Traveling to San Pedro Town on Ambergris Caye has become more expensive once again, this time due to the continued rise in fuel prices. Recent fare adjustments by local airlines and water taxi operators are expected to impact both residents and visitors traveling to the island.
The new rates include increases in airfares to and from Ambergris Caye. Belize’s two domestic airlines, Tropic Air and Maya Island Air, announced fare adjustments, citing continued increases in global oil prices and aviation fuel costs. Both airlines noted that the increases vary by destination.
On average, domestic flight surcharges have increased by approximately BZ$6, while surcharges for flights to Philip Goldson International Airport have increased by approximately BZ$10. Tropic Air, which also services international routes, reportedly increased some of those fares by approximately BZ$20. The airlines said they will continue to monitor fuel costs and communicate any future fare adjustments to customers.
Another popular option for travel to the cayes is by water taxi. Round-trip fares with San Pedro Belize Express have increased between BZ$2 and BZ$6, depending on the route and ticket type. For example, the round-trip fare between Belize City and Ambergris Caye increased from BZ$81 to BZ$83. The company also noted that passengers using membership cards saw an increase of BZ$6 and will now pay BZ$77.
Fares with Caribbean Sprinter have also increased, with a BZ$2 surcharge added to all routes. In contrast, Thunderbolt Water Taxi, which services the Ambergris Caye–Corozal Town route, said its fares remain unchanged for now. At the time of publication, the one-way fare between Ambergris Caye and Corozal Town remained at BZ$65.
These increases, however, have apparently not been approved by the Belize Port Authority (BPA). The Ports Commissioner, Kaylon Young, told the media that they had received a request for the increase, but had not approved it yet. He added that the BPA is looking into the matter that water taxi operators are already applying the requested increase to passengers without approval. As of March 10th, no updates had taken place, and the new rates remained.
The cost of travel to the cayes has steadily increased over the years. Some commuters told The Sun that the days of round-trip boat fares costing around BZ$50 or less are long gone. The last water taxi fare adjustment followed the Belize Port Authority’s increase of the Passenger User Fee from BZ$2 to BZ$3 on January 1st, 2025. Following that change, San Pedro Belize Express was the first operator to increase ticket prices by BZ$2 for round-trip fares and BZ$1 for one-way trips between Belize City and Ambergris Caye.
In the meantime, the bus fares on the mainland have not increased. While the Belize Bus Association requested higher fares due to the fuel price hike, the Ministry of Transport has ruled out fare increases and stated that any unapproved increases by operators are illegal.
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