Caye (pronounced key) Caulker is a small island in the Caribbean with a lively backpacker scene. There are no cars on this island, with golf carts or your feet being the preferred modes of transportation. The motto of the island is, “Go Slow,” which you can’t help but emulate after a few hours on this peaceful paradise. The locals grilling fish outside of restaurants (to entice you with the smell as you walk down the street), the bartenders and the rastamen on the beach all quickly became my friends. I found the locals to be curious about visitors but they left a conversation before I was ready for them to go, and without trying to sell me anything. I met a Caye Caulker local named Sin Camisa (because he never wore a shirt) that hung healing crystals and his house keys from his dreadlocks. He explained to me that I am the moon because I circle around the world as I travel, however, he is the sun and the world spins around him without ever having to leave his island. I also met so many friendly backpackers that it reminded me of traveling in Thailand. With only a few bars to hangout at, everyone on the island quickly becomes familiar with one another. I personally was known as the girl with purple hair.
How to Get There
I took a speed boat from Chetumal, Mexico that stopped at San Pedro for immigration before continuing on to Caye Caulker. This was the quicker and more expensive way to get to the island. For $20 less I could have taken a longer bus ride to Belize city and then caught a ferry. I chose the more expensive route because I had read about people having trouble with Mexican immigration at the Belizean border. There is a tourism tax you have to pay when you leave Mexico but if you check your invoice from your flight into Mexico, you probably already paid it. Leaving Mexico through Chetumal was a breeze and I guess I’ll never know if the land border is actually more difficult.
Where to stay
If you typically use Hostelworld to book your accommodations you will find Travellers Palm with a high rating and affordable rooms. This hostel is a few blocks south of the main part of town but as the island is so small, I didn’t mind the walk. This hostel had a lively social scene and I made all of my close friends by sitting on the rooftop chill area. The dorm beds each had their own outlet, a shelf, a fan and the wifi is very fast. As an added bonus the hostel has two kayaks you can use. If you are traveling with somebody there are also many guest houses on the island to choose from.
Food and Drinks
The night I arrived on the island I went to a restaurant and had a vegetarian quesadilla for $14 BZD ($7 USD). Shocked by the price (that is the price of a huge Chipotle burrito) I vowed to make all my own meals at the hostel. There was a large Chinese Supermarket with everything you could need from produce, cheese, oats and peanut butter. I’m a rather thrifty traveler and you can do Caye Caulker on a budget. However, I made friends that were on shorter trips and therefore willing to treat themselves to a fancy dinner more often. I would enjoy cheap happy hour drinks while they had fresh seafood prepared on grills right before their eyes. For around $15 USD they had lobster or Snapper Fish and a complimentary rum and punch. Happy hour drink specials would be as cheap as $3 BZD ($1.50 USD) for a local coconut rum and juice. I also never got in trouble for buying a tiny bottle of rum and juice from the supermarket and discreetly mixing my own drinks. Whatever your budget, Caye Caulker has options for everybody!
Going out
During the day there are two beach bars with swimming spots, vibey music and delicious food. On the Northern end of the Southern island is a beach called The Split. Despite being an island surrounded by water, there are not too many beaches to lounge on. The Split has a wooden dock that people can hangout on, volleyball nets and deep water to swim in. The actual Split was caused by a hurricane in 1961. The Northern and Southern part of the island were separated and a huge waterway now runs in between. Located at The Split, The Lazy Lizard is the bar where most people find themselves at some point throughout the day.
The Northern island is mainly wild and full of mangrove trees, however, the other day bar, KoKo King is located there. You can get there by taking the free boat (free along as you spend $25 BZD at KoKo King), kayaking over, or of course swimming (though hardly anybody does that). KoKo king was my favorite spot to enjoy cocktails on Caye Caulker. There is an actual sandy beach with chairs in the water, floating inner tubes, a trampoline type structure, great music and $6 BZD happy hour drinks.
One day my friend and I decided to swim back from KoKo King across the Split to The Lazy Lizard. It was an easy swim until we got to the Split itself which has a strong current and whisked us to the Eastern side of the island. The patrons of The Lazy Lizard got such a kick out of watching us fight the current that two men met us on the Eastern side where there was a wooden dock but no ladder and lifted us out of the water. For the rest of our time on the island we were known as the girls that swam the Split! After the workout we treated ourselves to some Lizard juice and watched the sun set.
After dinner, the happening place on the island is Sports Bar. Earlier in the evening there are live musicians and later on there is a DJ. I did my signature shuffling dance moves and also got the reputation of the girl “that was steppin’” which is probably the most endearing way I’ve ever heard shuffling described. Sports bar closes at midnight so if people still fancy going out, the last option is Island Sky which is the nightclub on the island. It is a tiny room with DJ lights but we all danced barefoot so it isn’t a typical nightclub.
Wildlife
There are many ways to appreciate marine life while on this island. The friendly locals will show you which docks you can find seahorses at or where to buy sardines and feed the pelicans. The water is crystal clear and many people come here to dive or snorkel. Raggamuffin is the most popular company to book a snorkeling excursion with. It included lunch, some drinks and a chance to see manatees and sharks.
I spent five nights on Caye Caulker but I easily could have stayed longer. Although I had done everything I wanted to do there, the island has a magnetic energy and a heavy gravity. If I hadn’t committed to volunteer on the Hummingbird Highway I could have gotten caught up in the Caye Caulker rhythm of going slowly and enjoying each moment.
Chronicles of a Wandering Soul 