Are you traveling to Belize and wondering “Is Caye Caulker worth visiting”? Are you considering whether to stay in Caye Caulker or Ambergris Caye? Do you want to know what things to do in Caye Caulker? I had the same questions before my husband and I decided to book our first trip to Caye Caulker Belize this winter. We wanted to go somewhere we had never been before and were uncertain what Caye Caulker would be like.
My husband and I look forward to an escape from Canada’s cold winters each year and usually, we travel to a destination like Cuba or Thailand that has white sand beaches, and clear water that is ideal for swimming. We spent a week exploring the island and we loved the beautiful sunsets, laid-back vibe, great food, and abundant sea life. I knew that Caye Caulker was not known for its beaches but I have to admit that we were a bit disappointed by the limited options to swim in the sea and the seaweed along most of the beaches. If you are planning a trip to Belize I would encourage you to do some research first. I believe the answer to whether Caye Caulker is worth visiting largely depends on what you are expecting, your budget, and what type of vacation you want.
My travel guide covers our honest impressions of Caye Caulker, and useful travel tips including how to get there, the best things to do, places to eat, and where to stay.
This guest post was written by Jennifer from Illuminated Experiences.
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Is Caye Caulker Worth Visiting? 10 Things we loved about Caye Caulker
Easy to navigate
Caye Caulker is a very small island and is only about a mile wide and four miles long. You can see across the island and it took us only about 5 minutes to walk from one side to the other. We quickly figured out the layout of the central area and could walk anywhere we wanted to go in just a few minutes.
Bikes were available for rent at a reasonable cost of about 15 Belize dollars or USD 7.50 a day. You could easily bike around the south side of the island in about an hour or take the Split to Split ferry to the north side to explore. If you want a ride there are golf cart taxis or rentals everywhere but no cars.
Chill vibe
We wanted a very relaxing vacation, where we would not have to rush around, and could laze around in a hammock or beach chair for most of our trip. Caye Caulker’s motto is “go slow” and you will notice the unhurried pace of most visitors to the island. If you are looking for this type of experience you will enjoy your stay at Caye Caulker.
English is the official language
If you are like us and only speak English you will find it very easy to visit Belize because this is their official language. All the signs, menus, and communication are in English so this makes it straightforward for visitors from North America or other English-speaking countries.
Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System
One thing Belize is famous for is the Belize Barrier Reef. It’s the largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere and the second-largest reef in the world after Australia. It is a stunning place to see at least once in your life with crystal clear water, colorful corals, and underwater caves. We spent a day on a snorkeling tour with stops in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley and the scenery and sea life were incredible. There are many nearby sites to dive including the Caye Caulker Marine Reserve or the famous Blue Hole. If you are looking for a great place to fish Belize is the perfect place to catch a fresh snapper for dinner.
Abundant sea life
I live in a landlocked prairie province in Canada, and I don’t have the opportunity to see marine life very often. During our snorkeling tour, I was amazed to see sharks, sting rays, eels, sea horses, turtles, manatees, and a wide array of fish nearly everywhere we went. Sting rays swim up to the shore at the Iguana Reef Hotel each afternoon, and massive tarpons jump out of the water to catch fish from the hands of tourists. I had never experienced anything like this before and as the locals would say it was unBelizeable!
Gorgeous sunsets
Every evening locals and visitors gathered to watch the sunset with a drink. One night we booked a sunset cruise and enjoyed the view from a catamaran. The sunsets were spectacular and it was an incredible way to end each day.
Food
The food in Belize was delicious with a wide range of restaurants serving everything from Fry Jacks to curries, to BBQ meat and seafood. I’m not the biggest seafood fan but I enjoyed one of the freshest lobsters I’ve ever eaten pulled from the water to a grill along the beach. You won’t find any chains or fancy high-end restaurants but you will find local hangouts with tasty food and a laid-back atmosphere.
