This is huge for Caye Caulker and should also be good foe Ambergris Caye and Belize in general. From the BBC’s online travel report.
03 October 2011|By Amy Mulcair
View from the Split beach, Caye Caulker, Belize. (Amy Mulcair)
Belize, on the northeast coast of Central America, embodies a wonderful mix of Spanish and Caribbean influences, particularly on its cayes (pronounced “keys”), a series of very small islands northeast of Belize City.
Set in the turquoise blue of the Caribbean Sea and an hour’s boat ride from Belize City, Spanish-speaking Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker have managed to retain an unspoiled and traditional feel while providing good facilities for tourists. This is mainly due to the ongoing efforts of the locals and resident expats who have fought off big developments. Caye Caulker is considered the more budget conscious of the two. Ambergris Caye has more up-market restaurants and hotels without losing its roots. The boat ride to the cayes is a treat in itself but there are some flights to the tiny airstrip if your sea legs fail you.
Unlike Jamaica, Barbados or even the Dominican Republic, Caye Caulker does not have all-inclusive resorts where it can be hard to get a feel for the locals and their culture. Things have stayed small and accessible with a range of hotels, guesthouses and hostels to choose from, and everything is in walking distance of, well, everything. There are very few cars on the island; most transport is by golf buggy or bike. You can walk from end to end, about five miles, in an hour.
The ocean surrounding Caye Caulker is part of a marine reserve, full of tropical fish, manta rays, dolphins, sharks and turtles. The Belize Barrier Reef, the second largest in the world, is located just more than a mile off shore as well as the 400ft, shark-filled Blue Hole to which scuba divers come from all over the world. There are lots of companies running tours to both and offering scuba diving lessons with full PADI qualifications. Carlos and his snorkelling tours (his office is on Front Street beside Café Y Amor) are well respected. If you ask around, enterprising local fishermen will also bring you out to the reef for snorkelling, a cold beer and a chat about life. Other operators offer full and half day sailing tours, fishing expeditions for snapper and barracuda or bigger catch in deeper waters.
Otherwise, Caye Caulker is a great spot to do very little for a week or two. Caribbean life in general moves at a slow pace, and out there you can happily pass the days just eating, drinking and lying on the beach. (more…)
