Welcome to Caye Caulker Hotels

The steady wind ruffled the hair of the visitors arriving by water taxi to Caye Caulker. Most of the passengers had reservations at Caye Caulker hotels, the few that didn’t were not  over worried because they had been told that rooms were available at a few of the Caye Caulker hotels. After crossing the bay from Belize City, the boat had maneuvered through channels in the mangrove forests near Caye Caulker which had afforded views of stately herons, other water birds, and even a crocodile for the luckiest passengers on their way to their Caye Caulker hotels.

 

As the boat motored through the dredged channel known as “the split”, more of the town of Caye Caulker became visible, including its hotels. The streets of Caye Caulker were white sand, and the houses and Caye Caulker hotels brightly painted in pinks, greens, reds, and yellows. Coconut palms were growing in the gardens of the town and large, pointed-winged frigatebirds effortlessly soared above Caye Caulker. No cars were visible and only a few people on bikes slowly pedaled along the main road near Caye Caulker hotels that paralleled the Caribbean Sea. Out on the light, turquoise water above the coral reef, the passengers on their way to Caye Caulker hotels could see the bright sails of windsurfers and boats glinting in the hot sun as they plied the inviting waters. When they docked, many of the seasoned travelers heading to their hotels thought that the place looked picture perfect; a sentiment also shared by the residents of Caye Caulker, Belize.

 

Caye Caulker is a small island just twenty miles from Belize City that is located on the Belize Barrier Reef. The dredged channel known as “the split” has turned Caye Caulker into two islands. The northern part is a nature reserve while the southern section houses the town and all of the Caye Caulker hotels. Settled for hundreds and probably thousands of years, the Caye Caulker hotels are a new feature on this strip of land composed of sand and limestone. The inhabitants represent most of the Belizean cultures; descendants of Maya and Spanish peoples who had fled to Caye Caulker to escape the bloody caste wars of the 1800s, Garifuna people that are descended from African and Caribe peoples, ex-patriots from North America and Europe who decided to stay on at beautiful Caye Caulker after visiting this enchanting island and its hotels, and the most dominant culture in Belize, the Creoles. Originally a village with an economy based on ship-building and fishing, many of the residents of Caye Caulker now work in the tourism sector and several are owners of Caye Caulker hotels. Although it was once thought that Caye Caulker got its name from the ship building and repairing that took  place on the island (as in caulking the holes of a ship), the most accepted theory is that the name Caye Caulker is an English derivation of the Spanish name for this island; “Isla Hicaco”. “Hicaco” is the name that Spanish sailors gave to the wild plums that grow on Caye Caulker. Although these small fruits still occur, unlike the Spanish sailors, visitors to Caye Caulker hotels won’t have to forage for hicacos as this pleasant island now offers a variety of excellent restaurants, hotels, and many activities to choose from.

 

Transportation to Caye Caulker hotels

 

The two methods of reaching the hotels on Caye Caulker are by plane or by boat. The local airlines Tropic Air and Mayan Island Airways both make frequent, fifteen minute flights to the airstrip on Caye Caulker. Flights for Caye Caulker, Belize leave from both the international and municipal airports in Belize City, as well as from San Pedro and Corozal. Visitors who have just arrived to the international airport in Belize City have the option of taking the next available flight to get to their Caye Caulker Hotels although those flights cost more than the ones leaving from the municipal airport.

 

The more common, cheaper method that locals and visitors take to get to their Caye Caulker hotels is by boat. At least three water taxi companies make several trips between Belize City and Caye Caulker with its many hotels. The one with the largest boats and most departures is the Caye Caulker Water Taxi Association. They usually offer seven departures from Belize City per day from the water taxi terminal located north of the swing bridge. No matter which company visitors choose to go with to get to their Caye Caulker hotels, all three companies take their passengers on a beautiful, forty-five minute ride through the clear, gorgeous water of the Caribbean Sea as well as through mangrove forests where graceful wading birds are often seen.

