CAYE CAULKER
This colourful, sandy island off the coast of Belize is an absolute must! The laid back lifestyle, fresh seafood and unique tropical cocktails had me never wanting to leave paradise. Gateway to the Belize Barrier Reef it is truly surrounded by natural beauty. The only thing you need to remember is to “go slow”.
WHAT TO SEE & DO
Go Slow!
This is lesson number one as you emerge yourself in island life. In case you forget it is written on signs all over the island. The locals have been known to call people out for walking too fast.
Hol Chan Marine Reserve
One of the highlights of my time on Caye Caulker was the full day snorkelling trip we took to the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. The name means “little channel” in the Maya language named so for the natural break in the barrier reef. In 1987 the reserve became the first marine protected area in Belize. Due to its’ abundance of marine life, it the most popular snorkelling destination in the country. There are several tour operators that offer trips to the reserve, but I recommend Raggamuffin Tours.
After breakfast and a casual game of frisbee in the street, our trip officially began aboard the Ragga Queen. As the crew hit play on those feel good Caribbean beats, we set course into the reef, legs off the sides of the boat, cruising through the perfect blue water. It was another day in paradise.
Our first stop was at the Hol Chan Channel where we snorkelled above beds of sea grass and sponge corals filled with different fish including barracuda, rays and nurse sharks. Our guide told us about the different life on the reef and showed us secret tunnels beneath the surface.
After lunch and a short ride we arrived at our next stop, Shark Ray Alley. As our boat pulled into the alley we were suddenly surrounded by nurse sharks.
With one last bit of advise from our crew being “if you see a bull shark make a circle around your guide”, we’d jumped in the water before we could give it much thought. As well as countless fish, nurse sharks and rays, we were also fortunate enough to see two loggerhead turtles. Our guide also found a conch shell, which is a favourite seafood in Belize.
Our third and final stop for the day was at the Coral Gardens where we were free to explore on our own and swim with nurse sharks. Between June to September there is also a chance to see dugongs.
Back onboard the Ragga Queen the crew served us freshly made ceviche and the long awaited unlimited rum punch! The perfect end to a perfect day in paradise!
The Blue Hole
At 300 meters wide and 125 meters deep, The Great Blue Hole is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on The Belize Barrier Reef. The reef is the second largest coral reef, after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, and stretches for 290km along the Belize coastline in the Caribbean Sea. The largest sink hole in the world, it was named the number 1 most amazing place on earth by the Discovery Chanel and featured on Jacque Couseau’s top 10 dive sites. This was enough for me to have to see it for myself!
The Blue Hole can be visited on a full day diving trip via a 2 hour boat ride from Caye Caulker. It can also be seen by a scenic flight and as I was limited for time this is the option I chose!
A few airlines offer scenic flights over the Blue Hole including Tropic Air, Maya Island Air and Javier’s Flying Service. It certainly blew my budget at $400BZD ($200USD) but it was totally worth it!
The Caye Caulker airport can easily be reached by foot, or golf cart taxi’s are also available for around $10BZD ($5USD) return. The airport itself is more of a tin roofed shack where I patiently sat waiting on a veranda for my pilot. We boarded the 6 seater plane and took off over the stunning blue waters.
We passed The Turneffe Atoll Marina Reserve and Lighthouse Reef until we reached the famous Blue Hole. Our pilot circled the sink hole several times in each direction before all too soon, it was time to head back. I hope to return one day to dive it.
The Split
Caye Caulker was once a single island before a man made channel was dug in the 1950’s. This channel was then widened by Hurricane Hattie in 1961, creating what is now known as The Split. Strong swimmers can swim between the two islands but be cautious of strong currents and boats.
The Lazy Lizard
At the northern point of Caye Caulker is the island’s most iconic bar, The Lazy Lizard. Try their signature lizard juice or get there early to reserve a wooden lounger and relax in the sun. Tables and thatched umbrellas fill the beach and the water. Jump straight off their deck into the Split, or for the brave there is also a jumping platform atop a set of stairs.
Keep an eye out for The Brownie Man. This absolute legend can be found selling a variety of his home made cakes, some more “special” than others.
Koko King
After a day exploring the reef followed by some onboard rum punch our boat dropped us on a mysterious island to continue the party. It turns out that we were only just on the other side of The Split on Caye Caulker. Koko King is a beachfront resort complex complete with pool, bar and plenty of loungers and hammocks. If I’d had the time I easily could have spent a full day here sipping cocktails and floating around on the rubber rings. To get here from the main island of Caye Caulker there are ferries that depart from the back bridge on the western end of Calle del Sol. The trip is free if you agree to spend $10BZD ($5USD) at the bar…no problem!
