When we arrived at our guest house on Caye Caulker Island in Belize, we were greeted with a simple, “Welcome to Caye Caulker. I’m tired, so just put your bags in your room and we’ll do the paperwork in the morning.” With the sun already set, the cool evening breeze rustled the palm trees, offering a relaxed and much-needed welcome after a long journey that included some immigration issues.
We dropped our bags in our colorful room and took a lazy walk down the sandy lanes to find dinner. Funky beach bars playing Caribbean reggae lined the western end of the island, with men grilling on the beach and picnic tables full of tourists and locals enjoying freshly grilled chicken. The slow rhythm of the reggae music perfectly captured the relaxed vibe of this paradise.
Caye Caulker is a small coral island off the eastern coast of Belize, about 32 km north of Belize City. It’s just 8 km long and 1.6 km wide. The island is split into two parts by what’s commonly known as “the split.” Contrary to popular belief that Hurricane Hattie in 1961 created the split, we learned the truth from locals. The hurricane only made a small creek a few inches deep. Ramon Reyes, the Village Council Chairman at the time, had a deeper waterway dredged to allow dugout canoes to pass from the eastern side to the west without navigating around the island.
Today, the split is nearly 7 meters deep and continues to grow due to natural erosion. While this might pose a future threat, for now, it’s a great hangout spot with a lively beach bar. We spent many sunny days there, enjoying cold beers and music from across the Caribbean.
One day at the split, we saw a man flying about 4 meters above the water, propelled by jets of water from his feet. He looked like a shirtless Iron Man in board shorts. We rushed closer to see this impressive display. He was on a “fly board,” performing flips and twists, to the cheers of the crowd gathered near the bar. It was captivating.
That fly board show was a rare burst of excitement in Caye Caulker’s otherwise calm atmosphere. The island’s relaxed pace reminded us of Isla Holbox in Mexico. The island’s motto is “Go Slow,” and we fully embraced it, spending our days lounging by the water, wandering the dusty lanes, and soaking in the Caribbean vibe.
One evening, we met up with Celia and Jonas of the Nomadic Danes. Over dinner and drinks, we shared travel stories and blogging tips, enjoying the company of like-minded individuals. It was refreshing to connect with fellow bloggers and we hope to travel with them again in the future.
As each day on Caye Caulker came to an end, the setting sun brought out bottles of beer in everyone’s hands. It was hard to find anyone, local or tourist, without an ice-cold Belikin beer. This perpetual holiday vibe made leaving Caye Caulker tough.
We ended up spending eight wonderful days on the island and loved it so much that we returned after a trip to nearby Ambergris Caye, where we were invited to stay at the beautiful Victoria House Resort.
Stay tuned for more about this incredible island paradise!