 

Upon arrival to Caye Caulker, when visitors aren’t leaving their hotels on foot to leisurely stroll around the small island, most ride bicycles available for rent at a number of locales. For visitors staying at Caye Caulker hotels who haven’t ridden a bike since they were a kid and don’t feel like relearning on Caye Caulker, the option for transportation with wheels is the golf cart. Easy to drive, slow, and safe, golf carts are the choice of taxi drivers picking up guests who stay at Caye Caulker hotels and can also be rented by those who would rather sit behind the wheel.

 

Caye Caulker hotels

 

Although Caye Caulker and its hotels are a very popular destination, it has managed to retain a fair amount of its original, laid back flavor and appeal. Unlike many other sites where tourism has become an important part of their economies, Caye Caulker has not become over-developed with hotels and resorts. In fact, there are no resorts on Caye Caulker and most of the options for accommodation are fairly small and moderately priced hotels. There are more than thirty hotels on Caye Caulker, all found in and around the small town south of the split. The more expensive Caye Caulker hotels are the Seaside Cabanas, Auxillou Beach Suites, and the Iguana Reef. All of these have larger rooms than other Caye Caulker hotels and are equipped with more amenities. The Iguana Reef also has a swimming area in the lagoon on the west side of Caye Caulker in addition to a pool. One of the many nice things about Caye Caulker and its hotels is that there is still accommodation offered with prices attractive to budget travelers and backpackers. One of these budget priced Caye Caulker hotels is Tina’s Backpacker Hostel. Like other hostels, the showers are shared as is the kitchen. Unlike other hostels, Tina’s (one of the cheapest of the Caye Caulker hotels) has hammocks for lounging near the water.

 

For visitors staying at Caye Caulker hotels who do not want to pay too much nor too little, there are several mid-priced Caye Caulker hotels to choose from. The Blue Wave, Costa Maya Beach Cabanas, Barefoot Caribe, and Tropics Hotel are all fairly close to the split.  Most of these Caye Caulker hotels have rooms with ocean views, very few have restaurants, and the Costa Maya Beach Cabanas gives their guests access to free bicycles for pedaling around the island. As one heads south of the split, some of the other budget Caye Caulker hotels are Tropical Paradise Hotel, Trends, Beachfront Hotel, and the Jaguar Morning Star. These three budget Caye Caulker hotels are painted with bright colors (like many structures on Caye Caulker), and offer basic, clean rooms. The Tropical Paradise Hotel also has a popular restaurant. A few of the many mid-range Caye Caulker hotels located south of the dock are Shirley’s Guest House, Amanda’s Place, the Tree Tops Hotel, the Lazy Iguana, and the Barefoot Beach Belize Hotel. One of the most popular of these Caye Caulker hotels is the Lazy Iguana. Reservations are suggested to stay at one of the four rooms for rent at this hotel located at the edge of town. Guests at the Lazy Iguana have access to beautiful gardens and a rooftop with great views of the town, other Caye Caulker hotels, and Caribbean Sea. Reservations are also recommended at the Trends Beachfront Hotel. Similar in ways to another of the Caye Caulker hotels (the Lazy Iguana), this popular place is situated closer to the dock. Shirley’s Guest House is another hotel with quiet gardens located near the south side of town and like many Caye Caulker hotels, also has a dock out front. The Barefoot Beach Belize has hammocks on its dock and rooms that are more like small apartments as well as two cottages for rent. Another of the mid-priced Caye Caulker hotels with rooms that are more like small apartments is Amanda’s Place. 

