Field note · Belize · Belize District

Caye Caulker

Caye Caulker is a five-mile sand island with no cars, no proper roads and one arrival point that matters: the water taxi dock on the eastern shore, a few minutes' walk from almost every hotel. Two competing boat companies run it from Belize City, each from its own terminal on North Front Street, and the two schedules do not talk to each other, so which terminal you walk to decides which boat you catch. San Pedro Belize Express uses the Belize Marine Terminal at 111 North Front Street; Caribbean Sprinter, which absorbed the old Caye Caulker Water Taxi Association and Ocean Ferry, sails from its own dock nearer the Swing Bridge. The crossing is about 45 minutes either way and the boats continue north to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, 30 minutes further. Three days a week San Pedro Belize Express runs an international boat that leaves Caye Caulker at 07:00 for Chetumal in Mexico, and a Mexican operator runs the mirror service down from Chetumal, arriving early afternoon; both need a two-hour check-in and cash for the Belizean departure fee. There is also an airstrip at the southern tip where Tropic Air and Maya Island Air drop in on the Belize City to San Pedro hop, a 10 to 15 minute flight that costs several times the boat. On the island itself there is nothing to catch. Three unpaved streets, Front, Middle and Back, run the length of the village, and you walk them, cycle them or take a golf cart; the Village Council controls how many vehicles come over at all. The Split, where Hurricane Hattie cut the island in two in 1961, is the north end of the walkable part, and boats are what get you past it, out to Hol Chan, Shark Ray Alley and the Blue Hole. One sailing company even runs the reef southward as a three-day one-way trip to Dangriga, which works as transport as much as a tour.

Researched: 22 September 2026
Reviewed: not yet
Ways of moving: 9, 42 sources
Not confirmed: 8
Fares seen: 2020–2026

The place

Caye Caulker is a small limestone coral island off the coast of Belize in the Caribbean Sea measuring about 5 miles (8.0 km) by less than 1 mile (1.6 km). The town on the island is known by the name Caye Caulker Village. The population of Caye Caulker is approximately 4,000 people.

Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The place page has what to see, do and eat, and every way there from the planner.

How transport works here

9 ways of moving, each with its rule

We confirmed nine ways of moving to, from or around Caye Caulker: six by water, one by air, one under your own steam and one hired or on demand, from 42 sources.

The fares were seen in 2020 to 2026; a fare from an older year is a floor, not a price. We rate 7 of the 9 high confidence, our own judgement of the sources. The entry was checked on 22 September 2026, and ends with eight things we could not confirm.

6 ways

By water

water taxi

San Pedro Belize Express, Belize City to Caye Caulker

Belize Marine Terminal, 111 North Front Street, Belize City, to the Caye Caulker dock on Avenida Hicaco in front of the police station, continuing to San Pedro

In Belize City the terminal is on North Front Street on the north bank of Haulover Creek, about 250 m east of the Swing Bridge, behind the Brown Sugar marketplace. It is the company's own building and it is not the same dock as Caribbean Sprinter, so check the name on the sign before you queue. Buy at the cashier booth inside and exchange the reservation for a boarding pass with photo ID. Luggage must be checked in at least 15 minutes before departure and is tagged by destination, orange for Caye Caulker. Coming back, the Caye Caulker office is on Avenida Hicaco in front of the police station, a couple of minutes' walk from Front Street. A shared transfer from Philip Goldson International Airport to the Belize City terminal takes about 25 minutes and costs US$25 for the first person plus US$10 for each extra person

When: Belize City departures 08:00, 09:00, 10:30, 12:00, 13:30, 15:00, 16:30 and 17:30. Caye Caulker to Belize City 06:30, 07:30, 09:00, 10:30, 12:00, 13:30, 15:30 and 17:00
Takes: About 45 minutes Belize City to Caye Caulker, about 30 minutes onward to San Pedro
Fare 2026: Belize Port Authority approved maximum for a foreign adult one way Belize City to Caye Caulker was BZ$45, children BZ$29, with BZ$33 the resident adult rate (2023). After the Passenger User Fee went from BZ$2 to BZ$3 on 1 January 2025 the company put round trips up by BZ$2 and one ways by BZ$1, putting the Belize City to Caye Caulker round trip at BZ$61. Round trip fares rose again by BZ$2 to BZ$6 in early 2026

SeasonYear round, rain or shine. Departure times change and the company posts a new schedule sheet each year, so check the current one rather than an old printout. Rough easterly weather makes the crossing bumpy; sit towards the back. The company disclaims responsibility for delays caused by weather, so a named storm during the June to November hurricane season can stop sailings with no compensation. BookingOnline at belizewatertaxi.com, or at the ticket booth in either terminal. Tickets are non-transferable and need photo ID; changes cost 25 percent and must be asked for 48 hours ahead. Run bySan Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi Limited.

