Reef trips, water taxi schedules and places to stay on Belize's go-slow island. Prices checked against the operators and dated.
Caye Caulker is a small island on the Belize Barrier Reef, about 20 miles northeast of Belize City. It built its reputation with backpackers: no cars, sand streets, cheap rooms near the water, and reef trips that leave from the village pier every morning.
The reef is the draw. Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley sit a short boat ride away, the Great Blue Hole is a long day trip east, and snorkel boats run year-round. This guide compiles the prices, schedules and practical detail in one place, checked against the operators and dated, so you can plan without digging through forums.
Snorkeling · Full day
The classic reef day: the marine reserve channel, then nurse sharks and rays in shallow water. [X.X] from [X,XXX] reviews.
Diving · Certified divers
A long boat day to Lighthouse Reef: one deep dive in the hole, two reef dives on the way back. [X.X] from [XXX] reviews.
Scenic flight · Under 2 hrs
The only way to see the whole circle, and it fits around a snorkel day. No diving needed. [X.X] from [XXX] reviews.
Caye Caulker is a small island off the coast of Belize, about 20 miles northeast of Belize City and just inside the Belize Barrier Reef. The water taxi from Belize City takes about 45 minutes.
Caye Caulker is pronounced "key CAW-ker." Caye is the Caribbean word for a small, low island and is always pronounced "key."
Caye Caulker is about 5 miles long and less than a mile wide. A channel called the Split divides the island in two, and the village sits on the southern half.
Caye Caulker is about 20 miles from Belize City. The water taxi takes about 45 minutes, and a Tropic Air or Maya Island Air flight takes about 10.
There are sharks in the waters around Belize, most famously the nurse sharks that gather at Shark Ray Alley near Caye Caulker. Nurse sharks are docile bottom feeders, and snorkel trips visit them daily without incident.