Caye Caulker Things to Do Tips by windsorgirl

You will definitely visit the Split while you are on Caye Caulker. There is always alot of action around here, except perhaps in the early morning when I took my photo.

The Split was created in 1961 when Hurricane Hattie literally ripped the island in two. Locals continued what Hattie begun and dredged out this new channel to be deep enough for boats to pass through. You can see the otherside of the Split in my photo. This part of the island is undeveloped. You will find alot of birdlife here among the mangroves.

There is a long cement pier at The Split and although it is partially dilapidated, it is still a very popular place to hang out in the day time to catch some rays, or from which to watch the sunset in the evening. You can also see a few fish and starfish if you snorkel alongside the pier.

If you feel like a swim, you can do so in the shallow sheltered swimming area by the pier, or you can swim across the Split. Beware that there is a strong current through the Split and boats often zooming through.

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This place is very popular, it is all about location. Located right along the Split, it is a great spot to buy a cold drink and escape the sun for a bit. If you are on a boat trip with Ragamuffin Tours, they will deposit you here at the end of the tour, so you can have a drink with new friends.

At night, there are large lights that illuminate the Split and you can watch the fish jumping out of the water. There are often fishermen here at night also and it makes for exciting entertainment if one of them happens to land the big one.

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Directions: Located at the far northern end of the island at The Split.

There are many companies offering day trips to the world's second longest reef. Some are geared for divers, but snorkellers are welcome and some like the one I took is for snorkellers only.

I travelled with Ragamuffin Tours on their sailboat, although the sails didn't come up until the end of the day when we were headed back to Caye Caulker.

Jerry, your host is very friendly and entertaining. He also keeps you well fed with plenty of fresh fruit in the morning, an excellent sandwich for lunch and conch ceviche with rum punch on the way home.

And, apart from all the good food, you also get to go snorkelling! First stop was Shark Ray Alley, the second stop was at Hol Chan Marine Reserve where we saw a huge green moray eel as well as a sea turtle. And the last stop was Coral Gardens.

The trip cost $40US, about average for the island and we were gone all day from 10am until 4pm. Your snorkel gear is provided.

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Directions: The Ragamuffin office is located on Front Street.

When you book your snorkel tour, be sure that it includes a stop at Shark Ray Alley. The water is crystal clear here as you can see in the photo and quite shallow. Although the shallow water makes for good visibility and warmer water, it means you have to swim carefully so as to avoid damaging the coral with your flippers. Keep your body horizontal at the surface of the water.

As the name suggests, you will see alot of sharks and rays here. The fish are well trained and will appear boatside immediately to receive their free handouts from your guides. In the midst of this feeding frenzy we are advised to don our snorkel gear and jump in!

We saw many fish including these nurse sharks (don't worry they're harmless). We also saw spotted eagle rays and large manta rays. The most exciting spotting was that of a loggerhead turtle. He surfaced a few times before we jumped in the water and disappeared after that.

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Directions: About 20 kms north of Caye Caulker

There are some accomodations at the south end of Caye Caulker, but most people stay "in town". If you are one of these city slickers, then make the effort to walk or cycle to the south end of the island. There is a nice path that goes right on the beach along the water's edge. I chose an overcast day and was rewarded with many bird sightings.

Just before you reach the airstrip, you will encounter a small forested nature reserve. There are paths through this reserve and some of the native plants and trees have been labelled.

If you choose to rent a bike (mine cost 15BZ for 24 hrs), you can easily cover the entire island in one hour. You can also ride your bike along the aforementioned beach path.

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Belize attracts a huge number of birds for such a small country. Over 200 species of migratory birds winter in Belize. If you are a serious birder, a visit to Belize should be on your agenda.

I saw many birds on Caye Caulker. Alot of hummingbirds, but mostly waterbirds including brown and white pelicans, laughing gulls, caspian terns, the great egret, night heron, giant frigate birds and the blue heron. The best place to spot waterbirds is along the mangrove shores on the southern tip of the island. Choose an overcast day, or go in the early morning.

Check out my birds of Belize Travelogue for photos.

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The endangered West Indian manatee makes its home not far from Caye Caulker. You can join a day tour that will take you out to Swallow Caye, a protected area for the manatees to live and breed in. These gentle slow-moving "sea cows" can grow to 12 feet long and weigh up to 1000lbs.

The manatees are very shy, so you must be quiet and patient while looking for them in the murky waters of Swallow Caye. It was very exciting to finally see one surface within 15 feet of our boat. After that, we saw about 7 more, some in groups of two or three.

You must go with a qualified guide, Chocolate is the best on the island. He has spent the last 20 yrs of his life fighting for the protection of the manatees. However, Chocolate doesn't go out everyday and unf he didn't make a trip in the 5 days that I was on Caye Caulker, so I ended up going with Anwar Tours. It cost 110BZ and included a snorkel stop at Sargeant's Caye and a lunch stop on St.George's Caye. Lunch not incl in the cost of the trip.

Also be forewarned that the manatees don't spend alot of time above the water. You will proby only see their nostrils and only for a few moments before they submerge again. They spend their time underwater feeding on the roots of turtle grass. As you can imagine, this rooting around in the mud makes the water quite murky, so you will only see faint shadows of these giant animals. Nevertheless, it is still a thrill and if you love nature and wildlife, I would recommend the trip. Don't expect any spectacular photos tho!

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My day trip to Swallow Caye to see the manatees with Anwar Tours included a stop at the miniscule island called Sargeant's Caye. This island is not much more than a pile of sand about 50 feet in diameter.

However, the snorkelling around Sargeant's Caye was probably the best that I saw in Belize. The water was very shallow and warm and we had a very sunny day so visibility was perfect. I did not see any large fish but alot of small colourful ones and also some very beautifully colored coral.

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Our third stop on the manatee tour was here at St. George's Caye, we had 45 minutes for a refreshment drink or a quick lunch at St. George's Lodge.

This small island was the first island in Belize to have a permanent settlment back in 1650. Today it has a population of about 20 people. There appeared to be only one hotel being the St. George's Lodge and a number of private residences.

Back on Sept 10, 1798 a historic battle against the Spaniards took place here on St. George's Caye and the date is still celebrated today as Belize's National Day.

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I find that when I am on holiday, I always make a point to see the sunset. It's something that often is overlooked or forgotten in our busy everyday lives. However, on laid back Caye Caulker, where there are no appointments or schedules to be kept, waiting for the sun to set is a great way to pass the time.

The best place for viewing sunset, I think, is at The Split. My photo was taken from the cement pier in front of The Lazy Lizard Bar. You are sure to meet other like-minded souls here around 6pm as well as a fisherman or two. The Ragamuffin Sailboat also makes a stop here each evening.

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