Caye Caulker as a Base for Belize: A 5-Day Island Itinerary
Trip Snapshot: 5 Days Using Caye Caulker as a Base
Destination: Belize
Base Island: Caye Caulker
Trip Length: 5 days
Highlights: Snorkeling at Hol Chan Marine Reserve; Great Blue Hole aerial tour; Ambergris Caye day trip; island walks; North Island exploration
Getting Around: Ferry, domestic flights, golf carts, walking
Travel Style: Relaxed island base with active day trips
Caye Caulker as a Base for Belize: A 5-Day Island Itinerary - Table of Contents
Updated – January 1, 2026
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- Trip Snapshot
- Why I Chose Caye Caulker as a Base in Belize
- How to Get to Caye Caulker from Belize City (BZE)
- Where I Stayed on Caye Caulker
- Arrival Evening on Caye Caulker
- Day 1: Exploring Caye Caulker Island on Foot
- Day 2: Snorkeling Hol Chan Marine Reserve from Caye Caulker
- Day 3: Day Trip to Ambergris Caye from Caye Caulker (San Pedro)
- Day 4: Exploring Caye Caulker’s North Island
- Day 5: Great Blue Hole Aerial Tour from Caye Caulker
- Returning Home from Caye Caulker
- Is Caye Caulker a Good Base for Exploring Belize?
- Caye Caulker Tour Packages
- Support Buzzin’ Around the World – Visit Our Affiliates
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- Related Content
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Why I Chose Caye Caulker as a Base in Belize
In December of 2025, I traveled to Belize, staying on the island of Caye Caulker just off the coast of Belize City. Caye Caulker is one of the most popular islands in Belize and is smaller and calmer than its nearby neighbor, Ambergris Caye. I created a five-day itinerary using Caye Caulker as my hub and took day trips to snorkel the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, view the famous Great Blue Hole, and island-hop over to Ambergris Caye.
Using Caye Caulker as a base for Belize made it easy to combine snorkeling, island hopping, and scenic flights into a relaxed but full five-day itinerary.
Belize had been on my bucket list for many years, and I decided to visit this small Central American country after finding a great deal on Expedia. I typically book my trips directly with airlines and hotels, but this Expedia airfare and hotel package offered a discount of close to 75% on the hotel stay, which made the trip hard to pass up.
How to Get to Caye Caulker from Belize City (BZE)
Arriving in Belize City
There are a few different ways to get to Caye Caulker from Belize International Airport (BZE). The two most common options are flying a quick domestic flight or taking a ferry. During my trip, I experienced both methods, arriving by ferry with Caribbean Sprinter and returning to Belize International Airport on a Tropic Air flight.
On the morning of my trip, I caught an early flight from Minneapolis to Houston on United Airlines. Following a transfer in Houston, I arrived in Belize City around 2:00 pm. Clearing passport control and customs took some time, and once finished, I met a driver from Caribbean Sprinter who took me to the ferry terminal. Be sure to check in for the ferry at the ticket office, as I needed a printed boarding pass. The cost of the airport transfer and one-way ferry ticket was around $35.
Taking the Ferry to Caye Caulker
About an hour later, I boarded the Caribbean Sprinter ferry to Caye Caulker. The ride took around 35 minutes and was fairly comfortable. Be careful with your bags — my carry-on backpack got quite wet from ocean spray, though nothing inside was damaged.
When I arrived on Caye Caulker, several taxi drivers were waiting near the dock. Taxis on the island are golf carts, and you can usually get anywhere for $5–$10. I chose to walk to my hotel since it was less than 200 yards from the ferry dock. If you’re bringing rolling luggage, a taxi or hotel shuttle is recommended, as the streets can be muddy.
Where I Stayed on Caye Caulker
I stayed at the Coral View Hotel, one of the taller buildings on Caye Caulker. It is located close to the ferry dock and about a 15-minute walk (or a 3-minute golf cart ride) from Caye Caulker Airport. My room had a king-size bed, a couch, and a small refrigerator.
