Part 2 of our Belizean Adventure was spent on the lesser-known island of Caye Caulker, one of the many islands that surround the Belize Barrier Reef, the world’s second longest reef. Caye Caulker is known as a small, relaxed island that attracts backpackers and budget travelers. With only golf carts and bicycles traversing the dirt roads, “go slow” seems to be the only speed known on the island. The easygoing vibes of the Creole reggae bands welcome tourists to enjoy the fresh seafood, hammock opportunities, snorkeling and diving adventures nearby.

After returning our rental car to the Belize City airport, we caught a water taxi for a 45-minute boat ride to Caye Caulker. While there is a small airline option to the island, the water taxi is significantly cheaper and provides a beautiful ride past several other islands along the way. I rented a condo from airbnb.com for our 4-day stay on the south side of the island. A large golf cart taxi met us at the dock to transport our family and luggage to the rental. We also secured bikes at our condo for our means of transportation while on the island. After unpacking and surveying our lodging, we hopped on our bikes and headed back to the north part of the island for dinner. We enjoyed beautiful sunset views over the ocean at Maggie’s Sunset Kitchen where we watched the staff grill our dinner and also visited with the owner’s family. There was plenty of activity on the streets as locals were preparing for the nearing lobster season by building lobster cages. While finishing up dinner, the power went off for a short time. Little did we know that this was a hint of what was to come….

The next morning we woke up and decided use our bikes again to head towards The Split, a narrow waterway that divides the island into two sections. While there are not many sandy beaches on the island due to the nearby reefs, the split has one of the larger docks for sunbathing and its shallow lagoon provides a place to swim. We enjoyed a hearty breakfast at the nearby Paradisio Café overlooking the blue waters.

Since we wanted to make the most of snorkeling the reefs, we had already reserved a tour with Caveman Snorkeling for our family of five prior to our arrival.  We booked our tour on a day when there were no cruises nearby so it would be less crowded.  For $35 per person they provided snorkeling gear, a safety orientation, an experienced guide with a boat outfitted for 8 passengers, and fruit and water during the breaks between the three snorkeling stops. We had only been going for five minutes on the boat, when our guide spotted a manatee and said, “Jump Out!” To snorkel beside a giant manatee was mesmerizing! He then took us to the South Channel for a 40-minute guided snorkel where he pointed out coral formations and fish, including a squid and large moray eel. The next stop was snorkeling with stingrays, nurse sharks and a barracuda!  The last stop was at the coral gardens where we snorkeled at our own leisure. When we returned close to the island, he took us to see a sea horse in the mangrove roots and then to tarpon alley where the tarpons and sea gulls grabbed sardines out of our hand! The four-hour tour was such a great value for all we were able to experience. If we had been willing to spend a full day on the water, the Hol Chan Marine Reserve Tour offers some of the best snorkeling with abundant fish life in its colorful coral gardens.

We returned back to the condo to enjoy some time on our private dock for the guests of the lodging accommodations on our street. Unfortunately, while soaking up the sun, our street alone lost power. We decided to clean up and head back to the north side of the island for dinner where there were no power problems.   Habanero’s did not disappoint us with delicious coconut skewered shrimp and frozen lime pie, and a great view of the local street parade for Virgin Mary marking the beginning of hurricane season. After riding home on a very dark street, reality set in that the slow paced life on the island meant a slow paced repair to the power. In an effort to cool off, our kids spent the night on the rooftop underneath a blanket of starry skies and gentle breezes.

The startling sun woke us all up early the next morning as the humid heat returned. We spent our last day on the island going very slow. We enjoyed our time relaxing in the hammocks on the rooftop, soaking in the pool, sunbathing on the docks, and jumping into the ocean for a swim. After visiting with the locals, we discovered that our street had been experiencing transformer problems over the past week and the problem had not yet been resolved. Our condo manager offered us a rental unit on the next street over for our last night so we could enjoy some air conditioning. As we left the next morning headed for the water taxi ride back to the airport, I was grateful to be returning to a more civilized area. While I enjoyed the laid back culture of the island, I decided that I really preferred electricity. I think if I returned to enjoy a Belize island, I might choose the sister island of Ambergris Caye which offers a little bit more luxury than Caye Caulker.

“No shirt, no shoes…no problem”