Some of the best diving (and snorkelling) experiences in the world can be had in Belize. From the Blue Hole, a 124m deep sinkhole that has to be seen to be believed, to one of the best preserved (and biggest) coral reefs systems on the planet — with plenty of sharks, turtles and rays — divers are spoilt for choice.

Our first stop in Belize is Caye (pronounced as ‘key’) Caulker, easily accessible from the capital Belize City or via high speed boat from Chetumal, Mexico. Read all about our border crossing experience from Mexico to Belize here.

Fancy spending a vacation on your very own paradise island? Or relaxing among a melting pot of different people, all living on a tiny sandbar next to multiple coral reefs? Belize’s Cayes are a seaside retreat that caters to anyone’s tastes. From Caye Caulker to San Pedro, these two are just some of the many cayes available for visiting. The meaning of caye is actually from a Spanish word, also known as “key” which is a small, low-elevation, sandy island on the surface of a coral reef.

Food and Drinks

Caribbean sunsets are absolutely breathtaking and not to be missed. Enjoy your first evening on the island at the Lazy Lizard Bar with a Caribbean sunset and fruity cocktail. This bar is located at ‘The Split’ of the island, where years ago a hurricane cut through the shallow sand on the island. Locals and backpackers frequent this bar every evening to watch the beautiful sunset, kick back with a drink, and share a few laughs.

For dinner, head over to Happy Lobster Restaurant (Main Street, Caye Caulker) for some of the freshest and affordable lobsters on the island. You can choose a small, medium or large lobster and the price varies accordingly. A small lobster cost BZ$39 (US$19.50) which is a steal compared to Burger and Lobster. Although the prices at Happy Lobster were slightly higher compared to the other restaurants, the lobster was fresh and they serves us complimentary rum punch.

We ate at other restaurants around Caye Caulker, from pizza places to a swinging restaurant, but the best meal we had was still at Happy Lobster.

For cheap drinks, head over to Sports Bar for their nightly happy hour, one of the longest on the island. There is also live band performance on most nights. The bar has two entrances, either from the beachfront or the main street. Usually it is packed with tourists, and gets even more crowded when there is a football match being telecast.

What to do?

Besides enjoying the chilled vibes on the island, a day trip to the nearby islands is also highly recommended. We signed up for a full-day snorkelling tour with one of the many shops around the island. The snorkeling trips are a great way to not only see marine wildlife in the famous Belize Barrier Reef but also to touch nurse sharks and stingrays in a safe environment. The tour cost BZ$130 (US$65) which is one of the cheaper ones we found while checking out the many dive shops. The price includes transport, live jacket, rental of snorkelling fins and mask, environmental park fees, as well as a packed lunch.

Hol Chan Marine Reserve is a marine reserve close to Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker, off the coast of Belize. It covers approximately 18 km² of coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangrove forest. We were excited to see nurse sharks, manatees, manta rays and turtles on our snorkelling tour. These are the more unique sea creatures that would not normally be seen on snorkelling trips. We were satisfied with the tour, although it may be tiring due to the constant movement from the boat to the water as we stopped at various snorkelling sites throughout the day.

After a day of snorkelling, we returned to the island of Caye Caulker around 4pm, where the showed us some tarpons (a type of large fish found in coastal waters) in the water and some seahorses. We bid farewell to the other passengers and went to catch the sunset by the beach.

Other than snorkelling or dive trips, you can also go for a scenic plane ride over the Blue Hole, which is an awesome experience. We chose this over snorkeling at the Blue Hole because it offers a different perspective. When you are in the waters, you are unable to see the whole diameter of the structure and to gaze at the expanse of the Blue Hole.

Caye Caulker is a must-visit when you come to Belize! While San Pedro is a much larger island with more stuff, but I really enjoyed the lack of cars on the island except for the buggy carts, and the easygoing attitude of the locals living here.

Where to stay?

We stayed at The Club at Caye Caulker on the first night and Vista Del Mar Guesthouse (available for booking on AirBnB) on the second. We did not manage to book two consecutive nights with The Club due to some issues with the payment so my reservation did not go through. Anyway we preferred the latter as it is more spacious, and the room was cleaner. The first one had everything and we were allocated a huge room, complete with living room, kitchen and bedroom.

TRAVEL TIP: The official language of Belize is English, so there is no need to bring out the pocket translator. The locals are very kind and welcoming, so it is not only simple to get around but fun to talk easily with everyone.