Belize City to Caye Caulker: Water Taxi, Flights and What to Expect on the Island

On the dock at the Belize Marine Terminal, suitcases are stacked beside coolers and bicycles while travelers wait for the boat to the cayes. Caye Caulker is the island where the only traffic sign asks bikers and pedestrians to go slow, and getting there is half of that change of pace. The water taxi is the way most people go, and a small plane is the other option.

How do you get from Belize City to Caye Caulker?

You take the water taxi from the Belize Marine Terminal in Belize City, a boat ride of approximately 45 minutes, or you fly on a small plane from the airport. The ferry is the simplest route, and San Pedro Belize Express runs multiple daily trips between Belize City, Caye Caulker and San Pedro, so the island sits on a line of boats rather than at the end of a single crossing.

The ticket office is at #111 North Front Street, inside the Belize Marine Terminal. Walk-in purchases at the terminals can be paid with most major credit cards, including Visa, Mastercard and Discover. For questions before you travel, the operator answers at 011-501-223-2225 and at [email protected].

From the airport to the terminal

If you land at Philip Goldson International Airport, shared transportation runs from the airport to the Belize City water taxi terminal. The ride is priced per person, so a couple pays less per head than a solo traveler, and a group splits the cost further.

What you can bring on the boat

Each passenger on the San Pedro Belize Express ferries from Belize City may bring one carry-on and two checked bags. Sunscreen and insect repellent belong in the carry-on, not in the checked luggage, since you will want them the moment you step off the boat onto the island. Extra gear costs a little more, and the amounts are set per item.

Pets travel in a kennel, and live animals ride in a special section of the vessel. Infants under age 1 travel free as lap children on the domestic routes. Children from 4 to 10 pay a children’s rate, and anyone older than 10 pays the regular rate.

What waits on the other side

Caye Caulker is a five-mile-long island of roughly 2,000 inhabitants, with no cars. Only pedestrians and golf carts get around, and life runs along three main roads: Front Street, Middle Street and Back Street. The mellow mood is partly owed to a Rastafarian influence, and locals will remind you to go slow and leave your shoes at home.

Beaches are sandy, the water is clear, and the barrier reef is easy to reach. The Split, a thin canal dividing the northern and southern parts of the island, was cut when Hurricane Hattie split the island in two in 1961. Bars and restaurants are plentiful, and lobster, once the village’s main living, is the dish seafood lovers look for.

Which operators run the water taxi?

San Pedro Belize Express is the water taxi operator for this crossing, and it is the one that carries passengers between Belize City, Caye Caulker and San Pedro. The same company also runs the international route from Belize City to Chetumal, Mexico, so the Marine Terminal serves both island travelers and those crossing the border.

The boat linking the three stops has durations that are easy to hold in your head. Belize City to Caye Caulker takes approximately 45 minutes. Caye Caulker to San Pedro takes about 30 minutes, and Belize City to San Pedro takes approximately 1 hour 30 minutes. That makes Caye Caulker a natural pause on the way to Ambergris Caye, or a destination of its own.

Tickets, children and contact details

The ticket office sits at the Belize Marine Terminal on North Front Street, and you can pay there by card. On the domestic routes between Belize City, Caye Caulker and San Pedro, babies under 1 ride free on a lap, children from 4 to 10 pay a children’s rate, and older passengers pay the regular rate.

The international route to Chetumal works differently: passengers aged 1 and above pay the regular rate. If you have a question about a particular trip, the operator can be reached by phone at 011-501-223-2225 or by email at [email protected].

Cargo, bikes and pets on board

The same operator moves more than people. Boxes and coolers travel as cargo between Belize City, Caye Caulker and San Pedro, and bicycles are taken on the ferries within Belize, including between Belize City and Caye Caulker. Both are charged per item, at the amounts listed with the baggage rules.

Since Caye Caulker has no cars, a bicycle brought from the mainland fits the island well, and so does a cooler of supplies for a rental. Pets must be kennelled for the crossing.

Can you fly to Caye Caulker?

Yes, Caye Caulker is served by Tropic Air flights, and its airport code is CUK. The flight to the island takes 15 minutes, which is the other way to reach the cayes if you would rather see the reef from above than from a boat deck.

Maya Island Air also provides information for travelers asking about flights, at the phone numbers 501-226-0012 and 501-670-0676. Two domestic airlines serving the island means you can compare their options when planning, and then match them with the boat for the return if you want to go one way by air and the other by water.

Why people make the trip

Caye Caulker has been on the backpacker circuit since the 1960s, and it is still a place where the mood is free of hustle and bustle. Today a growing number of hotels cater to a wider range of visitors, with approximately 40 hotels and hostels on the island and no chain hotels or all-inclusive resorts.

The Caye Caulker Marine Reserve is a diver and snorkeler’s paradise, and kayaking, sailing, swimming, windsurfing and kitesurfing are all part of the island’s repertoire. The Hol Chan reserve and Shark Ray Alley are nearby excursions from the island.

Choosing between boat and plane

The boat leaves from the Belize Marine Terminal in the city, with several departures a day, and it lets you bring bags, a bicycle or a cooler for modest per-item fees. The plane is the shorter ride, at 15 minutes against approximately 45 minutes by water.

Many travelers use both: the boat to arrive, watching the cayes slide by, and the plane when a schedule gets tight. Either way you step onto an island where the sand streets are shared by walkers, bikes and golf carts.

Good to know before you go

The U.S. State Department rates Belize Level 2, “Exercise increased caution”, because of crime, and says the south side of Belize City has historically had the highest concentration of violent crime.

Caye Caulker has no cars, so pack light enough to carry your own bags along sand streets, and keep sunscreen and insect repellent in your hand luggage. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, which is worth remembering when you plan a trip across those months. The island’s pace is part of the point, so leave your shoes at the door when locals suggest it.