The Land of the Lazy Lizard
Caye Caulker was the first island we stayed on our maiden voyage to Belize, and we loved it. Prior to arriving, we heard from fellow travelers about how Caye Caulker was a little sleepier than San Pedro, and other parts of Ambergris Caye, but we felt the island had plenty of restaurants and nightlife for our taste. We also really liked the scale of the island, at least the southern portion.
The island is divided by a channel of water that formed during a hurricane decades ago. Known now as the Split, the area at the divide is famous for it’s restaurant and bar the Lazy Lizard. Hanging out at the Lizard, you can swim off the dock, snorkel, fish, kayak, or just layout and enjoy the food and music under the rays.
Island Living
The pace of life in Caye Caulker is very attractive. Island time is a real thing, and it’s something that Deborah and I got used to very quickly. Starting with lazy mornings reading while sipping our coffee, the break of the reef beyond the palm trees as our backdrop, to the strolls around the island while it was still relatively cool. Afternoons in the water, or perhaps getting some work done, and then another stroll before finding a nice watering hole with some live music. Before you knew it, it was time for some fresh fish with rice and beans, and then maybe some more live music, or a final walk along the docks as the breeze picks up before calling it a night. There were also days when we headed off diving along the reef, or snorkeling in Hol Chan. It’s also easy to rent a boat to do some serious fishing, but mostly we just enjoyed the day to day pace of pure relaxation in this fun slice of paradise.
Good Eatin’ in Belize
Although Belize is not known for it’s cuisine, at least not yet, we ate really good food when we’re there, especially their staples that you can find most places throughout the country. Obviously, seafood is amazing in Belize. We ate our fair share of grouper, prawns, scallops, squid, octopus, and everything else sea related we could get our hands on. Rice and beans are definitely a staple for Belizeans, served with most lunch and dinner plates.
One of our favorite new foods that we discovered in Belize, and can’t wait to eat every time we arrive back in the country, are fry jacks. Essentially fried dough, but more similar to a fluffy flat bread than beignets or an authentic donut, they are delicious and perfect with eggs and coffee in the morning. Fry jacks can also be eaten for lunch or dinner, and often they are stuffed with various items, such as cheese, eggs, or chicken. Our favorite fry jack shop in all of Belize is Errolyns, on Caye Caulker. They are only open from 6:30am to 11am, Tuesday – Sunday, and their fry jacks are heaven on earth.
Accessing Caye Caulker
The two easiest and cost effective ways to access Caye Caulker is aboard the ferry, or by the air. The main ferry to the islands you can catch in Belize City or San Pedro depending on where you are coming from, and the views of nearby islands and the reef are beautiful as you approach Caye Caulker. By plane, you can catch a Tropic Air or Maya Air flight, which is a fabulous ride above the water, and the airport is just a five minute ride from the center of town. The main mode of transportation on the island is by golf cart. There are numerous places where you can rent a car,t and it’s fun to bounce around the island. Unlike Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker is small enough that you don’t really need a cart. The island is very walkable, and most mini markets rent bikes by the hour for a small fee.
Diving on the Island
Although Deborah has her open water dive license, I had not been diving before, so I was very excited that Belize would be my first dive experience. Hailed for years by none other than Jacques Cousteau as one of the top dive spots in the world, it was a great place to start. One of our good friends recommended Frenchie’s on Caye Caulker. A locally owned institution that has been serving the island for over 30 years, we couldn’t have been happier with our experience. Starting my certification out by Hol Chan, it was all going great down to around 8-10 feet. Unfortunately, some of my old ear issues popped up on the first day and I couldn’t clear past a certain depth. The instructors at Frenchie’s were very helpful and accommodating. Due to the increased pressure I was feeling in the ear drum, they recommended I have an ear doctor take a look and then finish the certification afterwards. It was good advice and Deborah and I both appreciated the level of service from the instructors, and the laid back atmosphere.
The North Side
While the main village and most of the action is on the south side of the split, the north part of Caye Caulker has a few hotels and resorts but is mostly residential and home to a dense mangrove forest. Over the past few years, North Caye Caulker is starting to get more large scale developments. Condo projects, accompanied by commercial investment, have really impacted demand and real estate values on this once sleepier part of the Caye, and it’s only a matter of time before North Caye Caulker continues to grow and look very different than it does today.