9 Day Belize Itinerary

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Last Updated on November 29, 2024 by Carolyn

My daughter works for Cain Travel, one of the top women-owned businesses in Colorado. For her company Christmas gift she received two round-trip tickets on United. It was halfway through the following year and she hadn’t used them so we needed to find a place to go and we picked Belize!

We settled on traveling the first week of December. Unfortunately for us, hurricane Lisa passed through a month before and Belize was still recovering from her destruction. Following is the first part of our 9-day Belize itinerary.

Day 1-Travel to Belize

Flight From Denver

Our flight to Belize left Denver at the crack of dawn, so we were up and at the airport early. Having Silver status with United my daughter always gets on the upgrade list. I felt pretty good about the snack box she had scored for each of us but better things were yet to come.  As we boarded our flight, she received a message on her app that our seats had been upgraded to first class.  It was too late to get new boarding passes so the employee checking boarding passes said to take our assigned seats and they’d come get us.

Boy did we feel like royalty when a flight attendant came to our seats and asked us to follow her up to first class.  I have always flown economy, so this was a first for me and even my daughter who flies frequently hadn’t yet flown first class.

Before we had even taken off, a flight attendant came around offering us orange juice or the beverage of our choice.  Once in the air, she came around again asking if she could get us anything, passed out complimentary headphones, and a little while later we were asked for our food order.  The food selection was impressive and we enjoyed our meals, with me enjoying a very nice glass of red wine with my lunch.

A few hours later I almost felt disappointed as we started our descent into Belize City, I didn’t want this flight to end!

We arrived at Philip SW Goldson airport at about 11:30. The airport is tiny and it didn’t take us long to clear immigration. We had carry-on baggage only so we were able to get out of the airport quickly.

Caye Caulker

San Pedro Express Ferry

Our first destination was Caye Caulker so we hailed a taxi from the airport to take us to the ferry terminal, which is about a half-hour drive. The price was USD 25. The cab driver was nice and told us about Belize along the way.

At the ferry terminal, we bought round-trip tickets for USD 41.00 each. You have 30 days to use the return fare. We were booked on the 3:00 pm ferry as the 1:30 pm ferry was already boarding. We had an hour and a half to explore. We were able to check our bags at the terminal so we didn’t have to drag them with us.

Fort Street Tourism Village

Most of Belize City is not a place for tourists but the area around the ferry is quite nice. We took pictures with the Belize sign and watched a fellow painting an awesome mural. We also walked to a lighthouse on the point for some photos.  As we walked along the street we stopped to look at the street vendors’ souvenir offerings. 

The Belize Museum is located very near to the ferry terminal and we considered touring it while waiting for the ferry but felt we might not have much time to truly enjoy it. 

Back at the ferry we joined the queue waiting for the ferry. San Pedro Express has several ferries in their fleet, the one we were on this day was small holding about 40 people. Initially we sat in the open air back but then realized that the boat’s motor was really noisy and it was also windy near the rear so we moved forward under the roof. We were glad we did as it still ended up being a little cool up front.

The ferry ride takes about 45 minutes to get to Caye Caulker and you don’t see much as you really are heading out to sea. We kept our eyes peeled for dolphins and sea turtles, but saw neither.

Getting Around Caye Caulker

It was about 3:45 when we arrived in Caye Caulker.  We got out on the dock and waited for the crew to unload our cases. With cases in hand we headed from the dock into town.

Caye Caulker is an island located 37 km from Belize City in the Caribbean Sea. It’s a beautiful oasis known for its relaxed vibe, sandy beaches, low cost and great snorkeling. There are no cars on Caye Caulker so transportation is by foot or golf cart.

We debated whether to hire a golf cart taxi to take us to our airbnb “The Blue Wave Guest House”, it would cost $8.  Per google the airbnb was only 450m up the road and I was anxious to see some of the island.  We walked up the road rolling our suitcases which proved harder than we thought as those little wheels don’t roll very well on a sandy road. 

Blue Wave Guest House

We checked in at the Blue Wave Guest House. Our room was quite nice, and the beach and  ocean were just a stone’s throw away across the road. At the Blue Wave Guest House there is an open air kitchen for guest use. I was disappointed that there was no coffee maker in our room nor in the outdoor kitchen. I asked about it and was told one could purchase a cup of coffee at the office. That was all well and good but the office didn’t open until about 9 in the morning!