 

Featured Caye Caulker Hotels

SeaDreams Hotel

 

Attractions near Caye Caulker Hotels

 

Snorkeling near Caye Caulker hotels

For being such a small island, Caye Caulker has a wide variety of attractions and activities available for its visitors. The most popular activities and main reasons why Caye Caulker hotels are often filled with guests are related to Caye Caulker being located close to the second largest barrier reef in the world. Only a mile to the east of Caye Caulker, the barrier reef offers incredible snorkeling and diving for guests staying at Caye Caulker hotels. Although much of the waters surrounding Caye Caulker offer fantastic snorkeling opportunities, many snorkeling tours done by guests of Caye Caulker hotels visit either the Caye Caulker Marine Reserve, or the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. On boat trips to either of these sites, guests coming from Caye Caulker hotels are often accompanied by Bottlenose Dolphins while pterodactyl-like Magnificent Frigatebirds soar overhead. At the Caye Caulker Marine Reserve, snorkelers usually swim above an area called the coral garden. Aptly named, the coral garden is filled with multicolored colors and other invertebrates whose bright reds, yellows, purples, and blues put the flower gardens of Caye Caulker hotels to shame.

 

Among the corals, snorkelers can also see firsthand why seafood is such a main feature at the restaurants of Caye Caulker hotels. Although no fishing is allowed in the marine reserves, they showcase many of the fish, crustaceans, and mollusks used in dishes at restaurants in Caye Caulker. Snappers with yellow tails, triggerfish, and other brightly colored fish schooling among the corals that hide moral eels, octopus, and clownfish with bright orange stripes are a small sampling of reef life that awaits guests of Caye Caulker hotels.

Nurse Sharks and Rays are also commonly seen by guests that take snorkeling trips from their Caye Caulker hotels. One area near the Hol Chan Marine Reserve is actually known as “shark-ray alley” because so many sharks and rays can be found there.

 

Although almost all guests staying at Caye Caulker hotels take a professionally guided tour for snorkeling, whether visitors go with a guide or on their own, they need to make sure not to kick the fragile corals with their fins, nor to step on them.

 

SCUBA diving near Caye Caulker hotels

For guests of Caye Caulker hotels who need a closer, more prolonged look at the denizens of the Belize Barrier Reef, SCUBA diving can bring them face to face with an incredible host of underwater creatures. Even if guests at Caye Caulker hotels have never dived before, there are four-day dive certification courses offered out of Caye Caulker. There are many options for SCUBA diving near Caye Caulker, including at the same marine reserves used for snorkeling. Guests of Caye Caulker hotels that SCUBA dive these sites, however, not only dive to explore the corals of the shallow reef, but also might dive along the outer wall of the reef. This is where the reef ends with an underwater cliff or wall that descends straight down into the dark, ocean depths. Essentially an underwater wilderness, many more fish are possible here including larger predators whose shapes far below along the wall can sometimes be seen by divers from above. Many corals and other life forms are also found along the walls of the reef. If the wall diving isn’t enough to satisfy guests staying at Caye Caulker hotels, they can always take a guided night diving tour. A type of diving that should never be done solo, night dives near Caye Caulker offer divers the chance to see the amazing nocturnal fishes and creatures that are hidden during the day. Most Caye Caulker hotels sell SCUBA diving courses and tours for experiencing some of the best dive sites in the world.

 

Fishing near Caye Caulker hotels

For the guests of Caye Caulker hotels who would rather experience the life of the Belize Barrier Reef at the end of a fishing rod, there are plenty of fishing guides and charters that can be taken out of Caye Caulker for a variety of saltwater game fish. The sandy flats or shallow water of the reef at Caye Caulker have some of the best fishing for bonefish anywhere in the world. Guests of Caye Caulker hotels typically go for these lightning fast fish by wading the flats with a fly rod. Not the easiest of fish to catch, to experience fighting and landing a bonefish, guests staying at Caye Caulker hotels should hire one of the professional bonefish guides available on Caye Caulker. Trips can also be taken from Caye Caulker hotels to fish for tarpon near the mangroves, along the reef to catch large, aggressive barracudas, and out past the reef into deep water to fish for large gamefish such as Wahoo, Dorado, Mackerel, and sailfish.  

