish, wahoo and mahi-mahi beyond the atoll, plus world-class flats fishing for permit and bonefish in the shallow lagoons.
Fly Fishing — Ambergris Caye
Premier fly fishing destination in the Caribbean — Ambergris Caye's extensive flats hold large permit, bonefish and tarpon in gin-clear water with experienced local guides.
Private Island Charter — Cayes Hopping
Exclusive private boat charters from Ambergris Caye — day trips to deserted cayes, picnics on private sandbars and sunset cruises along the world's most beautiful barrier reef.
Private Catamaran Charters
Luxury catamaran day charters from San Pedro — sailing the barrier reef, swimming at remote cayes, snorkeling with rays and ending with sundowners on the Caribbean horizon.
VIP Snorkeling Tours
Private snorkeling experiences at Ambergris Caye's finest sites — Hol Chan, Shark Ray Alley and the pristine back-reef lagoons, with gourmet picnics and personal naturalist guides.
Where to stay
Hotels near San Pedro, Ambergris Caye
When to fly
When to fly
Dry season roughly February to May; wet June to November, though Ambergris is drier than southern Belize. Hurricane season June to November with peak risk August to October. Northers between December and February bring strong winds, reduce visibility on the reef and make the water taxi crossings unpleasant.
FAQ
San Pedro John Greif II Airport — Frequently asked questions
Where is San Pedro Airport?
In San Pedro town on Ambergris Caye, at 1 m elevation. ICAO: MZSP. It was renamed John Greif II in 2010.
How long is the flight from Belize City to San Pedro?
About 15 minutes from the Municipal (TZA) or 20 from the International (BZE), against 75 to 90 minutes by water taxi.
What is Hol Chan?
Belize's first marine reserve, established in 1987, at the southern tip of Ambergris Caye — a reef cut with exceptional fish density, including Shark Ray Alley.
Can I visit the Blue Hole from San Pedro?
Yes — it is 70 km east at Lighthouse Reef, reached by a full-day dive boat or by scenic flight, which is the better option for non-divers.
What are the baggage limits?
Domestic flights in Belize typically limit passengers to around 25 to 40 pounds. This is enforced.
Is there transport on Ambergris Caye?
Golf carts, principally. There are very few cars.