Friendly locals
People were easygoing and friendly during our Belize travel, and because the island is so small you will likely see them again. Caye Caulker felt very safe and welcoming, and we enjoyed chatting with locals and other tourists wherever we went.
Live music
We love live music and there were several bars and restaurants where we could listen to local musicians play each night. If you want to sing yourself there are karaoke nights and other activities at the local bars and restaurants.
Is Caye Caulker Worth Visiting? 5 things you might not enjoy about Caye Caulker
Lack of swimmable beaches
While there were plenty of docks and beaches that were beautiful to take photos of you could not wade in the water or swim without a lot of seaweed. The water was not too deep and was clear, but the ground was covered in seagrass so it didn’t have the white sandy beaches we love to swim in.
Near the shore is a lot of sargassum, brown-colored algae that can sometimes have a strong odor. There was a swimming area near the Split that had pretty clear water for swimming most days but the same algae can wash up there as well at times. It can also be pretty noisy at the Split with loud music blaring all day which is not relaxing. The public “beach” was nothing more than cement with a dusting of sand where you could climb down the metal ladder to swim.
We knew before we came that there wouldn’t be a lot of beaches for swimming so we rented a condo that had both a pool and a rooftop hot tub. It was worth it and we spent several days there relaxing and cooling off. Many accommodations on Caye Caulker don’t have a pool though so this is something to keep in mind.
Limited variety of activities
If you are looking for a relaxing holiday like us you will enjoy just hanging around in a hammock, watching the sunset, walking around, eating, and drinking. It is a small place though so if you are an active person who likes to constantly see and do new things you might get a bit bored.
The snorkeling tours and diving sites are great, and you can rent bikes, kayaks, and other equipment, but unless you want that type of activity each day you may run out of new things to do after a while. You can leave the island and take a water taxi to other places like mainland Belize or San Pedro on Ambergris Caye but this can be costly, time-consuming, and a bit of a hassle.
Expensive
We found Belize to be a very expensive place to visit compared to other parts of the Caribbean and Central America like Mexico. You should expect to pay a lot for accommodation that is not particularly high-end but is comfortable enough.
Since Caye Caulker is an island, nearly everything you buy is shipped in from somewhere else and it comes at a premium. There was a 17% percent tax on virtually everything we bought in Belize, including food. You can get a bargain for food at some of the food stands or off-the-beaten-path takeaway booths, but you need to look around. Wine is super expensive, so I didn’t have any, but rum or rum-based drinks were reasonably priced.
Tour prices were amongst the most expensive I have seen in any country for what we received. We paid $300 as a couple to drive across the mainland and visit the Mayan ruins for about an hour and a half one day. Our six-hour snorkeling trip was on a small motorboat with no toilet or ability to stop anywhere for a $90 price per person.
Lack of high-end amenities, unavailable supplies, and different standards of living
Caye Caulker is not the place to go for luxurious resorts, restaurants, or a five-star experience. There are no hotel chains, and most accommodations are basic and rustic like wooden cottages, small hotels, hostels, or condo rentals. It is hard to get inexpensive lodging that is also nice looking. Public bathrooms, including those in restaurants, leave a lot to be desired. We found it difficult to find certain types of food as all of the grocery stores seemed to stock the same products. Vegans or vegetarians may find it challenging to find good food options at a reasonable price.
One night I wanted to take a shower and was surprised to find that all of the water was turned off in our condo. I found out later that they were doing some upgrades to the island’s water infrastructure, and no one had water on the island during the night for about five nights in a row. Locals were filling up buckets to ensure they didn’t run out. Once we knew it was turned off only late at night it was fine, but we quickly realized that you can’t expect things to be available all the time.
The “roads” are dirt tracks that are also the main walkway for pedestrians. It is a bit of a free-for-all with everyone passing through at the same time. You have to pay attention and watch your surroundings to avoid getting run over by a golf cart or bike. No one seems to use basic safety equipment like a bike helmet. Dogs run around everywhere around the island sometimes even coming into the restaurants to beg for a treat. This didn’t bother us but I mention it because it might be a problem for some.