water taxi

Caribbean Sprinter, Belize City to Caye Caulker

Caribbean Sprinter terminal at the foot of the Swing Bridge, Belize City, to Caye Caulker, continuing to San Pedro

This is the other company and the other dock. Caribbean Sprinter is the successor to the Caye Caulker Water Taxi Association and Ocean Ferry, whose old oceanferrybelize.com site is dead, so if someone sends you to the Ocean Ferry terminal at 50 North Front Street this is who they mean. It sits by the Swing Bridge, a short walk west of the San Pedro Belize Express terminal. The boats land in the middle of Caye Caulker village rather than at an out of town pier. The company runs its own shuttle from Philip Goldson International Airport to the terminal for US$15 per person, and has an app, Sail Sprinter, that carries live sailing status and service notices

When: Belize City departures 08:00, 10:30, 13:30, 15:00, 16:30 and 17:40, seven days a week. Caye Caulker to Belize City 06:30, 07:30, 08:30, 10:30, 13:30 and 16:30
Takes: 45 minutes give or take 5, Belize City to Caye Caulker. 30 minutes Caye Caulker to San Pedro
Fare 2026: US$31.00 to US$32.00 one way Belize City to Caye Caulker, quoted per person including government fees, on the company's own booking page for October 2026 travel. Resident round trip Belize City to Caye Caulker was BZ$60 in January 2025; a BZ$2 surcharge went on all routes in early 2026

SeasonSame timetable seven days a week all year. The company says service changes are posted on its home page and Facebook feed, which is where storm cancellations appear. Sailing times shift with sea and wind. BookingOnline at sprinter.bz, in the app, or at the terminal. Belize residents and frequent riders have a separate booking section with lower fares. Run byCaribbean Sprinter Ltd, formerly Caye Caulker Water Taxi Association and Ocean Ferry.

water taxi

Caye Caulker to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye

Caye Caulker village dock to San Pedro Town, 30 minutes north along the inside of the reef

Both companies run it and both use their own dock on Caye Caulker, a few hundred metres apart on the eastern shore. The San Pedro Belize Express office is on Avenida Hicaco in front of the police station. Boats coming from Belize City usually continue to San Pedro rather than turning round, so you can also just stay aboard. The 07:00 San Pedro Belize Express sailing only runs on Chetumal days

When: San Pedro Belize Express from Caye Caulker at 07:00 (Chetumal days only), 08:45, 09:45, 11:15, 12:45, 14:15, 15:45, 17:15 and 18:15. Caribbean Sprinter from Caye Caulker at 08:45, 11:15, 14:15, 15:45, 17:15 and 18:25. Southbound from San Pedro, San Pedro Belize Express at 06:00, 07:00, 08:30, 10:00, 11:30, 13:00, 15:00 and 16:30
Takes: About 30 minutes
Fare 2023: Belize Port Authority approved maximum BZ$33 one way for residents on either company, BZ$50 one way for foreign adults on some operators and BZ$59 on Caribbean Sprinter (2023). Expect a few dollars more after the 2025 and 2026 increasesSeen in 2023: a floor, not a price.

SeasonYear round. BookingWalk up at the dock, or online with either company. Run bySan Pedro Belize Express and Caribbean Sprinter.

water taxi

International boats between Caye Caulker and Chetumal, Mexico

Caye Caulker to San Pedro for customs and immigration, then across to the Terminal Marítima Internacional or Muelle Fiscal in Chetumal, Quintana Roo

Two companies run this and their days and docks differ. San Pedro Belize Express leaves Caye Caulker at 07:00 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays only, clears immigration in San Pedro, and carries on; the return leaves Chetumal at 15:30 and reaches San Pedro and then Caye Caulker. The Mexican operator, San Pedro Water Taxi, trading as International Islander Ferries, leaves Chetumal's Muelle Fiscal APIQROO at 10:00 daily and reaches Caye Caulker about 12:15, going back from the EZ-BOYZ dock on Caye Caulker at 12:45. Both require check-in two hours before departure, and the Chetumal check-in closes at 09:00. Bring cash for the Belizean departure fee, which is not in the ticket

When: San Pedro Belize Express three days a week, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. International Islander Ferries daily
Takes: About 1 hour 40 minutes Chetumal to San Pedro plus 30 minutes on to Caye Caulker, roughly 3 hours 15 minutes door to door
Fare 2026: International Islander Ferries charge MXN 1,400 one way and MXN 2,700 round trip Chetumal to Caye Caulker, with a lower Mexican-national rate of MXN 1,120 (2026). The Belize Port Authority approved maximum for San Pedro Belize Express Caye Caulker to Chetumal was BZ$159 one way (2023). On top of the ticket, the Belize departure fee is BZ$40 or US$20 cash only, and the Mexican entrance fee about MXN 861 by card