 

Windsurfing and Sea Kayaking near Caye Caulker hotels

The steady breeze that comes off of the Caribbean Sea to the east helps keep the insects away and cools off guests staying at Caye Caulker hotels. This welcome wind on the shallow reef waters near Caye Caulker also makes it an excellent island for windsurfing. For guests staying at Caye Caulker hotels that didn’t bring their windsurfing gear, this can be rented in Caye Caulker. Even if guests of Caye Caulker hotels don’t know how to windsurf, courses are available to learn how to use the wind to quickly skim over the clear water at Caye Caulker. Guests of Caye Caulker hotels who would rather have more control over their actions on the water and have more flexibility in exploring the waterways and coasts of Caye Caulker can rent sea kayaks. These versatile little boats can be used to paddle out over the waters of the reef, explore channels through the mangroves, and visit places along the island that are impossible to reach by walking or with larger boats. Sea kayaks also provide guests of Caye Caulker hotels with better opportunities at seeing wildlife such as manatees and wading birds.

 

Birdwatching near Caye Caulker hotels

Although most of the life at Caye Caulker is underwater, some of the more obvious wildlife above water is of the feathered kind. Guests of Caye Caulker hotels have the chance to see around 100 bird species while birdwatching on Caye Caulker. Most of the species are seabirds and birds of the mangrove forests that are rare on the mainland. Guests of Caye Caulker hotels who hire a local birding guide might see such interesting species as the White-crowned Pigeon, Black Catbird, and Caribbean Dove.

 

Featured Caye Caulker Tours

Coming soon!

 

Dining near Caye Caulker hotels

 

A mix of years of experience in pleasing the palettes of tourists from various countries blended with local and international flavors influenced by the many ex-patriots who have moved to Caye Caulker makes for wonderful dining for guests of Caye Caulker hotels. One of the many benefits of being an island in the Caribbean Sea is the ready availability and abundance of seafood. Caye Caulker is no exception to this rule and those who stay at Caye Caulker hotels will be sure to witness the fantastic seafood that Caye Caulker has to offer. Two types of seafood in particular are especially coveted by diners who stay at Caye Caulker hotels, both of which have their own seasons. The season for the small yet tasty Rock Lobster is from June to February while the delicious meat of the Conch shellfish is only in season from July until October. No matter what time of year a visit is made to Caye Caulker though, guests of Caye Caulker hotels won’t be disappointed with the wonderful dishes served at the wide variety of restaurants found on Caye Caulker. Two of the better restaurants on Caye Caulker are the Don Corleone and the Rasta Pasta Rainforest Café. Run by an excellent, experienced Italian chef, the Don Corleone makes authentic Italian food so good that guests staying at Caye Caulker hotels will find dishes too delicious to refuse.

 

The Rasta Pasta Rainforest Café also serves pasta although unique dishes with a heightened local flavor are the specialties of this friendly, tasty restaurant. A Caye Caulker restaurant that specializes in seafood is the Happy Lobster. They also have vegetarian dishes and serve breakfast. Although Wish-Willy’s Bar and Grill doesn’t dish out breakfast, they do serve up delicious seafood and curries to patrons who dine by candlelight at linen covered outdoor tables. For guests staying at Caye Caulker hotels who would like to dine on excellent seafood and light dishes on a deck over the water, there is also the Rainbow Grill and Bar. Two nice spots for breakfast on Caye Caulker are Marla’s Kitchen and Glenda’s Café. Both of these diners offer tasty, local dishes for lunch, while Marla’s Kitchen is also open for dinner.

For visitors to Caye Caulker whose hotels are south of the main boat dock, another set of restaurants beckons. The most popular, fine dining restaurant is Habaneros. Guests staying at Caye Caulker hotels should make reservations for dinner by candlelight at this excellent eating establishment. A variety of international dishes are offered that use tasty local ingredients. For breakfast south of the dock, Marin’s restaurant, Cindy’s Café, and the Tropical Paradise Hotel are all good choices with the small Cindy’s Café being the best of the bunch. For those who don’t want to make reservations at Habaneros, Syd’s is another good, popular restaurant that serves tasty, local dishes. For the guests of Caye Caulker hotels who wish to dine away from the main roads of Caye Caulker, the Coco Plum Gardens is the prefect choice. Located near the air strip, this small restaurant has beautiful gardens and serves delicious baked goods (including pizza) and meals for breakfast and dinner.