Two major perks were the balcony overlooking the Caribbean Sea and the rooftop pool and restaurant on the fifth floor.
This hotel link is part of my Booking.com affiliate program through Awin. I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Arrival Evening on Caye Caulker
I arrived late in the afternoon, and by the time I got to my hotel it was already dark. After traveling all day, I was hungry and tired, so I found a nearby restaurant where I ordered empanadas and a burrito before turning in for the night.
Day 1: Exploring Caye Caulker Island on Foot
I spent my first full day exploring Caye Caulker. I began near my hotel and walked through the main tourist area of the island, passing restaurants, grocery stores, souvenir shops, and tour agencies.
One of the most popular areas on the island is The Split, a natural divide between the southern and northern parts of Caye Caulker created by Hurricane Hattie in October 1961. Ferries run across for about $1–$2 each way, which I planned to use later in the trip.
After walking around The Split, I stopped for lunch at Auntie’s Take Out Food and ordered a burger and fries with a natural lemonade. I then walked along the Caribbean Sea waterfront, stopping to admire wooden docks, palm trees with coconuts, and the bright blue water.
I spent the afternoon walking the perimeter of the island. Although the path was full of puddles from the previous night’s thunderstorms, the walk was peaceful. Along the way, I passed houses on stilts, empty wooden piers, and quiet shoreline views.
As I moved farther from the downtown area, the vegetation shifted from palm trees to mangroves. I enjoyed looking at the roots of the tropical plants and watching for birds. I saw quite a few birds, though I wasn’t sure what species they were.
I continued around the island, passing the west end of Caye Caulker Airport, where I watched two planes land. Eventually, I looped around the southern end of the island, passed the east end of the airport, walked by the Caye Caulker Fire Department, and returned to my hotel.
After a short break, I walked back toward The Split for dinner and ordered jerk chicken with rice and plantains from La Cubana Restaurant.
Day 2: Snorkeling Hol Chan Marine Reserve from Caye Caulker
Day two focused on snorkeling Hol Chan Marine Reserve. While this page serves as an overview of my entire visit to Caye Caulker, I have a more detailed guide dedicated to snorkeling Hol Chan Marine Reserve that walks through the full experience. I booked a tour with Salt Life Eco Tours, one of the highest-rated companies on Caye Caulker. From my hotel, it was a short 10-minute walk to their headquarters, and I was relieved to find they had size 15 flippers. This was my first time snorkeling in Belize, and starting at Hol Chan immediately set the bar high.
After a safety briefing, we were split into six boats. I was assigned to a boat with Captain Phillip and Josh.
High-Fiving Tarpons
Our first stop was just a few minutes away, where we “high-fived” giant tarpons. This stop didn’t involve snorkeling. I held my hand over the water, and within seconds a massive tarpon leapt out and smacked my hand.
Practice Snorkel Before Entering the Reserve
We then moved to a practice snorkeling stop outside the reserve. I was glad we did this, as both my goggles and snorkel were leaking badly, and I swallowed quite a bit of seawater before switching equipment.
Snorkeling Inside Hol Chan Marine Reserve
After checking in with rangers and receiving orange armbands, we snorkeled inside Hol Chan Marine Reserve. This was the highlight of the day. I saw schools of fish weaving through coral, a sea turtle surfacing for air, a nurse shark, a stingray, and countless colorful fish. We spent nearly an hour in this area.
Conch Alley, Shark Ray Alley, and the Shipwreck
We stopped for lunch near Conch Alley, which sits adjacent to but outside the reserve. After eating chicken, rice, and macaroni salad, we snorkeled over an area covered with thousands of discarded conch shells.
Next, we visited Shark Ray Alley, where I snorkeled among more than a dozen nurse sharks. Captain Phillip reminded us not to touch or crowd them. We then swam against a strong current toward the reef before drifting back to the boat, passing impressive coral formations, including large brain coral.
Our final snorkeling stop was a purposely sunken shipwreck, often referred to locally as the “Belizean Titanic.” The current was extremely strong, making it difficult to maneuver, but I still managed to get great footage.