SeasonYear round, but the service has been suspended in the past and the schedule is thin, so confirm before planning a border day around it. BookingBook ahead. San Pedro Belize Express sells online and warns that passengers arriving from Chetumal must overnight on Caye Caulker or San Pedro because there is no same-day connection to Belize City. International Islander Ferries ask for 24 hours' notice and often sell out. Run bySan Pedro Belize Express; San Pedro Water Taxi / International Islander Ferries.

boat

Snorkel and dive boats to Hol Chan, Shark Ray Alley and the Blue Hole

Caye Caulker village docks out to the Caye Caulker Marine Reserve, Coral Gardens, Hol Chan Marine Reserve off southern Ambergris Caye, Turneffe Atoll and the Blue Hole

About a dozen operators sell from small offices along Front Street and from the docks. Half-day snorkel boats leave around 10:30 and 14:30; full-day boats leave around 10:00 and are back around 16:30. Dive shops want a few days' notice for the longer trips and only run them when they have numbers. These boats double as the only practical way to reach the reef and the southern end of Ambergris Caye without going through San Pedro. Operators have agreed common prices for the Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley trips, so shopping around changes the boat and the guide, not the price

When: Daily in season, weather permitting; long trips to the Blue Hole run less often and need a minimum group
Takes: Hol Chan is about 30 minutes by boat. Full-day snorkel trips run 10:00 to about 16:30. The Blue Hole is at least an hour's boat ride each way and takes a full day
Fare 2023: Full-day snorkel tour about BZ$180, or US$90 for the agreed Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley full-day trip (2023). Two-tank local dives at Hol Chan or Spanish Bay about US$90; Turneffe Atoll US$150 for three tanks; the Blue Hole US$150 for three tanks plus a US$40 park permit. Sea kayaks from Tsunami Adventures are BZ$15 for the first hour then BZ$10 an hourSeen in 2023: a floor, not a price.

SeasonYear round, but boats do not go out in heavy weather and the June to November hurricane season cancels trips at short notice. BookingWalk into an office on Front Street a day ahead; contact dive shops several days ahead for Blue Hole and Turneffe. Run byCarlos Tours, Reef Friendly Tours, Frenchie's Diving Services, Scuba Sensation, Tsunami Adventures and others.

boat

Ragga Sailing Adventures, three-day sail south to Dangriga

Caye Caulker down the inside of the barrier reef via Rendezvous Caye to Dangriga on the mainland coast, one way

This is sold as a tour but it works as transport: it is the way to get from Caye Caulker to the southern coast without going back through Belize City. It leaves Caye Caulker on Tuesdays and Fridays, sails inside the reef so the water stays calm, camps two nights on small cayes and lands at Dangriga. The company is explicit that it is one way and is never run in reverse. Departures need a minimum number of passengers and decent weather

When: Tuesdays and Fridays year round, subject to numbers and weather
Takes: 3 days and 2 nights
Fare 2026: US$600 per person, rising to US$650 per person from 1 November 2026. Includes taxes, snorkelling and fishing gear, camping gear, marine reserve and private island fees, and all food and drink. Minimum age 12

SeasonYear round in principle, weather dependent. BookingBy email through raggasailadventures.com, or at the office on the island. Run byRagga Sailing Adventures.

One way

By air

chartered flight

Tropic Air and Maya Island Air hops to Caye Caulker airstrip

Philip Goldson International Airport (BZE) or Belize City Municipal Airport (TZA) to Caye Caulker (CUK), on the Belize City to San Pedro shuttle

The airstrip is at the southern end of the island on Avenida Mangle, a short walk or a golf cart ride from the village. Both airlines fly Belize City to San Pedro roughly hourly and drop at Caye Caulker on the way when someone has booked it, so a seat is not guaranteed on every rotation; book rather than turn up. The municipal airport, TZA, is about 1.5 km from the centre of Belize City and is much cheaper to fly from than the international airport 16 km out at Ladyville, so if you are not connecting to an international flight the municipal is the one to use

When: Hourly between Belize City and San Pedro through the day, stopping at Caye Caulker on demand
Takes: 10 to 15 minutes
Fare 2026: Tropic Air's own fare display showed round trips from Philip Goldson International to Caye Caulker from US$210 for September and October 2026. Fares from the municipal airport are substantially lower. Both airlines raised fuel surcharges in April 2026, by about BZ$6 on domestic flights and about BZ$10 on flights touching the international airport

SeasonYear round. Small aircraft, so low cloud and storms ground them before they stop the boats. BookingOnline at tropicair.com or mayaislandair.com. Maya Island Air asks for bookings at least 24 hours ahead. Run byTropic Air; Maya Island Air.

