How to Get to Caye Caulker From Belize City (& Get Around the Island)

April 4, 2020

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If you’re wondering how to get from Belize City to Caye Caulker, a nearby island with pristine sandy beaches, aqua blue water and doesn’t allow vehicles, you’ve come to the right place. Getting to Caye Caulker is easy when you figure out there are only two ways to get there.

Plus, traversing the island is a blast because there are no vehicles allowed on the island. Stepping onto the island of Caye Caulker is like going to the undeveloped Caribbean 20-plus years ago. Prices are cheap, no car horns can be heard, the waves roll and the beaches are beautiful!

From a ferry to a plane, and from a bike rental to a golf cart rental, this is everything you need to know about how to get to Caye Caulker and how to get around the island once you’re there!

How to Get From Belize City to Caye Caulker

Getting to Caye Caulker from Belize City or another one of the Cayes can seem quite complicated, but it’s pretty easy. There are only two options to choose from to arrive into Caye Caulker: by ferry or by plane.

1. Getting to Caye Caulker via Water Taxi

Getting to Caye Caulker by water taxi is by far the cheapest and easiest option. All you need to do is book a ferry ticket online, in-person or, as I sheepishly learned from our taxi driver on the way back to the airport, have a local taxi driver or tour operator give you a coupon or book it for you to save half the cost.

Unfortunately, option three that involves a local isn’t advertised on any travel blog or tour booking website. But you’ve found it here!

You can purchase a one-way or round-trip ferry ticket to get to and from Caye Caulker. For how to get from Belize City to Caye Caulker, purchasing a round trip ferry ticket is the best option. It costs $60 BZD ($30 USD) online or in person, while booking through a local like a taxi driver will only set you back $27 BZD ($13.5 USD).

Just ask your taxi driver about the ferry coupon on your way from the Belize City Airport to the Caye Caulker Water Taxi Terminal. If they claim not to know about it, ask them if they can get you the discounted rate and then tip them $10 BZD ($5 USD) per ticket. It’ll still be cheaper than booking it yourself.

Websites say you must book the ticket 24 hours in advance to secure a spot, but you can definitely push your luck and buy one on the spot if you show up early. You’ll also have to pay $50 BZD ($25 USD) for a taxi from the Belize City Airport to the water taxi terminal, so beware of that cost.

Cost of Ferry: $27 BZD ($13.5 USD) through a local or $60 BZD ($30 USD) online or in person
Where to Book Ferry Tickets: BelizeWaterTaxi.com (where I purchased mine), OceanFerryBelize.com, SanPedroWaterTaxi.com or through your taxi driver once you arrive in Belize City

2. Getting to Caye Caulker via Plane

Getting to Caye Caulker from Belize City via airplane is going to cost you way more money and create more of a hassle than you really need. Although you’ll skip the $25 USD taxi fare to the water ferry terminal and $30 USD on the ferry, you’ll spend about $80 USD to $150 USD on a round-trip flight to Caye Caulker.

The airport is also on the south side of Caye Caulker, which is way too far to walk to your accommodation, so you’ll need to hail a $5 USD golf cart taxi from the airport to your place and back again. It’s a short flight, but you’ll likely spend the same amount of time in the airport and on the plane as you would by taking the Caye Caulker water taxi.

Cost of Flight: $80 USD to $150 USD
Where to Book Flights: Tropic Air is the only airline currently flying to Caye Caulker, Belize

How to Get Around Caye Caulker

There are only three official ways to get around the island: walking, bicycling and golf carting. There are no cars allowed on the island, so you won’t be inundated by horns or have to move from the street. Although, I believe to really get in the ”Go Slow” mindset, only the first two options below are viable!

1. Walk Around the Island

Caye Caulker, Belize is a 5-mile-long island, but the brunt of the town (from The Split down to the last touristy restaurant) is only about 1.25 miles. That means you can see and do pretty much everything on the entire island by foot (even in a pair of sandals).

However, I still highly recommend renting a bicycle for at least a few hours or an entire day if you want to get the full scope of the island and how open and desolate the south part of the island is. But if you wanna walk the entire time you’re there, go for it!

Cost: Free!

2. Ride a Bike Rental in Caye Caulker

A bike rental in Caye Caulker allows you to traverse the 5-mile long island was my favorite! It allows you to go at your own pace and cover much more of the island than you’d be able to on foot — in a quicker time.

Since the island is so small, you only need to rent a bike for 24 hours. You’ll be able to see everything you need or want to see in that timeframe. The main part of the island, from The Split to just south of the Caye Caulker water taxi terminal, is so close together that you can walk the entire thing multiple times before getting tired.

There are a ton of different shops to rent bikes from, so don’t worry about not being able to find a bike rental once you get to Caye Caulker. I do suggest opting for a bike with a basket on the front. You may think it looks goofy, but trust me, whether it’s a coconut, towel or your own bag, that basket will come in handy!

Cost: $15 BZD ($7.50 USD) for a 24-hour rental; $60 BZD ($30 USD) per week

3. Drive a Caye Caulker Golf Cart Rental

There are a bunch of golf carts whizzing throughout town. While most are owned by the locals, you may still see a group of travelers here and there with golf carts. My advice is to avoid them. They’re way too expensive, and the island is small enough that you don’t need one.

Plus, deferring from getting a golf cart rental keeps them off the streets and allows your fellow travelers to see what the island is like without motorized vehicles.

Cost: $130 BZD ($65 USD) for a 24-hour rental; $720 BZD ($360 USD) per week

How Long Is Caye Caulker?

Caye Caulker is about 5 miles long and a few hundred yards wide at the north end. This makes it the perfect place to see the island on foot or by bike, especially since motorized vehicles (excluding golf carts) aren’t allowed on the island.

Getting to Caye Caulker from Belize City — or anywhere else in Belize — is extremely easy when you figure out the only two ways to get there are by plane or by boat.

How to Get to Caye Caulker From Belize City (& Get Around the Island)

How to Get From Belize City to Caye Caulker