Tobacco Caye

Tobacco Caye is tiny, just over a hectare, and its distinction is position: it sits directly on the barrier reef itself rather than inside the lagoon, so the reef crest is a few metres from the shore and you snorkel straight off the beach into good coral. It takes about ten minutes to walk round the whole island. Accommodation is a handful of simple wooden guesthouses with basic rooms, generator power and meals included, and there is nothing else at all. Boats run from Dangriga in about forty-five minutes. It sits inside the South Water Caye Marine Reserve, part of the World Heritage barrier reef system.

History

The island is believed to be named after tobacco grown on it in early times, and the earliest known European chart to show it was drawn by the British geographer J. Speer in 1771. Hurricane Mitch ravaged it in 1998, after which it was rebuilt, and it now also holds the Tobacco Caye Marine Station, a study-abroad centre for the marine life around the island (Wikipedia, Tobacco Caye).

What you'll find

• Snorkelling from the beach - reef crest a few metres from the sand.
• The size - ten minutes to walk around the whole caye.
• The reserve - part of the World Heritage barrier reef system.
• The simplicity - wooden guesthouses, generator power and nothing else.

When to go

December to April is the dry season with the calmest crossings. Sargassum can affect the caye in spring and summer. Boats from Dangriga run when full or by arrangement, generally in the morning.

What to expect

There is genuinely nothing here: no shop, no road, intermittent power, limited fresh water and often no reliable internet, and rooms are basic wooden cabins. That is either the appeal or a reason to go elsewhere. Sandflies are severe at dusk. Hurricane damage and coral bleaching have both affected the reef here.

Nearby

South Water Caye is nearby; Dangriga is 45 minutes west.

Key facts