San Pedro Town
San Pedro Town | |
|---|---|
| Town of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye | |
San Pedro Collage | |
| Nickname: | |
San Pedro Town Map of San Pedro metropolitan area | |
| Coordinates: 17°55′17″N 87°57′40″W / 17.92139°N 87.96111°W | |
| Country | Belize |
| District | Belize |
| Constituency | Belize Rural South |
| San Pedro | 1848 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Gualberto 'Wally' Nuñez |
| Area | |
• Total | 71 km2 (27.5 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 2 m (6.6 ft) |
| Population (2010) | |
• Total | 11,767 |
• Estimate (2016) | 17,429 |
| • Density | 165/km2 (428/sq mi) |
| Demonym | San Pedrano(a) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central) |
| Climate | Aw |
San Pedro is a town on the southern part of the island of Ambergris Caye in the Belize District of the nation of Belize, in Central America. According to the 2024 mid-year estimates, the town has a population of about 20,000. It is the second-largest town in the Belize District and largest in the Belize Rural South constituency. The once sleepy fishing village was granted the status of a town in 1984.
San Pedro's inhabitants are known as San Pedranos and most of them originally came from Mexico. Most speak both Spanish and English fluently. Due to the influence of English-based Kriol, most San Pedranos can speak English, as well as an intermediate form between English and Spanish that is known as "Kitchen Spanish". It is said that one is not a true San Pedrano if one does not know how to fish.
The town is said to be the inspiration for the song "La Isla Bonita" (which begins with the line "last night I dreamt of San Pedro"), written by Madonna, Patrick Leonard and Bruce Gaitsch. Manuel Heredia, minister of tourism in Belize commented that Madonna's song has helped to attract tourists to the town.