By air
Philip Goldson, Belize City (BZE), a short flight or a 45-minute water taxi
North America · Belize
Caye Caulker, Belize
Go slow on a tiny Caribbean island
Getting there
Best time to visit
December to April — dry and breezy; the sea is clearest in spring
Don't miss
The Split
Hol Chan Marine Reserve
Shark Ray Alley
Caye Caulker Forest Reserve
The Great Blue Hole
Belize Barrier Reef
Things to do
Snorkelling at Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley
A sunset sail
Swimming at the Split
Cycling the sandy lanes
A day trip to the Blue Hole
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: dronepicr · CC BY 2.0
What to pack
Reef-safe sunscreen, snorkel gear, cash, a light rain layer
A quieter corner
The Split's quieter sister, the north island, reached by water taxi for empty mangrove shorelines
Questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Caye Caulker?
December to April — dry and breezy; the sea is clearest in spring. What to pack: Reef-safe sunscreen, snorkel gear, cash, a light rain layer.
How do I get to Caye Caulker?
Fly into Philip Goldson, Belize City (BZE), a short flight or a 45-minute water taxi.
What is there to do in Caye Caulker?
Snorkelling at Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley, a sunset sail, swimming at the Split, cycling the sandy lanes, a day trip to the Blue Hole. A quieter find: The Split's quieter sister, the north island, reached by water taxi for empty mangrove shorelines.
What should I eat in Caye Caulker?
Grilled lobster in season, fry jacks, rice and beans with stewed chicken, conch fritters, fresh fruit juices.
About Caye Caulker
- Island
- Coastal
Where it is
Caye Caulker is a small island off the coast of Belize, about thirty kilometres northeast of Belize City, inside the Belize Barrier Reef in the Caribbean Sea.
History
A Maya fishing ground and later a refuge of Mexican mestizo settlers in the nineteenth century, the caye lived from lobster and coconuts until backpackers found it in the 1970s. A hurricane split the island in two, creating the swimming channel known as the Split, and the village has kept its sand streets and golf carts.
People
A village of a couple of thousand Creole, mestizo and Garifuna islanders and a floating population of travellers; no cars, sand streets and an easy pace are the point.
Known for
- Go Slow, the island's motto
- The Split
- Snorkelling at Hol Chan
- Trips to the Great Blue Hole
Did you know?
The island is only about eight kilometres long and a few hundred metres wide at the village.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.