Ambergris Caye's long ribbon of beach (this one is at Mata Chica) is beautiful, although seagrass and shallow water near shore can make beach swimming less than ideal

BEACHES

If you come to Ambergris Caye for wide, sandy beaches and terrific beach swimming, you may at first be a little disappointed. Ambergris Caye hotel brochures tend to portray local beaches with delighted couples frolicking on the sand, but the reality is that the island's beaches are mostly only narrow strips of sand along the eastern shore, sometimes held in place by a seawall. Water at the shore is shallow, and most areas have heavy seagrass, making swimming not particularly enjoyable.

On the positive side, the view from the beaches of the turquoise water and barrier reef is spectacular, and at least when the offshore prevailing winds are blowing, which is most of the time, there are few mosquitoes or no-see-ums to bother you. And even more Positively Front Street, there are no Aruba or Cancun-style highrises on the beach, and Jamaica-style higglers to bug you.

A number of hotels remove the seagrass from parts of their beach or from a swimming area at the end of their pier. While not a good move environmentally, this does make the swimming more pleasant.

No one beach stands out as being outstandingly better than others. Indeed, except in areas of mangroves, there is a continuous narrow thread all along the Caribbean shore. For those in and near town, the beach at Ramon's Village is one of the best for swimming. Another above-average beach south of town is at Mar del Tumbo near Villas at Banyan Bay and Tropica Hotel. North Ambergris Caye has long stretches of beach that is tropically beautiful though, again, not especially wonderful for swimming. Some of the beaches on North Ambergris got a new load of sand, thanks to two fellers named Mitch and Keith.

Caution! Don't swim out too far from the beach or in areas heavily used by power boats. Several swimmers have been injured and even killed in accidents with boats.

SNORKELING

Ambergris Caye offers superb snorkeling. Unfortunately, to enjoy it best you'll need to take a short boat trip out from shore.

You can snorkel off the beach at your hotel or anywhere on the island, but you don't usually see too much. Still, it can be pleasant to float around and see what you can see off shore. A few areas on North Ambergris have some snorkeling close to shore.

The three most-popular areas for snorkeling from boats near Ambergris Caye are Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Shark-Sting Ray Alley and Mexico Rocks. A visit to Hol Chan and Shark-Ray Alley to the south of San Pedro (Shark-Ray Alley is now officially a part of the Hol Chan reserve) are usually combined into one trip, while Mexico Rocks to the north of town is usually a separate trip. Boat trips to either of these destinations cost around US$15 to $20 per adult, which usually includes snorkel mask and fin rental and a guide who will go into the water with you and point out the sights. Kids under about age 12 go for half price. There is an additional US$2.50 per-adult fee for admission to Hol Chan Reserve. The fee, which goes toward preservation of the Belize's parks, is collected at the reserve by rangers in power boats, so be sure to bring your money.

These snorkeling trips usually last two to three hours. Typically, snorkel boats go out once in the morning and once in the afternoon, more frequently during busy periods. A couple of dozen dive and snorkel operators offer snorkel trips. It is difficult to recommend one over another, as the quality of the experience depends on who is your guide on a particular trip and also the weather and sea conditions. However, see the list of recommended dive shops in the dive section below.

Note that boats cannot always go out, due to wind and weather conditions. When there's a strong wind or during "Northers" in the late fall and early winter, snorkeling is unpleasant at best and could be dangerous.

Night snorkeling trips also are available, at around US$20 to $25 per person. Night snorkelers may see lobster, eels, octopus and other creatures.

The Hol Chan Marine Reserve, about 4 miles south of San Pedro, is a 5-square-mile underwater national park established by the Belize government in 1987. Because fishing is prohibited in the reserve, there is a considerable amount of sea life. At the cut here, you may expect to see large groupers, nurse sharks, sting rays, moray and other eels, spadefish, schoolmasters and other fish. Much of the bottom is sandy, but you also will see bright coral. Depth is fairly shallow at between 5 to 30 feet. Visibility is usually good, at 50 to 60 feet or more, with late spring having the best water viz.

Snorkel boats such as this one gather at Hol Chan and Shark-Ray Alley. Look carefully -- you can see nurse sharks in the water where the girl is pointing.

You will not be alone. As many as 15 or 20 snorkel boats may congregate at one time. In fact, it's a good idea to make a mental note of the name or identifying colors of your boat, so you don't swim back to the wrong boat. With so many snorkelers and divers - although the total number is nothing like popular snorkeling areas in Mexico or the United States Virgin Islands - the environment here has suffered some damage, despite the designation of the area as a reserve. Do not touch the coral with your hands or fins, and do not feed or touch the fish.

Caution! Tidal currents here can be quite strong. Weak swimmers or younger children may tire quickly swimming against the current. Ask your guide about the strength of the current at the time you are there, and let the guide know if you are not a good swimmer or have any disability. Don't be shy about accepting a life jacket.

Shark- Ray Alley is a shallow cut to the south of Hol Chan where nurse sharks and sting rays congregate. Guides sometimes chum to attract the sharks, and you can jump in and swim with them. It's not half as scary as it sounds, and most of the people who come on the snorkel boats do get in the water here.

At Mexico Rocks, off North Ambergris opposite a former coconut plantation, you may not see as many fish as at Hol Chan, but the coral is beautiful. Also, this area is protected from ocean swells and currents, so it makes for easier snorkeling. Depth is only about 6 to 12 feet, so you can see everything up close. Water viz is about the same as at Hol Chan, 50 feet or more.

Catamarans and other vessels based in San Pedro visit some of Belize's other cayes and atolls, on longer trips for snorkeling and picnics. You typically pay US$35 to $75 for these trips, depending on the length of the trip, where you go and whether lunch and drinks are included. San Pedro also has several glass-bottom boats which offer trips for around US$20.

It's a long way to go for snorkeling, but Belize's atolls offer good snorkeling in shallow water around patch reefs. Day snorkel trips to Lighthouse or Turneffe atolls run about US$100, including lunch and snacks.

"Hello there, Miz Ray, h'ya doing on this fine afternoon?"

DIVING

Some resort owners in San Pedro would have you believe the diving around Ambergris Caye is among the best in the Caribbean. It is not. The diving immediately around Ambergris Caye is easily accessible and enjoyable but few would call it world-class. Outside the Hol Chan area, heavy fishing has reduced the size and quantity of fish. You won't see the huge lobster here that you do around Cozumel, which has for many years controlled fishing and lobstering. There is also some environmental degradation to the reef due to heavy use, although permanent mooring buoys at some sites have reduced anchor damage.

Still, novice or recreational divers will enjoy the shallow dives and get to see a good variety of sea life and coral. Those willing to make a larger investment in time and money can use San Pedro as a base for day trips to distant cayes and atolls, which definitely do offer some of the best diving in all of the Caribbean. Diving around the atolls is mostly wall diving, while diving around Ambergris is spur-and-groove with some deep canyons, swim throughs and reef cuts.

Wave action from Hurricanes Mitch and Keith did only limited damage to dive sites around Ambergris Caye. It destroyed some fragile coral, such as elk horn and seafans, especially near the water surface, and caused temporary loss of pigmentation in hard coral, but it scoured out green algae and cleaned out sand.

One of the good things about Ambergris Caye, in the eyes of many, is that it does not cater only to divers. Indeed, the majority of visitors to the island now are not divers, and this means that those who don't dive will not feel they are just extra baggage on a dive machine. Ambergris Caye offers a good mix of dive and non-dive activities. Those who wish to do nothing but dive, eat, sleep, and dive may be better off choosing a dive lodge on one of the remote atolls or a live-aboard dive boat.

Among the popular dive sites around Ambergris Caye are Hol Chan Cut, Tackle Box Canyon, Punta Arena Canyons, Tres Cocos and Basil Jones Canyons.

Two-tank dives around Ambergris Caye typically go for US$45 to $60, averaging US$50. One-tank dives are about US$20 less; three-tank dives about US$20 more. Rates usually include tanks, weights and belts. Other equipment is extra; US$20 is about average for a full set of gear.