Iguana Reef Hotel
We stumbled across this place in search of sea horses and looking back our afternoon here is among my fondest memories. The hotel’s beachfront is filled with umbrellas and loungers and has its own small boardwalk which we discovered was the perfect place to enjoy some of the island’s signature cocktails while watching the sunset.
There is a seahorse habitat where we managed to spot a few wild seahorses. The water is also home to countless sting rays which is something we learnt when we found ourselves surrounded. As it turns out the staff feed them each evening and guests have the opportunity to get in the water with them and hand feed them.
Sports Bar
Don’t miss the Sports Bar! Flags of the world hang from the ceiling and flat screens show all major sporting events at this beach front bar. But it was the live music that had me falling in love with this place. The quintessential beat of the drums made it impossible to resist dancing to that Caribbean rhythm.
Buy A Conch Souvenir
Conch is not only a popular seafood, but its shell can also be used to make jewellery, dishes and other decorative items. Wandering the island you will surely these beautiful pink shells for sale at one of the various street stalls. If you have any room left in your backpack for souvenirs, you’re sure to find something truly unique on Caye Caulker.
WHERE TO EAT
Being an island destination dining out is not quite as dirt cheap as other Central American destinations. Be prepared to spend a minimum of $15-20BZD ($7.50-10USD) plus tax for a meal. Caye Caulker offers plenty of delicious seafood options as well as creole inspired dishes. I would recommend bringing your own snacks from the mainland, unless you don’t mind paying $12BZD ($6USD) for a bag of chips at the convenience stores.
Enjoy Bar & Restaurant
I’ll admit I think we dined here almost every night. But with 2 for $7BZD ($3.50USD) mixed drinks during happy hour, 12pm-8pm, you try to resist! Their menu has a variety of meals including grilled seafood, Belizean jerk style and traditional creole. You MUST try a panty ripper, another signature cocktail of the island.
Amor Y Café
With prices ranging from $6-14.50BZD ($3-7.25USD) Amor Y Café have a good breakfast menu with options including yoghurt and granola, bagels with your choice of sides, grilled sandwiches and huevos rancheros.
Ice ‘N’ Beans Cafe
I loved this little café. They had a great coffee menu and also offered a unique range of fruit smoothies. They are well known for their mini donuts, but also sell breakfast bagels and bubble waffles. Whatever you choose you can enjoy it at one of their beachfront tables.
Street Food
There are a few street food vendors offering BBQ options. For those who can handle a bit of spice I highly recommend Otis & Family Beach BarBQ for some jerk chicken!
GETTING THERE & AROUND
Fly
Yes this tiny island does have an airport which offers national flights only. Tropic Air and Maya Air offers flights from Belize City, San Pedro on Ambergris Caye and Corozal.
Boat
The most common way to get to Caye Caulker is to make your way to Belize City and connect with a water taxi. They depart from Belize City Terminal and the journey takes about 45 minutes. I recommend Belize Express Water Taxi which can be booked online at belizewatertaxi.com for around $18USD one way, or $28 return. There is no public transport between Belize City airport and the water taxi terminal so your only option is to take a taxi which have set rates at around $25USD. The drive takes 20-30 minutes depending on traffic.
There are no cars on Caye Caulker so once you arrive you have the option to either walk or take a golf cart taxis to your accommodation. You can also choose to hire bikes to get around but it’s just as easy to get around the sandy streets on foot. Don’t forget to go slow.
WHERE TO STAY
There are several hotel and guesthouse options on Caye Caulker. There are about 5 hostels to choose from including Bella’s Backpackers, Go Slow Hostel, The Club Caye Caulker Beach Hostel, Traveller’s Palms Backpackers Hostel and Dirty McNasty Party Hostel. With the island being so small and walkable location isn’t as important as it may be in other places and I would be paying more attention to price and amenities.
Tropical Paradise Hotel
We stayed at Tropical Paradise Hotel in their dorm style accommodation. Very basic and not enough bathrooms for the number of guests, but they still had everything you may need…except a mirror. It is located right on the waterfront with their own pier so you can grab a beer at the bar and enjoy a swim right off the property. It is only 350 meters from the ferry and 1.3km from the airport. My favourite part of this property was probably the roof top terrace where we spent multiple nights having drinks and playing cards, watching the interesting locals passing by below.
