Go Slow on Caye Caulker
For a true barefoot vacation, tiny Caye Caulker, off the coast of Belize, offers Caribbean color and below the radar vacationing. Once a stop on the hippie Gringo Trail, which included Isla Mujeres, Tulum, and Guatemala’s Tikal and Lake Atitlan, today the isle is a quiet getaway for backpackers and simple pleasure seekers desiring a barefoot destination. And you’ll never here a car’s whine here, only the trade winds in the palms and the occasional clank of scuba tanks.
This limestone coral island is only one-mile wide and five-miles long, just one-mile west of the Belize Great Barrier Reef, the world’s second largest, in Caribbean Sea. A tiny village, population 1,300, sits atop a a pile of white sand on the limestone shelf. Here, cars are banned on the unpaved roads and locals scoot around on bikes, watercraft or golf carts.
This explains the local mantra, Go Slow, which results in true vacation downtime; don’t expect a crack WIFI service, splashy nightlife or mega-resort buffets. In this off-the-track tourist spot, find simple dive resorts, laid-back hostels, a couple of higher-end hotels and lots of fresh reef lobster.
In Belize, the former British Honduras, English is the official language and expect to hear Spanish, Creole and Mayan spoken. Residents are super-friendly and involved in island tourism; alas, the fishing industry, long a stable trade for the locals, has played out.
On Caye Caulker Go With The Flow And Go Slow
Here are thirteen ways to go with the flow and go slow:
- Skip the puddle jumper from Belize City’s international airport and make your watery landing via a high-speed water ferry. It’s a fast 20-mile cruise southward.
- Enjoy a laid-back array of simple Caribbean-style accommodations.
- On Caye Caulker, always stop and smell the pastries.
- Savor the local culinary specialties. Breakfast on fryjacks, a local specialty consisting of a deep-fried dough served by refried beans, sausage, bacon and eggs.
- Get your laundry done at Marie’s Laundry – Find her on Middle Street and she’ll give you a good price to launder a load of clothes, around $5 USD.
- Take care during Caye Caulker’s rush hour, which happens when the schools let out.
- Be prepared to go colorblind.
- Enjoy the local Rastafarian culture, including the arts and crafts stands along Front Street. Just don’t buy anything else but trinkets from them – it’s illegal.
- For Caye Caulker-style nightlife, join the village families at the community soccer field most evenings for the kids’ matches.
- Get around by renting a bike and join the locals.
- Don’t miss a chance to sail or dive at the Hol Chan Marine Reserve or the Great Blue Hole on the Belize Great Barrier Reef, the world’s second largest.
- The friendly locals are happy to take the time to stop and chat.
- Go with the flow and go slow. It’s the island’s motto.
If You Go To Caye Caulker:
Most visitors arrive at Belize City’s international airport and catch a flight on Tropic Air (TropicAir.com) to Caye Caulker. Fares range from $60 USD to $100 USD round-trip.
But it’s much slower (and nicer) to catch a cab to the water taxi dock for a 45-minute ocean journey on clear, blue water to Caye Caulker’s landing. Round-trip fares cost around $24 USD (BelizeWaterTaxi.com). Find more travel info at TravelBelize.org.
Where to Stay On Caye Caulker:
Accommodations can range from hostels to simple bed and breakfasts to luxury beachfront hotels. Rates run from as low as $25 per night to upscale waterview suites for just under $200 per night.
Either way, don’t pack a lot of clothing or footwear – you may find yourself wearing your swimsuit all day and going barefoot.
Getting Around Caye Caulker:
Plan to walk barefoot, everywhere. It only takes 20 minutes to walk the length of the island. Residents walk or ride bikes on the village’s white sand roads; no cars are allowed on Caye Caulker. If you need a lift to your hotel with your luggage, golf cart taxis are available at the water ferry dock.
Where to Dine:
You’ll find casual dining along Front Street, everything from fresh-caught reef seafood to barbecue to Central American fare to French cuisine. Don’t miss the Jamaican jerk chicken at the waterside eatery Chef Kareem’s and the reef lobster dinner, when in season, at The Happy Lobster with rice and beans.
In the morning, be sure to partake of Caye Caulker’s famous pastry vendors who proffer offerings fresh from the oven; you’ll find their colorful pushcarts everywhere. You can get your morning coffee at the Namaste Café. After dinner, you may find Cake Lady and her stand in front of Front Street restaurants. Try her Key Lime Pie.
Things to Do on Caye Caulker:
Shop for gifts and knickknacks at the Rastafarian arts and crafts stands along Front Street or pick up a sarong, hammock or beach towel in the local boutiques.
For swimming, snorkeling and kayaking on Caye Caulker, head to the Split at the north end of the island. There, a deep, clear channel divides the north and south parts of the island, perfect for swimming. You can sun on a wooden sundeck and sip tropical cocktails from the Lazy Lizard Bar and Grill. Or take a seat at one of the palm-shaded tables standing in the shallow water and live your Margaritaville dream.
Around town, local outfits offer diving courses as well as snorkel and sailing excursions to the Hol Chan Marine Reserve or Shark Alley in the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
For scuba enthusiasts, experience a world-class dive trip to the Great Blue Hole, a gigantic, 1,000-foot wide marine sinkhole lying 43 miles from the Belize coast.
Been to Caye Caulker? Share the slowness!
