Slow Travel Guide to Caye Caulker (Best Snorkeling, Boat Trips, Street BBQ & More)

The sun was melting into the Caribbean and my pizza melting into a paper plate when Caye Caulker taught me its first lesson. After a long day of travelling from Chetumal, our sundown arrival called for an easy meal, and only after ordering did I realise my wallet was missing. It was over a mile away – on the bed in my hotel room. I got up, reluctant to skip the live music and evening beers at Southside Pizza, when the owner immediately gestured for me to sit back down. ‘You’re staying for a while, right? Don’t miss the sunset! Just come back with the money when you have it!’ When locals here say ‘Go Slow’ you should believe them. Caye Caulker is a sandy strip of reefs and reggae music on Belize’s Caribbean coast. The small island lies around an hour from Belize City by boat, and has become an established part of the Central American or Gringo Trail backpacking route. For most travellers, Belize sticks out as an English-language enclave amongst strictly Spanish-speaking neighbours. This cultural contrast and the relaxed, Caribbean lifestyle on Caye Caulker are evident from the moment you arrive. A bubble of blue sky and clear waters, the island’s proximity to sites of marine interes...