CAYE CAULKER, BELIZE

[Pronounced “Key Caulker”]

Caye Caulker is a small island off the East coast of Belize, accessible only by boat. This island was my first stop on a solo month long trip to Central America (minus Honduras). As soon as you exit the Belize International Airport, there is a person manning a taxi booth that takes you to the water ferry stations for $25 USD.

Keep in mind the exchange rate in Belize is 1 USD = 2 BZD. US dollars are widely accepted throughout the island.

As soon as I got to the point of departure for the Water Taxis, I paid for a roundtrip ticket to Caye Caulker for ~$18 USD which was surprisingly cheap as I read it was $25 USD on other blog sites. But I’m guessing this is the low-season (US summer months) so prices are cheaper. At the water terminal, there are also shuttle services that offer transport to Guatemala and Mexico so I booked my ticket to my next destination Flores in advance for $25 USD.

Once on the island, you find that the island life is calm. After all, the motto here is:

“Go Slow”

One bit of advice: do not let the Belizean sun fool you. The tropics sun is NO JOKE! I found that out the hard way after forgetting to bring sunscreen in my bag after I took a dip in The Split. See below:

Yes, I was in pain for the next 2 days. It was difficult to even sleep. Learn from my mistakes and reapply. Also, invest in:

Reef-safe sunscreen

Popular sunscreens are destructive to the fragile coral reef systems. I know brands like Sun Bum or some Target brand sunscreens are reef safe. Just 2 mins of research can help protect the environment!

The sunsets here are beautiful and the island is small enough to walk everywhere. There are also locals who provide taxi services via golf carts. Here are my suggestions on what to do:

• Take a dip at The Split
• Try a Belikin beer, Belize’s own
• Head to Hattie Street and catch the sunset
• Eat at Maggie’s sunset kitchen or Chef Juan’s restaurant
• Try a Fryjack at Errolyn’s House of Fryjacks

Have any questions? Leave a comment below! Check out my other posts for the rest of my trip to Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama!