GO SLOW, is what they say on Caye Caulker, Belize. There are no cars on this tiny island and everyone is in relaxation mode all the time. This paradise is found on a sandbar by the barrier reef in the Western Caribbean.
In a recent post I wrote about the Jungle Caves Branch in Belize, we didn't just fly down to Central America to hang out in the jungle for a few days. It was a full tour starting with an hour ferry ride from Belize City to Caye Caulker for some sea and sand. We had been planning this trip for a couple of years and finally found the opportunity.
One day I saw a photo of John McAfee in Belize and thought, that looks cool. Although he lived on Ambergis Caye which is a similar to Caye Caulker, just a little further. We want to go to every country in the America's and you can't do Belize if you don't go to a Caye. This picture is of where the Caye Split in two from the Lazy Lizard Bar and Grill.
Caye is pronounced Key, or Cayo, it's just a small barrier island usually in a string. Belize is cool, all these Caye's and reefs make it one of the best places to snorkel and dive in the Western Hemisphere. It's home to the famous Great Blue Hole for those who want to splurge, we didn't have the time but enjoyed a much more local experience.
Oddly enough Belize isn't Spanish Speaking, it was British Honduras until recently, There aren't that many people living in Belize, on the sea they speak English, towards the jungle it's more Spanish from migrants. The British gave it up a few decades ago and other than some poster in the Ferry Terminal there are few signs. Belize is a less crowded version of Mexico or Guatemala, or Honduras.
The island is filled with bars and restaurants, Belikin is their National beer, it was easy drinking. We got lucky arriving at the end of February since on March 1st, Lobster season ends and you can't eat it anymore. We eat in 7 days a week while at home, but on vacation we more than make up for it. To be honest, the food was not the highlight of our trip to Belize. Guatemala and Mexico have a far more developed cuisine, so do many of the Caribbean islands.
No matter where we go, we always find a friend. The place we stayed at was one of the highest rated for a reasonable price on the island. Yocamatsu, I thought it was Japanese but it stands for You Cant Make This Shit Up. The place was casual, the host greeted us with a joint, they had a couple German Shepherds and this cat.
We went on a tour, they promised Manatees and we didn't see any, instead they just drove the boat around to various snorkeling places. There were lots of turtles, fish, rays and such, which we have seen before. We wanted to See Manatees and were disappointed. They had Taurpons, which are sort of cool, you put your hand out and they jump at you.
No Fishing, this is a sanctuary where the Taurpons hang out. We tried looking for manatees for 15 minutes without luck, then spend the next six hours boating around to various dive sites. It was alright but we thought we were signing up for a manatee tour, I'm still bitter.
Just a dolphin, you can see it in the middle. Dolphins are better than nothing, but they aren't manatees. We are going to have to go to the Florida Keys or maybe try our luck somewhere else. We probably won't go back to Belize, but it was great to see it once and check it off the list.
We have now been to almost every country in the region with just a few left and unfortunately Belize isn't even in our top 10 Caribbean destinations. The diving is great but if you want that and more authenticity go to Roatan.
All Photos taken with an s22 or iPhone13 Pro
