We have been using the DKB VISA card and the N26 MasterCard for five years. You can find a detailed overview of the best cards in our comparison here. On Caye Caulker, there is the Atlantic Bank with ATMs and two other ATMs. These didn’t work for us, but luckily the ATM at the bank did. If you want to be on the safe side, it’s better to bring some extra cash from the mainland.

Accommodation on the island

After our exciting crossing to the island, we naturally went straight to our cute hotel. We walked along the jetty, looked left and right, and saw palm trees, colorful wooden houses, hammocks, pelicans, and small boats in the water everywhere. From the very beginning, we had a really good feeling and immediately felt at home. We had booked accommodation in the north of the island in advance.

Caye Caulker isn’t particularly large. The main part stretches for just under 1.8 kilometers, so it couldn’t be far on foot. With our backpacks on our backs, we strolled along the main road and after about 15 minutes we reached our accommodation: Sophie’s Guest Rooms*.

The accommodation was great, and the highlight was definitely the hammocks in front of the room with a view of the sea. We highly recommend the guest house. You get a large, simple room, usually with two beds, a sink, a closet, and a table and chair. Towels are also provided. Toilets and showers are shared with the community.

However, only five rooms are rented out in total. It was always quiet and extremely pleasant. We also thought the location was great: not on the main street, but facing the other side. In the morning, we only had to go down the stairs and after just 20 steps we were at the water. A dream! The lovely woman who takes care of the accommodation on site is also simply adorable and totally charming.

As for accommodation, we didn’t really find much on any of the platforms beforehand. Since our standards are generally not particularly high on trips like this, we wanted to book simple accommodations. This guesthouse immediately caught our eye. Furthermore, there was hardly anything affordable available during our travel period, so we ended up just booking anything. We therefore recommend booking early!

If you have a bigger budget, you can also find other cool accommodations on Caye Caulker. Check out the Yocamatsu*, the We’Yu Boutique Hotel*, and the Weezie’s Ocean Front Hotel*, for example.

However, on the island, we saw many accommodations that we hadn’t found online. If you’re not on Caye Caulker during peak season, you’re sure to find a room locally (and certainly cheaper). There are a few hostels on the island and, above all, many guesthouses with simple rooms, cabanas, and apartments. There’s something for every budget. However, people with larger budgets seem to prefer the island of San Pedro. Caye Caulker is more of a backpacker’s option. Since we haven’t been to San Pedro, we can’t comment on that.

Other accommodations:

• Go Slow Hostel*
• Enjoy Hotel*
• Travellers Palm Backpackers Hostel*
• Jungle Cocoon*
• Panchos Villas*
• Tropical Paradise*
• Dream Cabanas*

Getting around the island

Caye Caulker is small, so your primary means of transportation is, of course, yourself. There aren’t many paths, and it usually doesn’t take long to get from A to B (depending on your accommodation). We were in the very north and always had to walk a while to get to places like the bank or certain cafés.

But you really don’t need a car or scooter here. On Caye Caulker, you can rent a bike or a golf caddy. You can rent a bike for around $7-$8 per day. A golf caddy costs around $50 per day or $360 per week. Rental companies: J & SONS Xtreme Karts/ Golf Cart Rental or Caye Cauker Golf Cart Rental.

Food and Drink

We slowly began to explore the small island of Caye Caulker. Although we walked up and down the same streets every day, we kept discovering new things. We quickly realized what people like to eat on the island – fish and seafood. Well… basically anything that comes from the sea. The fish is prepared and grilled right on the street, and you can smell it everywhere.

On the main street, there are several restaurants where you can eat burgers, pizza, rice dishes, fish, meat, burritos, beans, wraps, fries, and other things. Caye Caulker basically has everything. Since we’re not vegetarians or vegans, we can’t really assess the selection. It won’t be that diverse, though. Prices are usually in the German price range, between €6 and €15.

Only when you go down one of the side streets or stand in line at a simple stand will you find cheap street food. You can get Fry Jacks for just €0.60, and a burger or burritos for just 5 Belize dollars (€2). Update 05/2020: Of course, we don’t know if the prices are still current.

Where we liked to go:

• Namaste Café (the best cafe latte on the island)
• The Lazy Lizard (kind of beach club, relaxed for swimming and hanging out)
• Ice and Beans Café (donuts, coffee and waffles)
• Caribbean Colors Art Café (good for breakfast)
• Amor y Café (good for breakfast)
• Nora’s Kitchen (a bit hidden in the side street)
• Crepes and Dreams (good for a snack in between meals)
• Errolyns House of Fry Jacks (hearty and delicious fry jacks from just €0.60)
• Caye Caulker Bakery (tasty snacks for in between meals)
• The Creamery – Frozen Yogurt & Ice Cream

Shopping on the Island

There are small supermarkets and kiosks on Caye Caulker. If you have the means to cook yourself, you can buy common groceries like pasta, eggs, milk, rice, ketchup, yogurt, cornflakes, white bread, jam, etc. Generally, it’s not really worth it, though, as these groceries are quite expensive compared to other countries.

