FOR RENT: Accommodations

Tips for Vacationing on Caye Caulker

It is important for the first time visitor to Caye Caulker to read the detailed information we have provided to gain a full understanding of what a caye vacation entails. It will give you a solid outline of life here on the caye.

For more detailed information about travel arrangements and what you can expect from caye accommodations, restaurants, services, etc take a look at Guest Info.

Many of the answers to questions regularly submitted by email are readily available on these pages.

Climate

Caye Caulker is typically a tropical lowland climate, with rainforest to the south and west of the lowlands. Island temperatures drop in the winter months with an average mid/late 70’s in the day and dropping about 10 degrees at night. Summer months are hotter and much more humid. The temps still drop by about 10 degrees at night, and average daily temps are around 85 – 90’s. The islands usually have a sea breeze that can feel like air-conditioning when the rest of the country is sweltering! The rainy season is supposed to start after Easter sometime and carry on till Oct. This has not been the case in recent years and we are seeing more rain later in the year. Usually great thunderstorms with massive lightening shows in the late afternoon or at night. Climate around the world is changing – so no promises!

Language

English is the official language but you will hear other languages spoken too. Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna and Creole to name but a few.

Money

We have the Belize Dollar. BZD$. It is pegged to the US dollar at 2BZD:1USD. There is one ATM here, which accepts foreign cards. The bank (Atlantic Bank Ltd) will also provide cash advances with credit/debit cards and charges $10BZD commission however large the transaction (need to show your passport). US currency is widely accepted and your change will come back in BZD dollars. Travellers checks are a good idea and you can spend them as ‘cash’ at most places and also change them at the bank ($IBZ per check). Again your change will be in local currency. Remember large notes are always a problem for smaller vendors.

The Island & Facilities

As with all places now, the climate changes are going to affect us as well as everywhere else. Although we provide such luxuries as air-conditioning, I ask all my guests to be aware of the small things that will make a difference and hopefully give the island a few more days of survival. This is how it works – so that you can better understand what we are up against! Tourism is good, but let us be responsible.

Water

Caye Caulker uses well water to supply toilets, showers and sinks in many of our homes/rentals. There is only so much to go around. The only other water we have is collected rain water. The less we use the better we all are. If the accommodation you are staying in is on the Village Water System, please try to conserve use, as it is very expensive water to purchase. Please take shorter showers and perhaps not flush the toilet every time! Toilets use more water than any other household appliance! If you hear a toilet running or see a shower dripping, please let us know as soon as you can.

Power

We have diesel generators here on the island that supply all of our power. The less we use, the less greenhouse gases we produce. Please turn off A/C’s, fans and lights whenever plausible.

The Island & Facilities

There is no official recycling here, but we do a number of things as responsible foreigners that may help at least! Glass bottles like beer, sodas are returnable. When buying drinks, try to use the glass bottles instead of the plastic. Leave them next to the trash for the kids to take back and make some pocket money. Plastic bottles we reuse in the guise of the fruit lady and her juices. Keep them separate too. Whenever possible reuse shopping bags as trash bags or some other use, like toilet trash bin liners. Many ‘take-out’ food containers are polystyrene, please crush and dispose of in the trash or better yet, take your own container!

What To Pack

• Flip flops and closed toe shoes for trekking if you plan to do that.
• Beach Towel (some houses provide) / Sarong – we supply bath towels but not beach
• Sunglasses – always a good idea
• Hat – same
• Small Flashlight
• Alarm Clock – some houses have clocks, but you can bet that they are wrong most of the time
• Rain proof gear – if you don’t it WILL rain on you
• Insect Repellent – can get it here, but expensive
• Sun-Block – as above
• Mask / Snorkel – especially if you have had problems getting a good fitting one before
• Jacket / Sweater – for planes, boats and cooler temps
• Good books and a deck of cards. There are book swaps around, no actual book shops. We do have a library here now and donated books to help fill out the shelves are gratefully accepted.
• Coffee if you have a particular brand you like
• Wine is expensive here – so bring if you like

Caye Caulker Map

In order to assist you in determining where the homes on the caye are, each property is indicated on the island map. The south part of Caye Caulker, measured from The Split on the north end to South Point, is approximately 3 miles long. The furthest home managed by CCVH to the south is just south of the airstrip. You should be able to locate all our properties on the insert map and see where they are in relation to the village and each other.