Our Guide to Visiting Caye Caulker, Belize

I don’t know about you, but my idea of the perfect vacation looks a lot like Caye Caulker, Belize. This teeny-tiny island is home to white sand beaches with crystal-clear water, plenty of cute cafes (I’m a big coffee lover), cool boutiques, and amazing, locally-run restaurants. If any of that sounds like your kind of vibe, then you’ve got to head to Caye Caulker ASAP!

In fact, one of the main reasons we came to Belize was to spend some time on Caye Caulker.

Yup, this laid-back island is known for its epic diving, colorful wooden buildings, and stunning beaches. The motto here is “Go slow,” and that perfectly encapsulates the pace of life here. It’s also teeny-tiny – you can probably walk the length of it in around 15 minutes, but despite its size, there are heaps of amazing things to do here. And that’s why I recommend spending 4-5 days on Caye Caulker.

So let’s dive in (appropriate choice of words there…)

Getting to Caye Caulker:

We got the ferry to Caye Caulker from Belize City with San Pedro Belize Express, which was a 45-minute journey. Ticket prices start from $18 USD.

Belize’s main airport – the Philip Goldson International Airport is located about 10 miles from Belize City, and it’s likely you’ll fly into here if you’re coming from overseas. If you plan to come straight to the island, you can book a transfer from the airport to the port from where you’ll catch the ferry to Caye Caulker.

You can also fly into Caye Caulker from Belize City in a small, fixed-wing plane (flights operated by Tropic Air or Maya Island Air), and the flight time is just 10 minutes – but this option will obviously be pricier than the ferry. Although I can imagine the views are insane!

Where to stay on Caye Caulker:

We spent 4 nights at Caye Caulker Plaza Hotel, a 3-star hotel that’s just 200 meters from the beach. Our room came with a balcony, which was nice to sit out on in the evening and watch the sunset. They also have dorm rooms available here, if you’re on a budget.

Sea Dreams Hotel is another hotel we considered staying at – it’s close to the pier and has a lovely terrace area and free bike rental (handy!)

What to do on Caye Caulker

Many tourists come here to dive into the Belize Barrier Reef, which is the second-largest reef system in the world. The first is the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

We decided to go snorkeling in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve instead, and it turned out to be our favorite activity from our time in Belize. You can read more about our tour below.

Otherwise, we spent our days here wandering the town’s sandy streets, stopping along our walk for a coffee (we really liked Ice & Beans Cafe). It’s really easy to walk around Caye Caulker as there are no cars (just golf carts and the odd small delivery truck to watch out for) and it’s really small – just 5 miles by one mile.

Our favorite restaurants on the island included Wish Willy Bar & Grill (they have awesome BBQ food) and Meldy’s (famous for her fried chicken). And you can also have the freshest (and tastiest) lobster in Belize at the super-casual Chef Kareem’s Unbeliezable Lunch.

So, let’s get stuck in – I’ve listed my top things to do with four to five days in Caye Caulker below –

1. Snorkel or dive the Hol Chan Marine Reserve

The Hol Chan Marine Reserve is like the Great Barrier Reef but better. I’ve dived at Australia’s Great Barrier Reef three times, and this dive in Belize trumps it massively. Sorry Australia!

This Hol Chan snorkeling tour visits one of the most famous spots in the reserve – Shark Ray Alley, which, yep, you guessed, is home to dozens of reef sharks, stingrays, and even West Indian manatees. This well-rated tour is 5 hours long and includes snacks, a guide, and transport to the boat from Belize City. It costs from $80 USD per person – which is great value for money.

2. Dive the Blue Hole

Most tourists come to Caye Caulker to dive – it is one of the best places to dive in the world. And the bucket-list dive on Caye Caulker is the Blue Hole, which is 124 meters deep. We were meant to dive in the Blue Hole, but decided against it as it’s only suitable for divers with a PADI Advanced Open Water certification.