One way

On foot, by bike, or otherwise

walking trail

Walking the three streets, and the Split

Front Street, Middle Street and Back Street, the whole length of the village, ending at the Split

There is nothing to catch. The island has no cars in any normal sense and none of the three streets is paved. Front Street, nearest the sea on the east side, has most of what a visitor wants. A slow walk from the front pier to almost anywhere takes about 20 minutes. The Split, at the north end of the village, is the channel Hurricane Hattie cut through the island in 1961, later widened by dredging and current; it is the island's swimming spot and the end of the walkable part. Bringing a vehicle over is not casual: importing one needs an application to the Village Council, which discusses them once a month, and a BZ$100 non-refundable importation fee

When: Always
Takes: About 20 minutes end to end at island pace
Fare 2026: Free

SeasonYear round. Streets are sand, so heavy rain turns them soft. Run bynone.

One way

Hired, booked and on demand

private hire

Golf carts and bicycles

Anywhere on the island, plus the airstrip run at the southern tip

Golf carts and bikes are what locals use. Rental stands sit along Front Street and Middle Street; Wikivoyage names C&N Golf Cart Rentals and Caye Caulker Golf Cart Rentals. Many hotels and guesthouses lend bicycles free to guests, which is usually the cheapest way to do it. A golf cart gets you round the whole island in about 30 minutes. Carts are also the standard way to get luggage from the water taxi dock or the airstrip to a hotel at the far end

When: Daytime, walk-up
Takes: 30 minutes to circle the island by cart
Fare 2020: Not confirmed for Caye Caulker. For scale, on neighbouring Ambergris Caye a cart was about US$15 for four hours or US$25 a day in 2020, and rates there are usually quoted higher than on Caye CaulkerSeen in 2020: a floor, not a price.

SeasonYear round. BookingWalk up, or ask your hotel. Run byC&N Golf Cart Rentals; Caye Caulker Golf Cart Rentals; various hotels for bikes.

Not confirmed

What we could not find out

8 things the researcher looked for and did not find, in their own words, with where to ask instead. None of this goes into the planner; it stays here until someone confirms it.

01
The brief describes Ocean Ferry Belize as one of two separate competitors. That is now out of date. The Belize Port Authority's 2023 fare notice records Caribbean Sprinter Company Co Ltd as the successor to both the Caye Caulker Water Taxi Association and Ocean Ferry, and oceanferrybelize.com no longer resolves to a working site. The two competitors today are San Pedro Belize Express and Caribbean Sprinter, from separate terminals on North Front Street.
02
San Pedro Belize Express does not publish a fare table. Its online booking engine at webstore.belizewatertaxi.com requires a session that could not be started from outside the site, so the current one-way tourist fare Belize City to Caye Caulker could not be read directly. The figures given are the 2023 Belize Port Authority approved maximum plus the reported 2025 and 2026 increases. Phone +501 223-2225 or ask at the terminal for today's number.
03
The January 2025 article gives a BZ$61 round trip Belize City to Caye Caulker without saying whether that is the resident or the visitor rate. Belize water taxi fares are tiered, with separate resident, child and foreign-visitor prices, so treat it as the lower tier.
04
No Caye Caulker golf cart or bicycle rental company publishes rates on a reachable website. The Ambergris Caye figure is given only as a rough comparison and is from 2020. Ask at the rental stands on Front Street.
05
Caribbean Sprinter's Belize City terminal address could not be confirmed from the company's own site; the Swing Bridge location comes from Wikivoyage. Confirm on arrival or in the Sail Sprinter app.
06
Hurricane cancellation practice could not be pinned to a published policy. San Pedro Belize Express only disclaims liability for weather delays in its terms; Caribbean Sprinter says notices go on its home page and Facebook feed. For a storm-season trip, follow both companies' Facebook pages and Belize's NEMO.
07
The small boat shuttle across the Split to the north half of the island is mentioned on Wikivoyage only as the way to reach one restaurant, leaving from the Bambooze dock next to the Sports Bar. No schedule or fare was found.
08
Maya Island Air publishes no numeric fares or timetable on its website; its schedule page is empty of content. Only Tropic Air's cached fare display gave a figure.

In the planner

What the planner can route today

The options above live on the place page, not in the departure board: a boat that comes when you phone has no time to show. What the board can do for Caye Caulker is this.

Y: Scheduled flightsBelize City (BZE), 37 km
N: Trains and coachesno timetable feed known for this country
Y: FerriesKoko King Water Taxi, 0 km; sailings estimated
Y: Driving and taxiOpenStreetMap roads; cab fare from the country band
N: Bike and scooter shareno share feed known
N: Cruisesno open itinerary source anywhere

Y routable now · F found, not yet implemented · N no source known. Nearest place with more: Belize City, 33 km.