Caye Caulker, Belize
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Activities
Enjoy the Water Snorkeling What better way to enjoy the warm, Caribbean waters than with a mask and snorkel, peering down at the life that teems below (we like to remind ourselves that we’re bathing in a body of water that covers 70% of our globe). The best snorkel spot on the island (if going on your own) is at the fallen wall at the “split.” You’ll find various fish such as puffer fish, needle fish, small tangs, and pseudochromis, and if you’re lucky, a moray eel, a lobster, or a nurse shark. To see coral heads and a much larger variety of fish, you’ll need to go with a guide to the reef. A great trip to take is to Hol Chan Marine Park where the reef is protected from fishing and marine life is plentiful. You’ll see plenty of hard and soft corals in relatively shallow water (usually 5-20 feet), a variety of reef fish; harmless nurse sharks; often moray eels; and occasionally, spotted eagle rays. You’ll make three stops which include Hol Chan Park, Coral Gardens and Shark and Ray alley, where you’ll snorkel with dozens of nurse sharks (remember, they are harmless) and huge southern sting rays. Both of these animals are absolutely beautiful to watch in the water. The trip includes all snorkel gear, a licensed tour guide, entrance fees, a lunch (or we will pack one for you), fruits, and water. Choose between going by speed boat or sailboat. Sailing departs at 10:30 and returns at 4:30; the speed boat departs at 9AM and returns at 2PM. Price: $45/ person for sailing; $62.50/per person for the speedboat. *Local, half-day trips are also available. Kayaking, Canoeing, Eco-Touring Caye Caulker’s aqua Caribbean waters are sheltered by the barrier reef, creating a unique area of calm water, perfect for kayaking or canoeing. You’ll find beautiful scenery and bird watching along the wild mangroves; and marine life through the crystal clear waters. The trip is enjoyable on a solo voyage, with a partner, or with a guide. Inquire about canoe or kayak rentals. Our chosen guide is a champion canoe paddler with a passion for sharing leisure paddling and eco-touring on the water. She provides an excellent orientation to paddling. If you are unsure about whether you will enjoy paddling due to physical fitness, she will make a recommendation for a trip that you will enjoy (one that covers a short distance) or she will take you in a canoe with her and she will do the paddling. Mini Mangrove Tour: Seahorses and Bird-Watching (1 ½ hours): Your guide will paddle alongside you and introduce you to the creatures that live in or near the mangroves such as the seahorses (the most unusual little creatures you’ve ever seen), birds (we have over 190 species of birds such as the Osprey, Frigate Birds, and Cranes), iguanas, upside-down jellyfish, and if you’re lucky, American Saltwater Crocodiles (they have never posed any threat to islanders). Departure time: any time. Mini Mangrove Tour plus Snorkeling (2 ½ hours): In addition to the activities described in the Mini Mangrove Tour, your guide will take you snorkeling and identify fish with you at the reef or along the fallen wall at the “Split.” Gear included. Departure time: any time. Sunset Mangrove Tour (2 ½ hours): The most popular kayak/canoe tour: your guide will lead you along the West side of Caye Caulker to observe the wildlife, as described in the Mini Mangrove Tour, and to witness the magical Caye Caulker sunset. Departure time: 4 – 5 PM, depending upon the time of year. Moonlight Tour: Constellations and Crocodiles (2 hours): Did you know the ancient Mayans used the symbol of the crocodile to represent the Milky Way? Your guide will talk about the sky, its constellations, and associated Mayan mythology. Then, she will try to spot Crocodiles with a spotlight (of course, it’s the wilderness, so there are no guarantees). This tour is only available during the three days surrounding the full moon. Any other time of the month, you may do the same tour by boat (see “Celestial Bodies” below). Departure time: 7 – 8 PM, depending upon the time of year. Sailing Caye Caulker is a perfect place for sailing, whether its your first time or you’re a seasoned sailor. This is one of our favorite memories from our first visit to the island (we had never sailed before, we stayed on the water for four hours, and were greeted by a dolphin). Because the reef shelters the waters in front of the island, it is a safe place to learn. You’ll enjoy the vantage point of the coast of Caye Caulker, and the reef from your own private, absolutely silent, boat. Choose a single boat for one person or a double for two. Manatees, Dolphins, and Snorkeling Mistaken for mermaids by early sailors (who must have been out on the water a VERY long time), and called sea cows by the locals, Manatees are large, gentle creatures (they are vegetarians) that live in the turtle-grass shallows surrounding