Caye Caulker is perfect for those looking for a laid back 🏝️ island vacation. It has easy access to the reef 🪸 and water activities or you can just straight-up 🤙 chill.
Having visited the island every Easter vacation as a kid, I've seen it transform from a tiny getaway for locals to a relatively famous backpacker paradise.
So what makes Caye Caulker a crowd favorite? For me, it's being able to jump on a boat for 30 minutes from Belize City and be on a tiny island to do nothing but RELAX.
In a rush? Here's what I recommend as a local 👌:
- 🤿 Snorkel the reef with a local guide
- 🚴 Ride a beach cruiser through the sandy streets
- 🥘 Grab BBQ and local treats at sunset
Best Beaches In Caye Caulker
While I love this little island, the truth is, it doesn't have amazing sandy beaches. It's mostly a sea wall. Placencia or Hopkins have more options and fit the beach chair & chill vibe more. The most pristine beaches are found off the coast on smaller islands like Moho Caye.
These are the places locals recommend at Caye Caulker:
- The Split
- Bliss Beach in North Side
- Wild Beach in North Side
- Beach in front of Sea Dreams
- Beach in front of Sip & Dip
A Local Guide To Caye Caulker
There's a bunch of touristy activities at Caye Caulker but I'm deliberately leaving out some of those things like feeding the tarpons, stingrays and seahorses. I'm not too so sure why tourists are a bit obsessed with feed animals in a foreign country.
Go check out my main guide to find helpful local tips for Caye Caulker, prices to expect, and even some sustainability recommendations. You can also find out how to get to Caye Caulker.
With that out of the way, these are the things you can do in Caye Caulker: 👇
Top Things To Do
Snorkel At The Reef
- $45.00 USD
- 3-Hour Tour
- 5 Mins Away
- 8AM–5PM
I've snorkeled at the reef a couple of times now, and I never really appreciated marine life until I had a guide explain to me how everything in the sea is a living breathing rainforest. I guarantee this will be one of your trip highlights.
For an eco-friendly experience, consider booking a tour with a local guide that doesn't feed the wildlife and respects the single use plastic rules. While I haven't used this tour company, Salt Life Eco Tours claims to do exactly this.
Bike Around The Island
- $7.50 USD
- Walkable Distance
- 8AM–6PM
Should you rent a bike or not? I think you should. Riding on a caye where there are mostly golf carts, is a special experience. Add the cool sea breeze, and you get lost in complete freedom & relaxation.
Bikes can be rented at any Chinese store, but I recommend supporting local vendors like West Coast Tours. The iconic beach cruiser bikes even have a front basket for snacks or beer. Bike rental fee is for 24 hours.
Swim At The Split
- Free
- Walkable Distance
- Always Open
Unfortunately there are not a lot of beaches on the island. But there is The Split – a division said to have been created by a hurricane. But guess what? That's a lie.
It was actually a man-made drench created to provide passage for canoes which grew through natural erosion. Not quite as exciting as a hurricane splitting a caye in half right?
Beachside bars like Lazy Lizard are grossly overpriced because of location. Bring your own beer or beverage and chill.
Fly Over The Great Blue Hole
- $300
- 1-Hour Tour
The Great Blue Hole is known as one of the top scuba diving sites in the world but did you know you can also fly over it? The tour can be booked through Tropic Air or Maya Island Air and includes several fly-bys of the majestic blue hole, a view of the Atolls and even a large shipwreck sitting on the edge of the reef.
Both fly-over tours and diving excursions are available at Caye Caulker to this unique attraction.
Free Things To Do
Visit The Local Animal Shelter
- Free
- Walkable Distance
- 8AM–6PM
If you're a dog lover and looking to do something out of the norm, the animal shelter is the perfect place to visit. This site hosts stray dogs and besides donating, the best way to help out is by stopping by and playing with the doggies and cats here. The owner Kenny Sampson has been running the non-profit for more than a decade.
Visit The North Side
- Free
- Walkable Distance
The north side of the caye is undergoing development at the moment, so it's somewhat of the wild side of Caye Caulker. You can also take your bike using the local ferry.
While you're exploring the north side, look out for the famous Pineapple Dome Home - a strange but cool looking structure. It reminded me of Sponge Bob's house in Bikini Bottom.