Slow pace
Caye Caulker is proud of its “go slow” motto and this can be a positive because it forces you to relax and take it easy. That being said, it can be frustrating when service at the restaurant is really, really slow or ferries arrive 30 minutes behind schedule when you have to catch a flight.
We were in Caye Caulker for only a week, and I wanted to book a sunset cruise and a snorkeling tour. When I tried to book these tours even 3 or 4 days ahead, I was told that it was too early and they didn’t know if they would be going ahead with the tour or not. They said to check at 3 pm to see if they were going ahead with a sunset sailing cruise at 5 pm and if they didn’t go I could try to book again the next day.
As someone who has traveled internationally to see Belize, I was hoping for more certainty that I would not miss out because I had a limited number of “tomorrows” to rebook. In the end, it all worked out as I wanted but it can be a bit unnerving if you want to do something and have to wait and see if it will happen or not.
How to get to Caye Caulker
Your options to get to Caye Caulker are to fly or take a ferry from Belize City. Flights and ferries depart multiple times a day going each way. The two domestic airlines from Belize City are Maya Island Air and Tropic Air and a one-way flight costs about $86-$125 for a 10-15 minute flight in a small prop plane. It’s a little chaotic in the Belize airport catching a domestic flight as they typically just yell out your name, and it can be unclear when you are boarding. The planes are hot, with no A/C but, it is a quick way to travel, and the views are pretty.
There are two ferry companies – the San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi and Caribbean Sprinter. We prebooked our tickets online for about $24 for a one-way ticket on the San Pedro Express. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to travel between Belize City and Caye Caulker by ferry. It is comfortable, has a luggage hold, and drops you off in the center of Caye Caulker’s central area. Expect ferries to be late, allow plenty of time, and factor that into your schedule. The ferries we saw leave were at least 30 minutes behind schedule and several people were quite anxious they would miss their international flights.
San Pedro Express offers a pre-booked shuttle to and from the airport to the pier for an additional $35 for two people ($25 for one). You can catch a taxi ride from the ferry terminal to the airport for a set price of about $25. The area around the Belize City Ferry terminal was sketchy looking and felt unsafe to walk around in so be sure to get a ride.
Best Things to Do in Caye Caulker
Visit the Belize Great Barrier Reef
Book a tour and don’t miss Shark Ray Alley or the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. The Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 and is the second-largest reef in the world after Australia. A visit to this area alone makes a trip to Belize worth it. Spot manatees, sea turtles, rays, sharks, and a wide range of fish that reside in the reef.
I would recommend Salt Life Eco Tours and their 7 Epic Stops Bucket List Tour. They start about an hour earlier than other tours to allow more snorkeling time and do not feed the marine life. Guides take GoPro videos and photos and will send underwater images to you after the tour at no additional cost.
Relax and hang out at the Split
I think everyone makes their way to “The Split” at some point during a visit to Caye Caulker. The Split divides the north and south sides of the island with a narrow waterway that boats pass through. The Lazy Lizard is a bar on the Split and there are lounge chairs and some shaded seating to relax, soak up the sun, swim, and have a drink. Be sure to try the “Lizard Juice”. The Sip n Dip is just around the corner and is a great place to lay in hammocks hanging over the sea, sit on one of the swings, or enjoy the swim-up shaded seating.
Feast on lobster
Lobster season is from June to February with an annual Lobsterfest celebration held in July. The lobsters are fresh and delicious and available at most restaurants or street grills.
Scuba Dive or Fly over the Blue Hole
The area around Caye Caulker has some of the best scuba diving spots in Belize. One of the most popular spots is the Blue Hole. It’s a giant marine sinkhole off of the coast of Belize and is part of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System. There are numerous diving or fly-over tours to visit the Blue Hole from Caye Caulker. Frenchises is a local PADI dive shop and if you are an experienced, certified diver the Blue Hole is a top diving site and a unique environment to explore. A flight over the Blue Hole is a bucket list experience that provides a one-of-a-kind aerial view. Costs range from about $240 to $280.
