Caye Caulker is a beautiful island off the coast of Belize. Full of rich culture, tasty seafood, snorkel adventures, and wonderful views, this is a great adventure spot.
It is one of the more touristy spots in Belize.
Belize has a motto; “go slow.”
The locals might call you out and tell you to slow down if you’re going too fast.
Caye Caulker, as island life, takes this motto seriously.
So prepare to relax, enjoy the sea breezes, and do some great learning and experiencing.
5 things to do on Caye Caulker
1. Snorkel Tour
The first day you arrive at Caye Caulker, check out the snorkel tour offices. We did some quick research to compare trips and prices.
Ragamuffin Tours Company was suggested to us by several folks we’d met during our trip. This is the company we went with, and it was so worth it!
Ragamuffin Tours employs sailboats and catamaran sailboats.
They offer a day-long trip to snorkel at three locations, with lunch and rum punch included.
The guides were fantastic, fun to spend the day with, and a great source of knowledge for learning about the Belize Barrier Reef.
Another aspect of the Ragamuffin tours that I appreciated was that they are very active in keeping their barrier reef alive and healthy.
They discouraged touching the corals, chasing the creatures, or meddling in the ecosystem as little as possible.
The Belize Barrier Reef is the largest living barrier reef in the world, and they want to keep it healthy and safe for future generations.
On tour, we got to swim with nurse sharks, multiple types of rays, various fish, and other sea creatures. We also saw a sea turtle!
Even if the day seems stormy in the morning, it will likely clear up quickly. So don’t miss out on a trip because you think the weather will be bad.
2. Eat Local Dishes and Seafood
Belizean food is delicious. Especially on Caye Caulker because seafood is abundant.
If you don’t like seafood, there’s usually the option of chicken, pork, and sometimes beef.
Try Belizean jerk chicken, fry jacks, grilled lobster, shrimp ceviche, and curry.
There are lots of bars and drink locations all over the island.
We aren’t big drinkers, so I don’t have any tips.
Except for the rum punch. We did enjoy the rum punch! It’s pretty good, especially when you’re on a catamaran sailboat heading back to the island at sunset (see Ragamuffin snorkel tours).
3. Get on the Water
Some accommodations have canoes, kayaks, or SUP boards available. If not, you can rent them from several locations around the island.
Go out for a paddle to watch the sunset on the island’s west side or the sunrise on the east.
We had a great time our last two evenings, paddling out together for a quiet evening on the water.
We also did some paddling around the upper section of the island.
Just be aware of where you’re at and the boats moving around. There are speed boats that move around both sides of the island regularly.
4. Swim at The Split
The water around the island is comfortably warm and shallow.
There is a place called The Split, a waterway that separates the two sections of Caye Caulker — left after a hurricane washed out part of the island.
There is a cement wall that drops down into the water. From here, you can hop in, a great spot to swim.
5. Wander Around and Explore
Caye Caulker is a touristy area in Belize. Catering to this are gift shops, bars, restaurants, and resorts.
But there is also a lot of local culture to experience as well.
We bought fresh coconut water. The vendor showed Jordan how to chop the top off with a machete to open it up for the water. It was delicious!
We walked the packed sand streets and saw a Christmas production the local school was presenting.
Everything you need to know about visiting Caye Caulker
Where is Caye Caulker
Caye Caulker is off the coast of Belize in the Caribbean Ocean. It is a long, narrow island, five miles long and between 0.15 and 1.2 miles wide.
From Belize City, Caye Caulker is a 45-minute water taxi ride.
When to visit Caye Caulker
Peak tourist season in Belize is from December to May. This is supposedly the driest season for Belize, though many Belizeans shrugged this suggestion off as a non-fact, as the weather changes very quickly.
The weather in Belize is always warm. Running in the 70s and 80s in December with a humidity of about 60% to 70% and warmer in their hotter months.
How to get there
A water taxi runs from Belize City to Caye Caulker and from other starting points to Caye Caulker.
It is easy to purchase a ticket from their website online before arriving in Belize. But you can also purchase tickets when you get to the ferry.
Costs in Caye Caulker
The ferry from Belize City to Caye Caulker is around $35 (as of 2024). For pricing and other starting locations, visit Ocean Ferry Belize (the company we used to ferry to Caye Caulker).
Once on Caye Caulker, food, lodging, tours, and other costs vary depending on where you go and the type of place you stay.
This can range from resorts to hostels or Airbnb.
The places we ate were serving meals in the $7-$15 US a plate. Grilled lobster for $15 US!
Most places take US money.
However, we did discover that grocery stores prefer Belizean money. The Belizean to US exchange is 2 to 1 ($2 Belize equals $1 US).
Accessibility
Caye Caulker doesn’t have paved roads; everything is sand.
There are no vehicles other than golf carts and bicycles, the primary transportation sources around the island.
Golf carts are used as “taxis.” It is easy to hire a driver to take you wherever you want.
Everything is usually a casual walk away, depending on where you stay on the island.
How long to stay in Caye Caulker
Our suggestion would be 3-4 days.
A day for snorkeling, a day for exploring, a day for spending time on the water, and a day to relax.
Where to stay in Caye Caulker
Hostels
We used a website called HostelWorld to find our hostel.
We stayed at Bella’s Backpackers Hostel. It was a bit loud and more of a party scene than we wanted. There are lots of options and types of hostels on Caye Caulker to choose from.
Read our post, Beginners Guide to Hostels, for more information.
Hotels
There are a lot of hotels and resorts on Caye Caulker.
Airbnb’s
Search the Airbnb website for current locations.
From a private room to an entire house, you have options.
Where to eat – 5 of our favorites
We focused on local, family-run eateries. Many of these spots don’t have websites, but they will be easy to find.
Kareems BBQ
Jenny’s Fry Jacks
Resources
Books
Websites
Travel Belize: This is the country’s official tourism website.
