So, you’re planning a trip to Belize? Look no further! Caye Caulker is such an incredible, vibrant little island. I loved it so much here that I ended up cancelling my time on San Pedro to stay longer. This place just felt like home. It was welcoming, relaxing and just pure magic. By the time I left, locals were waving and saying “hello Sarah!” I want you to experience this also, so here is some super helpful and important information for you!

From Cancun, we took the ADO bus into Belize City (roughly $45 USD) and then took Ocean Ferry Belize over to Caye Caulker. The ferry cost $15 USD for adults, $10 USD for children (one way) and is about an hour boat ride.

We did not spend any time in Belize City when we arrived, just got a taxi straight from the bus station to the ferry port. This was a $10 BZ, $5 USD (for two people) ride. It is not the safest city, so if you are a solo female traveller, I would recommend your time there be kept to a minimum.
- We did however come back to Belize City on a private tour with a guide. (I will talk more about this later.) This felt much safer and he was driving us, so we didn’t have any issues. There were a couple of police check points, but they were very quick and easy.
At the port when you are leaving BZ City, you can purchase a SIM card for your phone if you’d like. We opted not to because our Airbnb had wifi.
The Belize dollar is tied to the USD 2/1. So if something is $10 BZ, it is $5 USD. Everywhere I went on the island takes USD, but just know that they give you change in Belizean bills.
- If you are on Caye Caulker and you would like to exchange some money, Atlantic Bank is the place to go. Their business hours are Monday-Friday from 8 am-3pm, and Saturday from 9am-12pm.
- There is a little fee for exchanging USD I believe it was 1/1.95 instead of 1/2.
- With that being said, a few of the locals told us that the ATM has a tendency of running out of money, so I would go earlier rather than later. There is also a withdrawal limit of $300 BZ, so you may need to make a few trips to the bank depending on what you do/how long you’re on the island.
All signs/menus on the island are supposed to be written in BZ dollars unless otherwise specified.
Prices for food and accommodation are not *that* much cheaper than in the states. Because it is an island and they have to ship everything in, it affects prices quite a bit.
The island is starting to gear themselves to becoming much more eco friendly. Most places are styrofoam free, use plant based or biodegradable to go containers and straws, etc. It is awesome seeing such an effort being made.
You cannot see the sunset from all over the island. Because of this, most people go down to the split to have a drink and watch the sun go down. I highly recommend this!
- There is a wall that you can sit on that is down near the famous Lazy Lizard Bar and Grill.
They have no open container laws, so you can walk down the street holding a beer or other alcoholic beverages.
They have two beers that are brewed in Belize. It is the Landshark and the Belkin brands of beer. Head over to the sports bar and try them both!
If you eat seafood, you’re in luck. You can get a whole fish or lobster (plus coleslaw & rice/beans) for about $20-$35 BZ.
- If you don’t eat any seafood (like myself) then you will have a much harder time finding variety of food around the island. Chicken is pretty much the other main meat option on the island.
- Some pork options are available but few beef or other meat options.
There is a TON of tour companies on the island to choose from. Because of this I like to do something I call “The Tour of Tours” where you go and check prices, inclusions, group sizes, additional park fees, food, drinks, transportation, etc.
- Note that tipping the tour guides is never included in the prices. Even if you are on a backpacker budget, always make sure you plan accordingly. These people work so hard to give you an incredible experience.
- While on Caye Caulker, there is few to no cars. The entire island is walkable in 45 minutes. If you would like to rent golf carts or bikes, that is the main method of transportation on the island. (& Incase you’re wondering, the beer gets delivered in a tractor.)
The motto of Caye Caulker is “Go Slow” and you must fully embrace that idea while you’re there if you do not want to get frustrated. Everything moves at a much slower pace than most people are used to.
- If you are walking too quickly, locals will call out to you “Go Sloooww man.” It took me a few days to embrace this, since I am so used to always being on the go, but once I slowed down.. I didn’t want to get out of the hammock!