Rent a kayak
Exploring the island of Caye Caulker from the water is a fantastic way to get another perspective and see the marine life in the area. Try to book a clear bottom kayak if available. K’s Island Rentals had a variety of equipment for rent.
Bike around the island
Bicycle rentals were inexpensive and I would highly recommend renting one for a day to see all parts of Caye Caulker. It’s a great way to visit both the south and the north parts of the island at a low cost. You can take your bicycle on the Split ferry to cycle on the north side.
Explore the south end of Caye Caulker
Very few people travel to the south end of Caye Caulker, which is quieter and gives you a view of its natural habitat. Thousands of bird species nest in the treed areas and you can swim at the end of the island to spot a variety of marine life. See the South End area rich in crocodiles, bird-nesting, and raw natural beauty. Swimming at this end of the island offers a wide array of anemones, sponges, gorgonians, fish, and more. Most people don’t come down here
Cross the Split
You can easily travel to the north side of the Split on the Split to Split ferry that leaves every few minutes from early morning into the evening. Some people spend the day at a nicer beach on the north side that used to be a beach resort but it closed and there are no amenities. Much of the north side is treed and part of the Caye Caulker Forest Reserve which is home to crocodiles, birds, snakes, and other animals. There are a few hotels on the north side but most of the development is on the south side. If you stay in a hotel on this side you will be isolated and will probably take the Split to Split ferry to visit the more populated part of the island.
Go fishing
Numerous people catch fish right off the dock near the Split or you can sign up for a deep-water fishing tour. Some tours offer a “you catch it we cook it” arrangement to allow you to enjoy your catch of the day.
Sail away
We enjoyed a sunset sail one night on a catamaran with snacks, rum punch, reggae music, and beautiful views. We enjoyed socializing with other tourists and I’d highly recommend Wanderlust Sailing and Snorkeling which is the company we booked with.
Feed stingrays at the Iguana Reef
Around 4 pm each day, a large crowd gathers near the beach of the Iguana Reef Hotel. A large group of stingrays swim up to the beach and staff bring fish bait to feed them. They will also provide fish bait to those on the beach who wish to feed them. I’ve never seen anything like this before and watched in awe.
Visit the seahorse sanctuary
Next to the Iguana Reef beach is a dock and a Seahorse sanctuary. They are very small and difficult to see because they blend into the algae that they live in. I was exhilarated to spot a seahorse one day and to get a photo. There also seems to be a crab and a large green moray eel that live in the rocks next to the seahorse sanctuary and the eel frequently pokes his head out.
Get a beachfront massage
You can’t beat the total relaxation of a massage on the beach while you listen to the sounds of the waves lapping on the shore. We noticed a few different places to get massages along Front Street down from the water taxis. There were also massages advertised in buildings near the Split.
Practice yoga at the Namaste Café
Namaste Café is a multistory building that holds yoga classes on the top floor with a panoramic view of Caye Caulker and a breeze blowing through the open space. The yoga studio offers Vinyasa flow, Yin, and Restorative classes that relaxing, and even beginners will feel comfortable joining. The class schedule is posted online.
Watch the sunset
One of the things I enjoyed most about Caye Caulker was how everyone gathered to watch the sunset at the end of each day. It made me wish that people in my hometown would take the time to stop and appreciate nature each day. We stopped for a drink at the Pelican Sunset Bar on our first evening and the Iguana Reef Hotel is another great spot to watch the sunset.
More Tips for a visit to Caye Caulker
Best places to eat
Rice and beans are a staple of Belizean cuisine and you will see this on most menus. Tamales, panades, fry jacks, and chicken stews are also common dishes. In Caye Caulker you will find a lot of seafood on the menu with dishes that include lobster, shrimp, and red snapper.
Dinner
- Il Pellicano Cucina Italiana is an Italian restaurant not far from the Iguana Reef Hotel. We ate here on our anniversary and loved the food and ambiance in a garden setting with a guitar player softly playing melodies.
