Caye Caulker

Caye Caulker, a tiny coral island just off the Belize coast, is the country's most beloved laid-back escape, a car-free paradise where the local motto, go slow, is a genuine way of life. Golf carts and bicycles trundle down sandy lanes lined with brightly painted wooden houses, bars and seafood shacks. Its social heart is the Split, a channel with a swimming spot and sunset bar, and the turquoise water offers superb snorkelling on the nearby reef, with manatees, rays and turtles often seen on boat trips.

History

The island is thought to have been lived on for centuries, but its present population began with mestizo refugees fleeing the Caste War of Yucatán from 1847, and around 1870 Queen Victoria granted the village land to Luciano Reyes, who sold lots to six or seven families whose descendants still live here. When Hurricane Hattie struck in 1961 its storm surge destroyed the wooden schoolhouse used as a shelter, killing 13 people, mostly children, and about 42 houses were rebuilt within weeks; the island, only 2.4 metres high at its highest, was devastated again by Hurricane Keith in 2000 (Wikipedia, Caye Caulker).

The landscape

• The Split - the swimming channel and sunset bar.
• The snorkelling trips - the reef, rays, turtles and nurse sharks.
• The sandy lanes - the car-free streets of pastel houses.
• The seafood - the fresh lobster, conch and fish shacks.

When to go

November to May, the dry season, for the best weather, calm seas and clear snorkelling water; the summer brings rain and a hurricane risk. Lobster season, roughly summer into autumn, is a local highlight. The island is relaxed and uncrowded outside peak winter weeks.

What to expect

It is a small, rustic island where the appeal is precisely the lack of things to do, so those seeking resorts, nightlife or big attractions should look elsewhere; the beaches are modest, with the Split and boat trips the main swimming, as sea grass lines much of the shore. For unwinding, snorkelling and gentle island charm, though, its slow, sandy, welcoming vibe is exactly the point.

Nearby

Ambergris Caye, the barrier reef and the Blue Hole are close by.

Key facts