Searching for Manatees
We ended the tour searching for manatees. While we didn’t see any, we did spot two dolphins on the return. Back on Caye Caulker, I showered and had dinner, ordering ginger beef with rice and vegetables from Amigo’s Kitchen.
Affiliate warning: This tour link is part of my Viator affiliate program. I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Day 3: Day Trip to Ambergris Caye from Caye Caulker (San Pedro)
Day three began with an early wake-up and a taxi ride to Caye Caulker Airport. I took a five-minute Tropic Air flight to San Pedro, the largest city on Ambergris Caye. I arrived at the airport about 45 minutes before departure and was surprised that I was the only passenger at the airport. When the plane landed, it was already filled with passengers from Belize City who were flying to San Pedro.
After landing, an agent from Mark’s Golf Cart Rentals met me, and within minutes I was driving around the island.
Driving to Secret Beach
My first stop was Secret Beach. Along the way, I stopped for a breakfast burrito at a roadside kiosk. As San Pedro faded behind me, the area became quieter and more remote, lined with mangroves. I was surprised to come face to face with a nine-foot saltwater crocodile.
Exploring Secret Beach
At Secret Beach, I chose a spot under a canopy of palm branches, ordered a pineapple smoothie and nachos, and spent time in the shallow water, where I saw a variety of fish, including baby swordfish.
Returning to Caye Caulker by Ferry
After exploring more of the island, I returned to San Pedro, walked along the waterfront, refueled my golf cart, and returned it.
I then walked to the ferry dock near the airport and boarded the San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi back to Caye Caulker. The ferry was full and took about 25 minutes. I arrived back on Caye Caulker after dark.
Day 4: Exploring Caye Caulker’s North Island
After two busy days, I slept in before taking the North Island ferry from The Split. The North Island is much quieter and less developed.
I really enjoyed the North Island. There aren’t a lot of tourist destinations, but it was fun walking around and looking at empty wooden piers and tiny hotels and resorts. I was especially fascinated by a house that resembled a pineapple.
I walked around for several hours and stopped for lunch at a small restaurant where I ordered chicken, rice, coleslaw, and a strawberry-banana smoothie. Heavy rain eventually forced me back across The Split
Day 5: Great Blue Hole Aerial Tour from Caye Caulker
A large thunderstorm nearly canceled the activity I was most excited about: an aerial tour of the Great Blue Hole with Maya Island Air, but fortunately the weather cleared just in time. I walked to Caye Caulker Airport, boarded a modified Cessna 208 Caravan, and made a short stop in San Pedro to pick up other passengers before heading out over the Caribbean.
The Great Blue Hole is a massive sinkhole formed from ancient limestone caves that developed during periods of low sea levels and later flooded near the end of the last Ice Age, roughly 15,000 years ago. The pilot circled the Blue Hole several times, giving each side of the plane multiple opportunities for photos and video, before flying low over a shipwreck near Lighthouse Reef, often described as a British cargo ship.
Back on Caye Caulker, I walked around town, visited a few shops, and enjoyed a final dinner of grilled chicken, rice, and coleslaw at Chef Kareem’s Unbelizable Lunch.
Returning Home from Caye Caulker
To return home, I booked a domestic flight on Tropic Air back to Belize City. The flight took about 10 minutes and arrived just steps from the international terminal. I allowed more than three hours between flights, which proved necessary, as passport control and security took about an hour. Once airside, I ate pizza and worked on this page.
Is Caye Caulker a Good Base for Exploring Belize?
Caye Caulker is a wonderful tropical island and works extremely well as a base for exploring Belize. It is calmer and more laid-back than Ambergris Caye, while still offering easy access to world-class snorkeling, island hopping, and scenic flights.
For travelers planning Belize island hopping, Caye Caulker offers an ideal balance between easy access to top sights and a relaxed island atmosphere.
Caye Caulker Tour Packages
Linked below are some additional Caye Caulker tours that caught my eye. Please note that I am an affiliate of Viator. If you purchase a tour using one of my links, I will receive a small commission. This commission is at no additional cost to you.
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