nearby cayes. Chocolate, a leader of eco-tourism on the island, spearheaded the establishment of the Swallow Caye Wildlife Sanctuary (2002) to protect the Manatees and their habitat. In 2003, at 73 years of age, Chocolate received a lifetime achievement award for his tireless environmental work. His manatee tour includes a visit to Swallow Caye where the Manatees seem to know his boat. Snorkeling with the manatees is not allowed, but from the boat, you will see them poke their noses out of the water (please keep in mind, this is still the wild, so a sighting is not guaranteed, but almost always happens). All the while, Chocolate will provide information and history about the manatees, the ecology of the area, and local lore. Chocolate will usually find dolphins playing in the water for you, and he will take you to a caye near the reef for some snorkeling and relaxing on the beach. The tour departs at 9:30 and returns at approximately 4:30. All gear and entrance fees are included. We will send you with a packed lunch and you’ll find a cooler on board. Scuba Diving Belize is one of the world’s premier dive destinations, with its warm water, incredible visibility (150 feet is average), and countless variety of fish and corals which live within the barrier reef that runs along the entire coast of the country, and the outer atolls such as Turneffe and Lighthouse Reef (where the famous Blue Hole is located). Diving opens up a vast world that is not accessible by the snorkeler and is an exhilarating, meditative experience that is literally out of this world. Heidi is a dive instructor and will happily provide any information about diving in the area or the process of learning to dive (available in one-day introductory experiences or four-day full certifications). The Cayes Caye Caulker: Bird Watching, Nature Walk Caye Caulker is a bird watchers paradise. The mangroves and the littoral forests of the southern end of the island (around and past the airstrip) are teeming with more than 100 species of birds. This is a great area to go bird watching on your own. We also have a self-guided trail through the Caye Caulker Mini Reserve, along the beach at the northern end of town, where you can learn about many of the native trees and plants of Belize, including the cocoplum, sea grape, poisonwood, and gumbolimbo trees. Dorothy Beveridge, the ultimate bird lover, licensed tour guide, and an integral part of the Mini Reserve, offers guided Bird-watching nature walks. She’ll spend four hours with you, exploring the mangroves, littoral forests, and shoreline while sharing her passion and expertise about Caye Caulker’s birds. The walk begins at sunrise (just the sunrise itself is so spectacular that it is worth waking up early) which is 5:30AM to 7AM depending upon the season. Nearby Ambergris Caye: Spend a Day Exploring San Pedro with a Golf Cart San Pedro, the town on the southern end of nearby Ambergris Caye, is a nice day trip, especially if you are interested in shopping. San Pedro has a few art galleries with oil paintings, watercolors, prints, pottery, and other crafts. You’ll find jewelers, boutiques, and souvenir shops. Artisans show their wares, such as wooden carvings, on the streets. The water taxi to and from San Pedro is a 25-minute boat ride and leaves Caye Caulker at: 7 am, 8:45 am, 10 am, 11:30 am, 1 pm, and 2:30 pm; and returns at 9:30 am, 11:30 am, 1 pm, 2:30 pm, 3:30 pm, and 4:30 pm. (4:30 pm only on Friday, Saturday, Sunday & holidays). We’ll arrange for you to have a golf cart while you are in San Pedro (San Pedro is becoming more of a motorized transportation town with cars and golf carts) and recommend good restaurants and shopping areas. Nearby Caye Chapel: 18-Hole Tropical Golf Course The nearest island to Caye Caulker is Caye Chapel, a private island that has been transformed into a 72 PAR, 18-hole golf course complete with sand dunes and lagoons guarded by crocodiles. The owner spared no expense manicuring the golf course and resort. A golf cart, lunch, as many rounds of golf as you like, and a swim in the pool or jacuzzi are included. More Fishing
Adventure Overnight Camping and Fishing at the Outter Atolls For the adventurous, our fishing guide will take you for a one to three-night camping trip to the remote atolls. We camp on the beach and fish the flats of our “front yard.” We have the use of a bathroom, a shower (with cold water), and a kitchen of a Belizean fishing camp house. For the rough-camping-type, this is an unbelievably beautiful trip and the flats and fish are plentiful. Something Special for the Evening “Celestial Bodies”: Constellations and Crocodiles Mayan mythology, crocodile spotting, herbal tea and cookies. Now that’s something to write home about. Leave the island at 7 – 8 PM (depending upon the time of year) and head to the reef in a comfortable motor boat with your guide. You’ll anchor near the reef, away from the island’s lights, and discover