- Another great Italian restaurant was Pasta per Caso Anna & Armando. They make their pasta and have two dishes to choose from each night, a vegetable or meat dish. It is very popular so be sure to make a reservation.
- Wish Willy’s is like going to someone’s backyard for a BBQ. There are long picnic tables and it is a casual and informal meal. When you walk in, you have a seat at a picnic table and grab yourself a drink out of the cooler. You’ll be told what is on the menu that night and will have it cooked on the nearby grill. The food was excellent, and it was very inexpensive compared to prices at other local restaurants.
- Hibisca Restaurant offers a menu with some unique dishes that are very tasty. They also have a guitar player who takes requests, and we enjoyed the atmosphere on their outdoor deck.
Lunch
- Chef Kareem’s UnBelizable lunch is a beach BBQ with a tasty lobster, rice, and veggies meal. We enjoyed the lobster and there are a couple of other beach vendors that also serve similar takeaway meals like Betty’s Go Slow Grill Street Food.
Breakfast
- The Caye Caulker Bakery has great cinnamon buns, pastries, and fresh bread.
- An inexpensive breakfast option is Errolyn’s House of Fry Jacks or Jenny’s To Go Food. A fry jack is fried dough with fillings that you can choose from such as eggs, bacon, cheese, and beans.
- Ice N Beans offers a great place to hang out in the hammocks and enjoy a coffee, breakfast, or light snack.
- We enjoyed a delicious quick breakfast at the Magic Cup directly across from Ice N Beans. We had a tour booked that morning and their service was prompt, which is not the norm at many restaurants in Caye Caulker.
Bars
- During the day the Lazy Lizard and Sip and Dip are great places to go for drinks and a swim.
- We enjoyed the rooftop bar at Salty’s where they have live music a couple of nights each week as well as trivia and other activities on other days.
Other options
- A few other places that I heard good things about but did not have a chance to eat at were Namaste Café, Paradiso Restaurant, and Chef Juan’s Kitchen and Pastries.
Places to stay
I highly recommend staying on the south side of the Split near the center. It is an easy area to get around, and most restaurants, shops, tour operators, and bars are in the center. The north side has some nice hotels, but it is more isolated and you have to worry about catching the last ferry to get to the north side at the end of the night. It was also really important to us to get accommodation with access to a pool since there are no real swimming beaches.
We enjoyed our stay at Seaside Villas in a one-bedroom condo and I would highly recommend it if you want your own kitchen space, pool, and hot tub, in a central area with sea views. Most units have 2 bedrooms so it is a great location for groups and families. There are only six units in this building so it fills up quickly.
I would also recommend staying at any of the following:
- Caye Reef Condos
- Island Magic Beach Resort
- Caye Caulker Condos
- Barefoot Caye Caulker Hotel
- La Isla Resort
How long should you stay in Caye Caulker
We stayed for a week and that was enough time to see and do what we wanted at a leisurely pace. You could come for a shorter visit, spend about 3 days in Caye Caulker, and still have a chance to see everything without feeling too rushed.
Final thoughts: Is Caye Caulker worth visiting?
I’ve tried to share my honest impressions, including the positives and drawbacks, to help you decide if Caye Caulker is worth visiting. For us, the answer was “yes”. I wanted a quiet, relaxing, low-key holiday and Caye Caulker ticked almost all of the boxes on my list. I would recommend a visit to this tropical paradise for those seeking a similar experience. The natural beauty of the Belize Barrier Reef and the island is enough of a reason to visit at least once.
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Author Bio
Jen Mazer is the author of the Illuminated Experiences travel blog which offers tailored content for midlife travelers seeking adventure and new experiences. She lives in Calgary and has been exploring the Canadian Rocky Mountains for over 30 years. An avid world traveler, she has visited countries throughout the Caribbean and Central America and is always on the lookout for her next exciting destination.