 

Nightlife near Caye Caulker hotels

 

The nightlife for guests of Caye Caulker hotels reflects the tranquility of this small Caribbean island. Visitors won’t find any large discos or major venues but that’s not really why tourists come to Caye Caulker in any case. Bars tend to be relaxed establishments where patrons can have a drink while admiring a sky filled with stars or watching the Caribbean waves highlighted with silver by an immense moon. Music is played at all bars with reggae being a dominant feature at Herbal Tribe and the “I and I Reggae Bar”.  Tourists that stay at Caye Caulker hotels can check out the reggae crowd at Herbal Life’s happy hour from six to eight in the evening before heading over to the three-story I and I Reggae Bar at the southern end of Caye Caulker town. One of the more happening places on Caye Caulker, instead of bar stools, this drinking establishment has swings for its loyal patrons. If the I and I Reggae Bar looks empty, then it’s probably time for guests of Caye Caulker hotels to search other bars for the party crowd as the nightlife hotspot in Caye Caulker varies from night to night. Visitors staying at Caye Caulker hotels might want to walk to the area around the north dock to the Rasta Pasta Rainforest Café. Here they can have a cold drink and enjoy the ocean breezes at this seaside restaurant. Guests of Caye Caulker hotels can then head over to the nearby Oceanside bar. This nightclub often features live acts that can range from country-western to punta rock. It’s also the place to go in Caye Caulker for karaoke aficionados. If there is no band and the crowd isn’t belting out classics at the Oceanside, then they might be up near the split at the Lazy Lizard. This small bar is a low key establishment and one of the best paces for guests at Caye Caulker hotels to go for relaxed drinks and conversation. For the non-drinking guests of Caye Caulker hotels, there is always the possibility of making friends with other travelers and locals while out for a stroll along the main road or beach.

 

Shopping near Caye Caulker hotels

 

With the high number of visitors that come to stay at Caye Caulker hotels, this small island has a number of gift shops to choose from and at least one art gallery. The gift shops sell a wide enough variety of items to meet the tastes of most guests of Caye Caulker hotels.  Souvenirs range from colorful tee-shirts to post-cards, handicrafts, and other small items, many of which are made with materials gathered from Caye Caulker such as pink sea shells, coconut husks, and palm fronds. The Sunset, Toucan, Seashell, Miriany’s, Celi’s, and Caye Caulker are some of the gift shops that guests of Caye Caulker hotels can  browse for souvenirs of their trip.

 

For guests of Caye Caulker hotels looking for more expensive souvenirs, including works of art, Chocolate’s Gift Shop beckons with interesting handcrafted goods from Belize, Guatemala, and Bali. For those who would like to remember Caye Caulker with a painting, the Caribbean Colors Art Gallery displays artwork from various Belizean artists including the owner, Lee Vanderwalker. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Lee has lived in Belize for several years, and the flavors of the Caribbean are evident in her colorful paintings. She specializes in beautiful, hand-painted, silk pieces that display a wide variety of themes associated with the past and present of Belize. In addition to paintings and prints, this art gallery also offers locally crafted jewelry whose sea-shell components are sure to bring back fond memories of Caye Caulker for guests that stay at Caye Caulker hotels.

 

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Weather at Caye Caulker hotels

 

The weather at Caye Caulker hotels is similar to other areas of northern Belize with daily highs in the eighties (thirties Celsius) accompanied by plenty of tropical sunshine. Any resemblance to seasons is associated with the predictable changes in precipitation that occur a few times during the year at Caye Caulker hotels. Caye Caulker and its hotels are at their driest from February to May, while the rainiest time of year is from June to August. From late August to September, guests at Caye Caulker hotels usually stay dry, although this is the time of the year when they could also get frighteningly soaked by a hurricane. By late September, the rainy season kicks into gear once again until late January around Caye Caulker hotels.

 

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