Charter — Ambergris Caye
Private air charter from Belize City's domestic terminal (TZA) to Ambergris Caye — the fastest and most comfortable way to reach Belize's premier luxury island destination.
TZA · MZBE · Belize
Sir Barry Bowen Municipal Airport
Belize City — Belize City (domestic). 5 min to city center / primary domestic hub.
Runway
975m
Surface
Asphalt
Elevation
5m
Hours
6am-8pm
Book your private flight from Belize City
Airport at a glance
Belize City — Belize
The Municipal is a strip of tarmac on the sea edge of Belize City, one mile from the city centre, and it exists for one purpose: getting people to the cayes faster than a boat can.
It was renamed for Barry Bowen, the Belizean entrepreneur — brewer, conservationist, owner of the Chan Chich estate — who died in a light aircraft accident in 2010. Belizeans still generally call it the Municipal.
At 2 metres (8 ft) elevation, on the eastern shore of Belize City. ICAO: MZBE. Coordinates: 17°31′03″N, 88°11′45″W. Daylight operations, served by Tropic Air and Maya Island Air.
This is a short daylight-only strip: Cessna Caravan and Islander class, with strict weight discipline.
Getting there
Sir Barry Bowen Municipal Airport — Getting there
San Pedro on Ambergris Caye is about 15 minutes from TZA. The water taxi from Belize City takes 75 to 90 minutes and is genuinely rough in a norther. Caye Caulker is about 10 minutes by air against 45 minutes by boat.
That is a modest saving in absolute terms, but it compounds. For a traveller landing at BZE, transferring into the city, and then taking a boat, the day disappears. For a traveller already in Belize City, the Municipal is a ten-minute drive and the flight is a coffee.
The Municipal also handles most of the private and charter movement around Belize City, and it is the departure point of choice for the reef and Blue Hole scenic flights.
Check which airport your booking says. Belize City has two airports and booking systems frequently list both simply as "Belize City". They are not the same airport. Philip S. W. Goldson International (BZE) is at Ladyville, 12 kilometres out; Sir Barry Bowen Municipal (TZA) is one mile from the centre.
They serve different functions, and arriving at the wrong one costs a half-hour taxi and, often, a missed departure. Check the three-letter code on your booking before you set out — BZE and TZA, not the city name.
| San Pedro | ~15 min | 75–90 min by boat |
| Caye Caulker | ~10 min | ~45 min by boat |
Nearby
Things to do near Belize City
The country's largest city and its former capital, until Hurricane Hattie flattened it in 1961 and the government moved inland to Belmopan. It retains the colonial waterfront, the Swing Bridge over Haulover Creek — one of the last manually operated swing bridges in the world, still turned by hand — and the Museum of Belize in the old colonial gaol.
The Baron Bliss Lighthouse and tomb sit at the harbour mouth, memorialising an English baronet who never set foot ashore, died aboard his yacht in the harbour in 1926, and left his fortune to the country. Belize still observes Baron Bliss Day on 9 March.
The Museum of Belize occupies the old colonial gaol on Gabourel Lane and holds the national collection — Maya jade and ceramics downstairs, the colonial and independence record upstairs, and the original cells left intact.
The Fort George district, at the harbour point, is the oldest surviving quarter: colonial wooden houses on stilts, the lighthouse, and the tomb of Baron Bliss, an English baronet who never once came ashore, died aboard his yacht in the harbour in 1926, and left his fortune to a country he had only seen from the water. Belize still observes Baron Bliss Day on 9 March.
The Swing Bridge over Haulover Creek is one of the last manually operated swing bridges anywhere, still turned by hand with a winch when a vessel needs through.
Charter — Caye Caulker
Private air transfer to Caye Caulker — Belize's laid-back coral island, with car-free streets, brilliant snorkeling in the split, and the frontier atmosphere of the barrier reef.
Helicopter — Great Blue Hole
The ultimate Belize aerial experience — private helicopter from TZA over the barrier reef and out to the Lighthouse Atoll's iconic Great Blue Hole, the world's most photographed dive site.
Private Sport Fishing Tours
Private fishing charters departing Belize City — flats fishing for permit, bonefish and tarpon in the lagoons and atolls of the Belize barrier reef system.
VIP Coastal Navigation — Belize
Exclusive private vessel tours along the Belizean coast — the cayes, the reef, sunset cruises and overnight charters to the remote atolls of Lighthouse Reef and Glover's Reef.
Kayak Expedition — Belize Cayes
Multi-day sea kayak expedition from Belize City through the inner cayes — camping on deserted sand islands, paddling the back-reef lagoon and snorkeling pristine coral that no day-trip boat ever reaches.
Night Dive — Belize Barrier Reef
Private night dive on the Belize barrier reef from TZA — octopus hunting, bioluminescent plankton, sleeping parrotfish and the completely different ecosystem that emerges on the reef after dark.
Helicopter — Belize Cayes Aerial
Private helicopter from Belize City's domestic terminal over the barrier reef — the extraordinary blue-green lagoon, the cayes, the reef crest and the deep blue Atlantic beyond, with commentary from a reef ecologist onboard.
Where to stay
Hotels near Belize City
When to fly
When to fly
Caribbean pattern: dry roughly February to May, wet June to November, hurricane season June to November with peak risk August to October. Northers between December and February make the boat crossings unpleasant, which is precisely when the flight is worth most.
FAQ
Sir Barry Bowen Municipal Airport — Frequently asked questions
Where is the Belize City Municipal Airport?
One mile from downtown Belize City, on the sea edge, at 2 m elevation. ICAO: MZBE.
Is TZA the same as BZE?
No. They are 12 kilometres apart. BZE (Philip S. W. Goldson International) at Ladyville handles all international traffic; TZA handles domestic traffic to the cayes and is much closer to the city.
How long is the flight from TZA to San Pedro?
About 15 minutes, against 75 to 90 minutes by water taxi.
How long to Caye Caulker?
About 10 minutes, against roughly 45 minutes by boat.
Who was Sir Barry Bowen?
A Belizean entrepreneur and conservationist who died in a light aircraft accident in 2010. The airport was renamed in his honour.
Can private charters use TZA?
Yes — it handles most private and charter movement around Belize City, including reef and Blue Hole scenic flights.