You can just as easily go to a restaurant or a simple stall for dinner. In the shops, you can also buy shower gel, shampoo, mosquito repellent, sunscreen, souvenirs, clothes—oh…just about everything. We’re not big fans of souvenirs, but there are some really nice shops on Caye Caulker. You’re sure to stroll past one or two.

Other facilities on Caye Caulker: There are two pharmacies, a fire department, a “gas station” at the Black Bridge for golf caddies and scooters. There is a post office, a police station, and a small landing strip for propeller planes. Oh, and of course, you can also have your laundry done. There are a few laundry shops and locals where you can get your clothes cleaned for a few US dollars.

What? No beaches?

There aren’t really “beaches” on the island as we would imagine. However, there are small coves here and there where you have easy access to the water. Right in front of our accommodation (Sophie’s Guest Rooms) is a small “beach.” It’s a wonderful place to swim or sunbathe.

We preferred the “Lazy Lizard” in the far north. There’s always something going on there. You can lounge on the sand, order a drink or two, listen to music, read a book, and jump into the beautiful water. There’s also a kind of “diving platform” from which guests can dive into the sea using a variety of techniques.

Up here you’re at the famous “The Split. In 1961, Hurricane Hattie raged here in Belize and split the island into two sections – the South Island and the North Island. In the evening, vacationers and locals meet here to marvel at the beautiful sunset. Then, right next door, the “Sip & Dip” bar is located.

This bar is located on a jetty directly over the water. The drinks are cheaper than at the Lazy Lizard, and you can chill in cool hammocks right in the water. There’s no reason to be sad that there are no real beaches here. We were still able to lie on the sand, sunbathe, and jump into the crystal-clear, turquoise water.

Safety on Caye Caulker

In general, we never felt uncomfortable. Although we were offered all sorts of drugs, we were always able to simply walk away with a friendly smile. A local told us that more and more drugs were finding their way onto the island. It’s a completely different story in Belize City. Almost every day, there’s something in the newspaper about deaths from shootings, robberies, and stabbings. He didn’t want to make us anxious, but simply to warn us.

After our conversations, we naturally wanted to leave Belize City as quickly as possible. Even for the 10-minute walk from the pier to the bus station, we were recommended a taxi. Well, you never know. And so we always listen to the locals on such matters. They should know! We didn’t notice anything on Caye Caulker, but found the atmosphere there to be very relaxed. Of course, you shouldn’t wander the small streets alone at night. There are people all over the world who don’t mean well. So, use common sense here too.

Excursions & Tours

Caye Caulker is an island unto itself – a small corner of the earth for relaxation and unwinding. Stress, everyday problems, and appointments have no place here. The island doesn’t have any specific sights to offer – but the island itself is worth seeing. It’s simply a feeling and this very unique flair that you immediately sense when you arrive there.

Most vacationers come here to spend relaxing days and explore the underwater world. And that’s exactly what we planned to do. We spent the first few days relaxing on the island and just drifting. But then it was time to finally sail out into the Caribbean Sea and discover the promising underwater world.

And on Caye Caulker, there are countless providers for a wide variety of tours. We compared many and ultimately settled on the guys from EZ Boy Tour. They were all fairly priced, but their tour still sounded better. We booked a full-day sailing tour including lunch, music, snorkeling, and sunset. We paid only 140 Belize dollars (56€) per person for this fun. Most people go with Caveman Snorkeling Tours, Raggamuffin Tours, or Anda De Wata Tours. The EZ Boy Tours cabin is right on the water next to Main Road – hard to miss.

Our summary of the tour

We felt like annoying environmental activists and were given strange looks when we told the crew that we didn’t think it was a good idea to attract the animals with fish scraps, etc. Some stupid participants also touched the rays underwater – ABSOLUTE NO GO! We then moved away from the group to observe the animals in peace from a distance.

On board, there was water in plastic bags – we’d never seen anything like that before. Our feedback after the tour was appropriate. But now let’s get to the positive: Apart from that, the tour was beautiful, and the sailboat ride was unique. While all the other boats rushed back to the island after their stops, we calmly sailed back within two hours or more.

This allowed us to enjoy the sunset on the boat with punch and nachos. Aside from attracting the animals, the crew was really nice and gave us interesting information about the underwater world during the snorkeling trips. We had great conversations with the other participants and simply had a wonderful day together.

The more environmentally friendly option

Unfortunately, we only discovered the operator Reef Friendly Tours on a walk after our tour. They value sustainability. They don’t feed the animals, and there’s no plastic on board either. They also depart much earlier than all the other operators and use more environmentally friendly boats. The cost of a tour is similar to that of all other tour operators. If you’re vacationing on Caye Caulker, you should definitely support this operator. We would love your feedback and are curious to hear what you think.

Caye Caulker Animal Shelter

And one last thing: Kenny runs the Caye Caulker Animal Shelter, which has many dogs and cats. He doesn’t have much money himself, but he still cares passionately for all the four-legged friends. We visited him every day and even took the dogs for a few walks around the island. He would certainly appreciate a donation for food, medication, and supplies. You’ll find the shelter on the main road on the north side of the island. Roughly across from Ice and Beans Cafe. If you have time, please visit him sometime.