Fun Facts
- 🦥 Caye Caulker's island relaxing slogan is literally - go slow
- 🏝️ The island is only 5 miles (8km) long and 1 mile (1.6km) wide
- 🎒 Backpackers pick Caye Caulker over San Pedro for affordability
- 🌊 Despite being an island, there are very few swimmable beaches
- 🧍♂️ Caye Caulker only has about 2000 people living in the village
Local Festivals
Caye Caulker Lobster Fest - Held Annually in July
This event is a weekend beach party celebrating the opening of the lobster season. The atmosphere is lively with dancing, local arts & crafts and lots of food.
Transport
Getting There
Two ways of getting to Caye Caulker are by ferry & plane. The cheapest way is by ferry while traveling by plane is way more convenient cutting travel time by over an hour.
International Airport To Caye Caulker ⛴️
PGIA Airport → Belize City → Caye Caulker
- From the International Airport (PGIA), you can take a taxi ride to the water taxi terminal in Belize City. Please note that the price is per group and not per person.
30 Mins
$30.00 USD
- From the water taxi terminal, you can choose either San Pedro Belize Express & Caribbean Sprinter. Check out Belize Ferry Schedule for updated schedule, fares and info.
1 Hour
$21.50 USD
International Airport To Caye Caulker ✈️
PGIA Airport → Caye Caulker
- There are flights available from PGIA Airport (BZE) to Caye Caulker (CUK) via two domestic airlines: Maya Island Air & Tropic Air.
- There are also flight available from the Municipal Airport in Belize City (TZA) but the price is negligible after factoring in the transport from PGIA Airport in Ladyville to Belize City.
- Some travelers opt to take the ferry one-way and then fly on the way back which gives the full experience while also staying on budget.
Getting Around
The main strip in Caye Caulker is walkable in roughly 20 minutes. The locals get around walking or on bike. Taxis and are also available if you need transportation for luggage or have trouble walking. In general, the island is so tiny, a golf cart rental is not necessary. Read more about transportation.
Local Tips
Caye Caulker Tips
🚫 Avoid snorkeling off the shore - While locals are sometimes caught swimming in the shores as I did myself as well, it's not really recommended. There have been accidents where boats hit people so it would be best to avoid this activity for safety.
👀 Monitor weather when booking tours - It's really important to know that bad weather can cause snorkeling tours to be cancelled so stay updated with the forecast 1-3 days before your tour. Bad weather includes heavy wind heavy rain and thunderstorms. Hurricanes, of course, make tours automatically cancelled.
⚠️ Be careful at grocery stores - If you're purchasing items to cook a meal or anything really, check the expiration date. Chinese stores are notorious for selling goods that are no longer good even to locals.
☀️ Wear Suncreen every day - The sun is especially hot at this little island since the streets are mostly sandy and reflects to burn you even more. Take out your sunglasses to protect your eyes while you're at it.
Prices To Expect At Caye Caulker
- Budget Hostel (Shared Dorm): $15.00 USD
- Midrange Airbnb (2 persons): $80.00 USD
- Luxury Resort (2 persons): $250.00 USD
- Coffee (Americano): $4.00 USD
- Budget Meal (Street Food): $3.00 USD
- Midrange Meal (Restaurant): $12.00 USD
- High-end Meal (Gourmet): $25.00 USD
- Taxi Ride (Per person): $5.00 USD
- Bike Rental (Per 24 hours): $7.50 USD
Sustainability Tips
These are a few ways to travel a bit more consciously:
🚫 Avoid Feeding Tarpons - there's a local attraction where you pay money to feed a big fish. In my opinion this is an extremely touristy and can cause the fish to become dependent on humans for feeding.
👎 Avoid Feeding Stingrays - similar to the tarpon feeding attraction, many tourists go to Iguana Reef to feed the stingrays and even the pelicans. This genuinely doesn't seem sustainable long term.
🌿 Book Eco Friendly Tours - there are very few tour companies that don't feed fishes while going on the snorkeling tours but if you do a little research, you can find one that is truly eco-friendly.
Responsible Tourism
Here are a few ways to support the local Belize economy:
🏠 Book Airbnbs Directly - if you can, contact the vendor for your Airbnb directly to bypass the extra fees and directly support the vendors.
⛰️ Book Tours Directly - an excellent tip is to talk to the local bartender, restaurant waiter or your local Airbnb Host to have them suggest a friend for a snorkeling tour. Almost everyone has a friend or family member that owns a boat and might even offer a cheaper rate.
🧍♂️ Choose Local Owners - while booking a tour or Airbnb, try going the extra mile and ensure the company is Belizean-owned.
Things To Do
Where To Eat
Frequent Questions
How long do I need in Caye Caulker?
If you want to explore the entire caye, go snorkeling to the reef and relax, three days should be enough.
When is the best time to visit Caye Caulker?
High season (tourism peak) is between October & June which is when the weather is best. Avoid this period if you don't like crowds.
Is Caye Caulker safe?
Given it's a touristy place, it's very safe walking the streets during the day and even at night.
Where is Caye Caulker in Belize?
The tiny island is located one-hour away by boat off the coast of Belize City.
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