Those looking for even better diving likely will consider diving one of Belize's atolls. These are Pacific-style atolls with coral islands surrounding a fairly shallow lagoon. Only four true atolls exist in the Western Hemisphere; three of them are off Belize. Belize's three atolls are Turneffe, Lighthouse and Glover's. Turneffe and Lighthouse are closest to Ambergris Caye and are practical day trips.

For the more-serious diver, there is variety enough here to make for many weeks of diving. Visibility is terrific, often 150 feet or more. While many of the sites are best for intermediate and advanced divers, some are suitable for novice divers.

From San Pedro, expect to pay about US$125 to US$185 for a day trip to Lighthouse or Turneffe, depending on the number of dives. Lunch is usually included. A typical trip to Lighthouse takes one and a half hours or a little longer each way, includes three dives, lunch and snacks and costs about US$150 per person. Note that sometimes dive trips are canceled if not enough divers sign up for a specific trip.

The Turneffe Islands are about 20 miles east of Belize City. This is the largest atoll and the closest to the mainland. It differs somewhat from the other two atolls in that most of the islands here are densely covered in mangroves, especially on the west side. Black Beauty, Myrtle's Turtle and Mauger Caye (north of the atoll, with a lighthouse) are among the popular dive sites here. Mauger is known for its sharks.

Lighthouse Reef is about 60 miles east of Belize City. Lighthouse is home to Half Moon Caye Natural Monument, comprising about 15 square miles of atoll plus another 15 square miles of surrounding waters. Protected as a marine reserve since 1981, Lighthouse teems with birds, including a nesting colony of rare red-footed boobies. Under water life is also rich here, with dolphins and other creatures.

At Lighthouse also is the Blue Hole, a limestone sinkhole several hundred feet across and more than 400 feet deep, made famous by Jacques Cousteau. Divers usually report that while the Blue Hole is worth doing once, it is more spectacular when seen from the air then from underwater.

Glover's Reef is about 30 miles east of Dangriga. The perimeter of the atoll has elk horn coral forests. Here and in a deeper sandy area is a great variety of fish and sea life, including many sharks. Shark Point, northeast of North Caye with its lighthouse, is well-known for hammerhead and tiger sharks.

San Pedro has the country's only hyperbaric chamber. It's located near the airstrip. Most dive shops ask for a small donation with each tank fill which goes toward funding the chamber.

For those who don't dive but would like to, several Ambergris Caye dive shops offer courses and training. A resort course costs about US$125. This includes classroom training, practice in a pool or in the water, and an actual dive, usually at Hol Chan. Complete open water certification runs US$350 to $400 and requires four days. For those who have completed classroom instruction elsewhere, the two-day open water training is about US$200.

Dive Shops: Dive operations and their principals come and go, so it's always a good idea to check locally for current recommendations, but here are some of the Ambergris Caye dive shops recommended by knowledgeable divers and readers of this magazine. It is not an exhaustive list. Note that most dive shops also offer snorkel trips.

Amigos del Mar Dive Shop, tel. 501-2-62706, fax 2-62648, e-mail amigosdive@btl.net. This shop, on a pier near the center of San Pedro Town, is probably the most consistently recommended on the island.

Blue Hole Dive Shop, tel. 501-2-62982, fax 2-62981, e-mail bluehole@btl.net

Hustler Tours Pro Dive Shop, tel. 501-2-62279, fax 2-63468, e-mail hustler@btl.net

Ramon's Village, tel. 501-2-62071, fax 2-62214, e-mail ramons@btl.net

Adventures in Watersports, tel./fax 501-2-63706, e-mail advwtrspt@btl.net

FISHING

The waters around Ambergris Caye offer a great variety of saltwater fishing. Most types of fish, including bone fish and tarpon, can be caught year-round. Within 15 minutes of leaving the dock, you can be fishing in tidal flats or in blue water hundreds of feet deep.

Cost for charters depends on the type of fishing (reef, deep sea, or bone and tarpon), the size of the boat, number of anglers, time of year and current bank balance of the captain, but expect to pay around US$100 to $200 per person for a full day's reef and deep sea fishing trip, including bait and tackle, beer, soft drinks and lunch.

Ask locally for current information on fishing guides. Rubie's Hotel is a good place to start. El Pescador on North Ambergris is a small hotel that specializes in fishing packages.