how the Mayan’s viewed the sky. You’ll never look at it the same way again. Then, you’ll use lamps to spot for crocodiles among the mangroves. If you’re lucky, you’ll find eyes shining back at you and perhaps a long body slither into the water before you. The tour lasts approximately two hours. The Sunset The sunset is no small occurrence on Caye Caulker (it’s definitely one of the first things that mesmerized us about the island, as visitors), so don’t miss it. The sun sets to the back side of the island, so you can watch it from our oun Sea Dreams Dock in our comfortable lounge chairs. Sunset Sail Watching the sunset from a comfortable sailboat with a rum drink in hand is a nice way to give full attention to the beautiful sky. During the full moon of the spring and early summer months, you may see the sun setting to the West followed by a huge moon rising to your East (you’ll “feel” just how round the Earth is). Then, sail along the West side of the island star gazing. And, one of our favorites, if you look closely, you’ll see “fairy dust” in the spray of the water along side the boat (this is actually bioluminescence – microorganisms in the water – ignited by the movement of the water). Departs 45 minutes before sunset. The “split” is a channel that cuts through Caye Caulker, 20 feet at its deepest point. Perched on the bank is the Lazy Lizard Lounge, with night lights that attract shrimps and bait fish. Have a beer and watch the Tarpons roll, and roll, and roll. Your best bet to catch one of these beauties is after the lights go out when they are more easily fooled. The Tarpon in the channel have seen a lot of flies, so put your skill to the test and try a variety of flies. Jacks and Permit also run through the split. Spot Crocs from your Bicycle We’ll loan you our spotlight (just let us know in advance so that we will have it charged) and you can ride to the airstrip. The wide tarmac is a perfect vantage point for shining your light into the shallow lagoons (planes do not run after 6:30). If you look closely, you’ll see eyes reflecting back at you and a croc body slithering into the water.
More Activities Activities are endless in Belize and we can arrange any type of trip for you. Transportation options for inland trips will vary (a flight or water taxi, and an inland taxi). Listed below are a few more activities about which we can provide information, if you are interested.
Hike through the jungle, then cool off and relax on an inner tube while you float through the rivers of a jungle cave system. You’ll enter Mayan ceremonial chambers and see artifacts such as pottery, beads, obsidian knives, and fire pits.
Experience one of the 10 crystal caves of the world. Hike through pristine jungle to Crystal Cave, where you’ll rappel 40 feet into the first chamber and begin your journey through the same mystical and sacred chambers where Mayan shamans and Priests journeyed to the under world. See artifacts and calcified human skeletons. This trip requires a high level of fitness.
Explore Herman’s cave on your own. Hike a few minutes through the jungle to the mouth of the cave. Turn on your headlamps and begin a quiet walk down a sandy path, listening to the freshwater stream trickling beside you. Take your shoes off and walk into a shallow, crystal clear pool of water, with soft, round pebbles beneath your feet. Turn your lights off and feel the intense darkness, utterly devoid of light. It’s a magical experience. Visit nearby Blue Hole national park – a clear, cool swimming hole beneath a jungle cliff, strewn with vines. Listen to the rainforest birds in the canopy that surrounds you.
Leave the island just before sunset and drop anchor behind the island. Drop fish for snapper and other fish. Keep enough for dinner (we can arrange for you to use a grill or recommend a restaurant that will grill it for you).
Caye Caulker is a perfect place to learn to kite board or wind surf with our resident instructor, and shallow, protected waters.
Take a day trip or an overnight to the mountains of Pine Ridge. Canoe along the Macaw river, explore caves, hike the forests, or visit the village of San Ignacio. We can recommend a lovely cabana by the river.
Canoe into a Mayan ceremonial cave by the light of your headlamps. Find Mayan artifacts and tiny bats (they’re actually cute and not scary).
For a truly unique experience, shine your flashlight into the coral heads below and find red hermit crabs, brittle starfish, and other nocturnal creatures that you won’t see in the daytime. See the beautiful pastel-colored Parrot fish sleeping in a mucous membrane excreted from its mouth. The lobster and the large hermit crab comes out at night, as does the octopus, if you’re lucky. All of these options of activities are fun and exciting, but in Caye Caulker the motto is "GO SLOW" so if you just want to sit back in the shade and relax you can.
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