We deposited our bags in the room and hurriedly set out for the Iguana Reef Inn to see the stingray feeding which takes place around 4:30, and hopefully find some seahorses at their seahorse sanctuary.  We walked to the other side of the island ( which was less than a 10 minute walk- nothing is far away on Caye Caulker). Along the way we noted the locations of restaurants and stores that we planned on visiting. I was sure to take note of Ice and Beans a coffee shop located just a couple hundred meters away from the The Blue Wave Guest House.

The Iguana Reef Inn is located on the western side of the island and is a must visit in Caye Caulker.  You don’t have to be a guest to join the famous stingray feedings or to search for seahorses in their seahorse sanctuary or to swing on their ocean swings. One can enjoy an exotic beachside drink at the Iguana Beach Bar.

We watched the stingray feeding which was fascinating and hunted for seahorses in the fading light. We didn’t see any but the water was a bit murky and we resolved to return again.

Next up was dinner. We chose a restaurant that overlooked the ocean that we’d passed on our way to Iguana Reef, the Rainbow Grill and Bar. We ordered seafood nachos and I sampled a Billiken Stout. The food was OK not great. I was  surprised when we ordered water and were served  plastic bottles of water. Total cost of dinner and drinks was $27.69 bzd or $14.00 us.

It turns out that on Caye Caulker drinking water is either from bottled water or rain barrels hence the bottled water at dinner.

After our dinner we browsed some stores along the well lit streets,as well as stopping for ice cream at Amigo Ice Cream. 

We returned to lodging and intended to watch a Netflix show but we were exhausted and instead went to bed.

Day 2 – Exploring Caye Caulker

This morning we walked to Errolyn’s which is famous for their delicious Fry Jacks. You might be wondering what is a Fry Jack? A Fry Jack is a delicious fried dough that can be served plain or stuffed with typical breakfast foods such as eggs, ham, bacon, cheese or beans. This description doesn’t do it justice.

Errolyn’s is a small establishment similar to a food truck where you order your food at a window and then wait for it to be ready. There are a few wooden stools along an outside table where you can wait for your order and eat it too.

When our number was called we couldn’t believe the size of our fry jacks- they were huge and VERY delicious.

While walking around Caye Caulker we’d seen people carrying bottles of freshly squeezed tangerine juice. The juice bar was nearby so we purchased a liter. We had planned to bring some back to our room but it was so good we drank it all before we got back to our room. We’d wished we had bought more, it was certainly the best citrus juice I’d ever tasted.

We wanted to purchase some “It Works” a natural bug repellent developed by a local artist who operates “Red Flower Gallery”, but the gallery was closed when we stopped by and wouldn’t be open for the rest of our stay. We were saddened by this but were happy when we dropped into Ice and Beans and found some for sale there. We purchased it along with some locally made soursop jam that I can attest to its deliciousness!

On the way back to our Airbnb we took a quick detour to see if we could find the seahorses at Iguana Reef and were thrilled as we did. We saw several including a beautiful yellow one. Several people came by looking and couldn’t see them, so we were happy to point them out.

We booked a full-day snorkeling excursion to Hol Chan Marine Reserve through Salt Life Eco Tours. We’d planned on booking with them and then a couple we’d met in Caye Caulker gave them rave reviews confirming our intentions.

Since we’d be spending our final day at Caye Caulker at sea we used this day for exploring the Caye. My daughter wanted to see a pineapple house she’d seen on social media so we set out in search for it.

We determined that it was on the North Side of the Island so headed to the “Split”. The “Split” is literally where the island was split in two by hurricane Hattie. The North Island is now separated by narrow strip of ocean.

To access the North Side you take the Split to Split  ferry ( a motorboat) just West of the Lazy Lizard Grill and Bar. The North Side has very little development as much of it is protected. We headed down the only road looking for the pineapple house. We began to question our actions as it is really deserted on the North side and we didn’t feel quite so safe ( they are alligators and snakes). Finally we saw the house that really did look like it was right out of Spongebob’s Bikini Bottom.

The shadows were lengthening so we thought it prudent to head back to the ferry. It was then that we wondered if we should have asked our ferry captain to pick us up at a set time or would we have to jump up and down and wave frantically trying to catch someone on the other sides attention?

