A Guide To Caye Caulker, Belize | The Basics
Caye Caulker is a A 5.5 mile scenic island off the coast of Belize with the friendliest people, amazing marine life, great food, and brilliant sunsets. You will definitely get to know people before you leave and it is really a joy to do so.
A couple of my activities got cancelled, as things were not quite back to normal after the pandemic, so I'm well aware that I didn't get to do some of the main attractions in Caye Caulker, but that just gives me a reason to visit again.
If you like chill, laid back vibes and smaller, somewhat less touristy islands, I would definitely recommend this part of Belize. I’ve written about my experience here, but if you’d also like the visuals then you can check out my travel vlog.
The Slogan
I thought their slogan was “go slow” because it’s commonly known that the Caribbean does things on its own time, but a friend I made on the island took me to this self-explanatory sign.
Before You Visit the Island: My Thoughts on Travel Medical Insurance
This is exactly the kind of trip where I would encourage you to think about your travel medical insurance before you go. Travel medical insurance like SafetyWing is essential, especially if the island doesn’t have a hospital.
SafetyWing's Nomad Insurance Essential is a travel medical insurance plan that's built with frequent and long-term travelers like me in mind. It stands out to me because it’s flexible—it runs on a subscription model that renews every four weeks automatically, so there's no scrambling to get covered between trips or before a last-minute getaway. You can also cancel at any time, which is convenient, considering how unpredictable travel plans can be.
The plan covers emergency medical expenses, which is the big one in this scenario, as you would have to be transported back to the main land for any medical mishaps. It also covers travel delays and lost checked luggage, which anyone who's traveled internationally knows can happen without warning. And if you're traveling with little ones, children under 10 are included at no additional cost when traveling with a parent on the plan.
For a trip to Caye Caulker, having travel medical insurance in place gives you the freedom to actually enjoy the experience instead of worrying about what happens if something goes wrong. In my opinion, SafetyWing Nomad Insurance Essential is one of the best options for travelers who want solid coverage without being locked into a rigid annual plan. You can get started now with your own plan by clicking the button below.
Getting There
To get to Caye Caulker, I had to take two domestic flights in the United States to arrive at Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (BZE) which is the main airport in Belize. The airport is on the smaller side and very easy to navigate. Getting through immigration is incredibly easy as long as you have the appropriate documents. Once you’re there, you either need to transfer to the ferry or have a puddle-jumper flight booked. The ferry is the cheaper option ($20 round-trip for a 45 minute ride), while the puddle-jumper flight is the faster option ($100 for a 10 minute ride). I went with the puddle-jumper flight, which I booked through Tropic Air, mainly because I had heard the overhead view was amazing and it’s true. Whichever you decide to choose is all about your preference and budget.
Conveniently, the terminal for Tropic Air is right inside BZE. You will have to go through security again within the airport and you will have to check larger baggage, as you are only allowed one small carry-on when boarding the puddle-jumper. They are rather small and you are in close proximity to other passengers, so I would not recommend if you don’t want to be that close to other people or if you need more accessibility.
When you arrive at the smaller airport or the ferry dock in Caye Caulker, you will need a taxi to get to your accommodations. My resort, Blu Zen, arranged a taxi for me. You really should only expect to pay between $5 and $8; honestly some of them may not even charge that much.
If you are staying on the south island then you won’t have to go far to get to your hotel. It shouldn’t take any longer than 15 minutes since the island is so small. If you are staying on the north island where I stayed, then you have one extra step of taking a smaller water taxi to get there. This is the way you will get back and forth to the village (a 5-minute ride) whenever you’d like to spend time there.
Communication
I think it’s important to mention here that everyone speaks English so communication is no problem here. To each other, though, they mostly speak creole patois, which I love to listen to, even though I can’t decipher what they’re saying.
Currency
The official currency is Belizean dollars, but most everyone accepts and actually expects you to pay in US dollars. If you pay in US dollars; they will most likely return your change in Belizean dollars so that’s something to be aware of and prepared for. 1 USD equals .50 Belizean dollars (BZD), so to give you an example, if the menu says $30 you’re going to give them either $30BZD or $15USD. Simple enough, right?
Getting Around
I feel like it’s necessary to repeat that the island is only 5.5 miles long because that makes getting around incredibly easy. There are no cars on the island; you can either take a taxi (golf cart), rent a golf cart of your own, rent a bicycle, or walk. There is only the front street, middle street, and back street, which makes it nearly impossible to get lost. If you happen to get lost, the people on the island are very friendly so it shouldn’t be a problem to ask for help.
Acommodations
Blu Zen Resort
Blu Zen Resort is located on the north island, so as I mentioned earlier, you do have to take a water taxi to get back and forth for any activity in the village. It’s a 5-minute boat ride, but the breeze is refreshing and the boat captain is kind and helpful. The water taxi does run on a schedule—the last boat ride back to the resort is around 8:30pm so that does prevent you from doing a lot of night activity or late dining in the village, which I was completely fine with. If you happen to get hungry after that time, then the resort does offer decent food.
As you can see from the photos, the resort is very modern. It’s minimal and chic, which I liked, but even better, the staff was lovely. They were so personable and helpful and seemed to genuinely care that my trip went well. The condos have full kitchens, beautiful lounging patios, high speed wifi, laundry machines, and very comfortable beds.
I liked the fact that it was away from the village because it was quiet, but if you prefer to be right in the middle of the village then I wouldn’t recommend Blu Zen.