How to get across the split
Go by canoe - there are some Rasta looking men that own canoes, and they charge you $2.50 USD ($5.00 BZD) to get across. You can find them at the split. Don't let them scam you please. One of the guys tried scamming me and I immediately told him not to do that to locals nor foreigners. Open Map Location
Take a free boat ride - a resort called North Side Beach Club (Previously Koko King) has a free ferry service for those that buy something at their bar. It's a short 2-minute boat ride and they move as soon as they have enough people on the boat. Open Map Location
Explore The Entire Caye
- Free
- Walkable Distance
- Always Open
Caye Caulker is so tiny. It's literally four streets with water surrounding it. But if you walk all the streets, you get to meet locals, look at unique wooden houses, mangroves, and even some birds.
Wear sunscreen. The white sand means the sun hits twice: directly on your face and from the reflective ground. Don't forget to take bug repellent as well. Mangroves are breeding grounds for mosquitos.
Watch Island Sunsets
- Free
- Walkable Distance
- Always Open
One of the magical things about cayes is that it's the only place in Belize where you can watch the most perfectly undisturbed sunset ever. The cayes are special because there are no buildings or mountains to get in the way of the sunset.
The most popular spot to watch sunsets and also see stingrays is at Iguana Reef Inn which is linked below. Pelican Sunset Bar is also another crowd favorite.
Do Island Yoga
- Free
- Walkable Distance
- 7:30AM–2:30PM
Doing sunrise yoga on a dock is next level. If yoga classes are more your style, Namaste Cafe offers classes for $10 USD (Previously by donation). I highly recommend the food at the cafe. It's also an excellent location to do some remote work.
Unique Things To Do
Estuary of Caye Caulker
- $40.00 USD
- 2-Hour Tour
- 20 Mins Away
- 8AM–6PM
Did you ever think of visiting crocodiles on a beautiful island in the Caribbean? There's an estuary in Caye Caulker that includes a unique nature trail in the northern part of the island.
While I wasn't able to do this tour because of covid, my friends were able to recommend Richard's Adventures Tour Company. The tour involves a lot of walking but you're rewarded with possibly the most interesting thing to do on the island.
Kayak Around The Island
- $27.50 USD
- Walkable Distance
Caye Caulker is literally just 5 miles (8km) long by 1 mile (1.6km) wide. Kayaking around the entire caye will be a fun adventure especially if you're a beginner.
If you're not a fan of kayaking, you can try paddleboarding.
Go Manatee Spotting
- $120.00 USD
- 5-Hour Tour
- 5 Mins Away
- 8:30AM–6:30PM
Belize has one of the largest concentrations of manatees in the world. If you would like to swim with these gentle giants, I suggest taking a trip to Swallow Caye Wildlife Sanctuary. You can go by the main street and inquire with tour companies about Manatee Watch Tours.
And, remember to do so responsibly and not touch them, feed them or put them in any danger. Be patient and enjoy the magical encounter.
Go On A Sailboat Trip
- $300.00 USD
- 3 Days
- 1 Hour Away
Described by many as the trip of a lifetime, going on a three-day sailing adventure hopping from island to island can be a magical experience. If three days is too much, you can opt for a same-day sunset tour.
The multi-day tours is designed as an island hopping adventure visiting tiny islands like Rendezvous Caye, Tobacco Caye, Goffs Caye and South Water Caye.
Go Scuba Diving
- $140.00 USD
- 3-Hour Tour
- 8AM–5PM
This isn't a local activity nor is it cheap, but I watched my friend go through her scuba diving refresher course in Belize while I snorkeled, and it struck me as a beautiful experience.
The Belize Barrier Reef hosts 65 species of coral and around 500 species of fish. It's like an underwater rainforest.
Grab Some BBQ
- $12.50 USD
- Walkable Distance
- 11:30AM–5PM
Street food is unique throughout Belize since it has influences from the bordering countries. It's no different at Caye Caulker. While strolling down the main street, it won't be hard to spot a food vendor.
BBQ Stalls are everywhere on the main street (East Side of the island). There are even veggie options now so it's not all lobster and meat now.
If lobster is important to you, the season is closed between March & June. It reopens in July with a lobster festival and lasts until February.
While on the island, I also always try my favorite treat, coconut tart – an open pastry with sweet coconut. I've loved it since I was a kid.
About Author
Everything written on this blog is based on first-hand experience or knowledge as a local living in Belize. No fluff, just honest information.
Frequent Questions
Is it necessary to rent a golf cart in Caye Caulker?
The main part of the island is about 1.25 miles (2km) so you can walk the entire island in roughly 20 mins. Renting a bike is also a good option.
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