To our relief there were people boarding a ferry as we arrived at the dock and we joined them.

We were a little disappointed as we went by the Lazy Lizard again, that it was closed. It was only then that it dawned on us they shut down at dusk for safety issues.  At this bar you literally sit in the water at the bar stools and you wouldn’t want people who have been drinking falling into the water.

We cleaned up at our airbnb and then headed to dinner. Tonight we were going to Wish Willy’s famous buffet. Maurice the gregarious owner chef cooks everything and what a spread he puts on. For 25bzd we had all you can eat salad, vegetables, chicken, fish and lobster as well as rum punch, pop and water. 

Dining was at open air at folding tables which encouraged guests to socialize with others at sharing their table.  It was a great feast and many sharing of travel tales and life stories, all making for a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

Day 3-Snorkeling Tour

Salt Life EcoTour

Today would be our day at sea. We had breakfast at Ice and Bean which was adjacent to Salt Life Eco Tours. The weather was a bit sketchy, quite windy, and also cloudy. There was talk of canceling the tours for the day, but the tour company decided to wait a little to see if the wind settled.

The wind did settle and off we went with a group totalling about 10 people. I for one was a little nervous about the conditions as the sea was quite rough.

The boat ride to Hon Chen Marine takes a little over 30 minutes as the reef is 28 km from Caye Caulker. With the wind blowing, I was glad I had my swim jacket on to keep me warm.

At Hon Chen, we donned our masks and flippers, and in we went. Our guides separated us into groups and they were very good about making sure we all saw the wildlife.

The first area we snorkeled was a seagrass bed where we saw sea turtles munching on sea grass. They didn’t seem to mind our presence as we swam by.

Next, we swam about viewing all kinds of fish and coral and even a shark lurking below. Our guides took us across a channel with a current and told us to swim fast when needed. Quite exhilarating if I may say so myself.

We returned to our boat and had lunch in the lee of the reef. Then we set off to our next stop-Shark Ray Alley. Sharks and rays have long been attracted to this area by scraps the fisherman toss into the sea. The sharks now associate the sound of a boat with a free meal even though most guides refrain from feeding them.

We were told don’t mess with the sharks just swim around them quietly.  One by one we dropped into the water and swam with the sharks circling around the boat. It was quite thrilling for all of us.

We made two more stops, one the Conch Graveyard where fishermen for many years have been tossing their conch shells, and another the Belizean titanic which is a sunken barge.  Between the two stops our guide pointed out a spotted eagle ray swimming by.

The winds started to pick up again and the water clarity started diminishing. I found it a bit of a struggle to get back to the boat, happily a guide grabbed hold and hauled me in.

We still had a couple of more stops to make. I was quite excited for the next one which was the manatees.  As the water was getting rough our guide went for an exploratory swim. He returned and said he’d seen a manatee but it had swam off. We stopped a couple of more times but they weren’t to be found.

Finally, we boated over to Tarpon Alley. This was surprisingly fun. Tarpons are huge prehistoric fish weighing up to 200# and can grow up to 8 feet long. The largest Tarpon here were in the 80# range and probably 4-5 feet long.

Our guide told us to hold a handut over the water. Whoosh.. out jumped an enormous fish and it actually cupped its mouth around my hand. At my guide’s urging “Do it again “ I did, and she caught it all on video!

This was our last stop and I was glad. It was a fun but super-tiring day. I was ready to be back on solid ground.

This was our final day at Caye Caulker, we’d be heading back to the mainland at sunrise the next day. We walked to the south end of the island to see the World’s largest conch wall and then stopped in at the Iguana Reef Inn again as I had decided I wanted to be “pet by a ray”. They swim up and rub on you like a cat or dog would! 

For our last dinner at Caye Caulker, we went to the Sportsman’s bar and had cocktails, coconut shrimp, and fish and chips for dinner. All was pretty tasty.

Day 4-Goodbye Caye Caulker

We booked a 6:30 am ferry out of Caye Caulker and we were able to watch the sunrise over the sea before we set off for our mainland adventures.

The Rest of our Belize Itinerary

If you’re planning a trip to Belize please subscribe so you’ll be notified when my next posts go up covering the rest of our Belize itinerary. My Belize Traveler’s Guide is a great introduction to things you should know about Belize before planning your Belize Itinerary.

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