It’s also regarded as one of the most dangerous dive sites in the world, with over 200 people said to have lost their lives completing this dive. Eeeek!

3. Take the ferry to Ambergris Caye

On one of our days here, we decided to get the ferry over to Ambergris Caye, which has a very luxurious vibe. It’s the most developed of Belize’s islands and attracts a wealthy clientele. It’s a great place to shop as there are several boutique stores here. And Secret Beach – a popular beach is a great place to spend a lazy afternoon.

4. Chill out at The Lazy Lizard

Because Caye Caulker is so small, there’s not a whole lot of beach here to chill out on, and the small section of beach in front of our hotel tended to get pretty crowded by midday. So on our second day, the barista in Ice & Beans told us about The Lazy Lizard bar/restaurant over on The Split. He said it’s super-popular as it’s one of the best places to go for a swim on the island.

And even though there’s no beach here, there is a large-ish faux-sand area and stairs right into the water. Or you could just sit along the edge of the wall and dangle your feet into the ocean like I did one day. You’ll likely see all sorts of marine life swimming beneath your feet, like rays, tropical fish, and maybe even a reef shark or two.

5. Feed some fish

On a little dock run by a local family, you can feed some (terrifying) large fish. Yes, feeding tarpon (that’s what this type of fish is called) is one of the best things to do on Caye Caulker.

This is the dock you can feed the fish from, and to coax the tarpon to you, you must buy a bowl of smaller fish to feed the tarpon. They come up to you pretty quickly as soon as you throw the smaller fish in the water, and they will fight one another and sometimes leap from the water to get their feed. Which can be scary as they are quite big fish – with teeth!

6. Eat a fryjack

While you’re here, you also HAVE to try fryjacks (deep-fried pieces of dough) – they are a traditional Belizean breakfast dish. One of the best spots on Caye Caulker to try there is Errolyn’s House Of Fryjacks – it’s tiny but super-popular!

7. Watch the sunset from the beach

The beach in front of Chapoose Street is, in my opinion, the best spot to catch the sunset on Caye Caulker. We came here every night – because I just HAVE to watch the sunset every evening on vacation.

And with an ice-cold beer (Belikin is our beer of choice in Belize), we watched the sun sink into the Caribbean Ocean.

One of the main reasons we came to this particular area to catch the sunset is that, before dusk, dozens of stingrays come to the shore in the hopes of being fed. They come so close that you can even pet them.

Fun facts about Caye Caulker:

• There are actually two Caye Caulkers – well, kind of, let me explain…In 1961, a cyclone hit Belize and split the island in two! The smaller part of the island is the part you’ll be staying on, but the larger part (across from The Split) has not been developed yet. You can swim to the other half of Caye Caulker from The Split or catch a small rowboat there.

• Caye Caulker is part of the Belize Barrier Reef, the second-largest barrier reef in the world, making it a prime spot for snorkeling and diving.

• Belize is an English-speaking country, which makes communication easy for English-speaking tourists.

• The currency here is the Belizean dollar, but U.S. dollars are widely accepted, often at a fixed rate of 2 Belizean dollars to 1 U.S. dollar.

Best-rated guided tours on Caye Caulker:

Best month to visit Caye Caulker:

Belize and Caye Caulker have a tropical climate, with a dry season from November to April and a wet season from May to October. We visited in March, and the weather was ideal – although there was a fair amount of seaweed on the beaches. It was also fairly quiet in March, as the peak season is in December/ January, and locals told us there typically isn’t much seaweed around in these months so that may be a good time for you to visit.

Thanks for Reading!

Our visit to Caye Caulker was around halfway through our backpacking trip of Central America, and it was exactly what we needed (as we were starting to feel tired). The ‘Go Slow’ vibe was regenerative, and we had so much fun here – snorkeling the Hol Chan Marine Reserve was my highlight. We can’t wait to return in the future with our daughters.

Last Updated on December 9, 2025 by snaphappytravel