Caye is pronounced “key”, who knew? There are several different islands just off of the coast of Belize, Caye Caulker being one of the more popular islands for tourists to go as it offers just about everything for all the ocean and water lovers. The island is actually split into two and separated by what is named “The Split”. The south part is the more populated part of the island and is so small you can walk the entire thing. There are also no cars on the island which gives it the true island vibe! The north part of the island is much more secluded with limited housing and resorts but this part of the island is where it’s nature is more protected.
We spent 3 days on the island and spent our time snorkeling, seeing wildlife, relaxing on the beach, and eating lots of seafood! Overall we had a great experience at Caye Caulker, just wish we had spent more time exploring the other great things Belize has to offer.
Getting Here
Unfortunately whenever you visit islands, logistics are never quite easy. There’s multiple forms of transportation you have to take to finally arrive at your destination, but once you see those turquoise blue waters it makes it all worth it!
We came from Flores in Guatemala and took a bus from there to Belize City and then a direct ferry to Caye Caulker. The bus dropped us off right at the ferry terminal so we didn’t have to worry too much about finding where to get the ferry over which was nice. The ferry will be crowded and also very warm so I recommend finding a seat close to the window. There also of course is an airport you can fly into as well that is close to the ferry terminal.
Total trip time from Flores to Caye Caulker: 8 hours
- Cost: 215 Quetzal ($27 USD) – included bus from Flores and ferry ticket
Location
As I mentioned before the island is split with the south part being the more populated side and the north is completely secluded. I would recommend staying in the south part as there is much more to offer here with food, accommodation, and activities. We stayed at the very north tip of the south island facing west. I know that probably sounds weird but it’s important to know the difference between the east and west side of the island.
The west part of the island is more secluded and quieter. It also of course is the side the sun sets on so to me, a sunset lover, that’s an easy decision to make. The biggest downfall to this side though is the mosquitoes at night – seriously, we would run from our hotel to the east side of the island just to not get bit. The east side is definitely the more populated side. This is where the main road is for tourists to walk up and down the island. It’s also where majority of the restaurants, bars, and shopping will be, as well as where you book your activities and ferries. Another thing to note is that this side of the island is quite windy as well.
Accommodation – Sophie’s Guest House
We really enjoyed our stay here, it was located in a quieter part of the island which was nice considering the main part of the island can get a bit noisy. The rooms were clean and comfortable and had a great view of ocean. They also had hammocks for every room which was perfect to relax in. Biggest downfalls are the mosquitoes at night and the bathrooms and showers that were outside and downstairs away from the rooms. For someone who has to pee all the time, this was pretty annoying and also having to cover up to avoid the mosquitoes, the worst!
- Cost per night: $49 (with A/C)
Things to Do
Snorkeling Tour
There are lots of different snorkel tours to choose from and they pretty much all claim to be the best. After doing a bit of research we decided to do Caveman Snorkel Tour as it got some of the best reviews and we were overall very happy with the tour. The tour runs just about all day and you get to explore around Caye Caulker island and then get taken out into the reef for snorkeling and scouting out manatees.
First part of the day we explored the western side of the island where we got to feed these massive fish which was actually kinda scary because their mouths were so big and they were just huge fish in general. I didn’t want to get my fingers eaten! Then we went to the seahorse sanctuary to check out all the cool seahorses just off the dock. From there we traveled around the island and out into the reef where we got to snorkel to multiple reef sites. One site included a reef shark feed where we got to feed and swim with all the reef sharks, a pretty incredible experience.
The reef was by far some of the best snorkeling I have done, second to the Great Barrier. The amount of fish you see, including sting rays and of course the reef sharks, was pretty awesome. The water is extremely clear and warm, which for me goes a long way as I get cold really easily. We didn’t get to see any manatees, which I was sad about, but overall highly recommend as the top activity on the island.
- Cost: $65 USD (includes snorkel gear and lunch)
Visit Koko Beach
Considering we are on an island you would think there would be a ton of beaches you could relax on, however Caye Caulker has 0 beaches on the south part of the island. The beaches are mostly filled with docks, shrubbery, and seaweed. However we were told there was a beach on the other island and only way to get there is via ferry boat – about 15 minute ride. I am not sure what else is on that part of the island beyond some people’s vacation homes and some random resorts but we were told of Koko Beach which was a nice beach that you could relax on with a restaurant and bar. The beach was actually really swanky. It had nice chairs on the sand with cabanas you could rent and a volleyball net in the water with some other fun activities in and around the water. We easily spent all day here.
The cost of the ferry ticket included a credit that you would have to use towards purchasing food and drink at the restaurant. At first I was a little thrown off by it but $30 easily was spent on a few beers and lunch for the day.
- Cost: $30 – to be used at the restaurant
The Great Blue Hole
We looked into scuba diving The Great Blue Hole as it’s a landmark that is very well known around the world. However after doing a bit of research and speaking to other travelers about it we decided to opt out. One thing I did not realize was that most of the scenery down in the Great Blue Hole is all stalagmites and little wildlife. The depth is also 40m which normally requires you to have your advanced certification for deep dives which I did not have. The instructor said it’s fine but that made me pretty nervous as I didn’t want to run into a situation that I was not trained for especially in depths that deep. The furthest I have ever gone was 18m and that felt deep enough for me so I couldn’t imagine doing double that!
Since we had planned on doing the cenote dives in Mexico we opted out as the cave diving would cover similar scenery with stalagmites, and personally if I wanted to see the Great Blue Hole I would do it via plane to see it from above. BUT don’t let that deter you. We heard from other travelers that it is was a great time and its an iconic spot people from all over the world come to see and experience.
Food & Dining
I don’t know about the rest of you but I only wanted to eat lobster the entire time I was here!! Although quite pricey compared to everything else on the island you would never be able to get seafood as fresh and as cheap back home so I went for it and had lobster just about every night. You can get it right on the beach where they grill it up for you or you can get it in a sit down restaurant as well.
I did one off the street grills and then another at a restaurant, Enjoy. Lobster with sides and a drink for $25. Not bad!
Lazy Lizard
Head over here for happy hour for some great cocktail drinks. The overall ambiance of this place though is what is so great about it, from live music to its massive amounts of seating overlooking The Split. Great spot to check out for a drink or quick bite.
Barrier Reef – Sports Bar and Grill
This spot is your typical sports pub with cheap drinks and food. The food selection is pretty standard for a sports bar and grill. If I could do it again I would have skipped the dinner here and grabbed some fresh seafood on the streets!
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