A few days relaxing on Caye Caulker with kids is nice! We ourselves visited Caye Caulker Island in Belize as part of our tour of Mexico, Guatemala and Belize and for us it was at the end of our trip. The island is known for its relaxed atmosphere and beautiful nature. If you are looking for a destination where you and your kids can enjoy the sun, the sea and the beautiful underwater world, Caye Caulker is a very nice vacation destination. In this blog, we share the best children’s activities, tips on transportation, the best travel time and some family-friendly restaurants and accommodations on the island.
Best travel time Caye Caulker with kids
The best time to visit Caye Caulker with kids is between November and May. This period is the dry season and you have the least chance of rain, which is ideal for a sun vacation. In the summer months (June to October), the weather can be more unstable, with chances of rain and even hurricanes.
It is therefore advisable to travel outside the rainy season. Keep in mind that temperatures are warm year-round, so bringing sunscreen and plenty of water is a must if you are visiting this island with kids.
Transportation to and on Caye Caulker
Caye Caulker is easily accessible from the mainland. Several boats a day go to this island from different places. From Belize City, two different companies run boats to Caye Caulker and the crossing takes about an hour. These are the companies San Pedro Belize Express and Caribbean Sprinter water cab. We also took the boat here and it was quite manageable.
You can also possibly take the boat from Mexico to Caye Caulker from Chetumal, but this crossing does take 4 hours, which is quite long with kids. Then it’s better to travel overland to Belize City first and take the boat from there. This boat also does not leave daily.
What we found very relaxing about the island is that there are no cars driving around the island. The mode of transportation here is the golf cart, which does give a tremendously relaxing vacation feeling. For the rest, you move around the island by bicycle. There are bike rentals, but it is searching for rentals with children’s bikes.
You can also rent a kayak at various places on the island, for example, and explore the island that way. Just be sure to put good sunscreen on the kids, as you burn quickly on the water.
Children’s activities Caye Caulker
#1 Snorkeling
One of the best activities to do on Caye Caulker with kids is snorkeling. We went on a full day snorkeling tour and made several stops in the water during the tour. In fact, at Caye Caulker you have two places that are good for snorkeling with kids and they are marine reserve Hol Chan and at Ray Alley. Both places we visited with our tour.
You can spot all kinds of tropical fish here, as well as turtles and even sharks. These are mostly sister sharks that are harmless and therefore not to be feared. If you visit Caye Caulker with kids from June through September, it is also possible to see manatees.
Unfortunately, we did not see these animals here, since we did not visit Caye Caulker during this period, but this is certainly a good reason to visit the island again with our daughter.
In addition, there is another stop where it is possible to see seahorses. As you can see, here you are on the water for an entire day with the boat. We always find these types of tours very relaxing and enjoy snorkeling. Between snorkeling, there will also be lunch on the boat. This tour is not cheap, but you are on the road for an entire day. You can book this organized snorkeling tour in Caye Caulker online.
#2 The Split
You would expect a laid-back island like Caye Caulker to have lots of beautiful beaches, but that is not the case. So it is not really a typical beach destination. However, you do have plenty of places on the island where you can relax in the sun and of course make a splash in the water of the sea with kids.
The Split is one of the most fun places on the island to go with the family. Caye Caulker actually consists of two parts and at the place where the two islands almost touch you have a very nice area to go to with kids. You also have those big letters here with The Split where you can take a picture with the family and one of the best places to go is The Lazy Lizard.
There really is a vacation atmosphere here and you also have sunbeds where you can relax in the sun. Kids can also play in the water here and also jump into the water from various springboards. There are also all kinds of rings in the water that make sure to create a kind of small pools.
You also have some swings in the water, but they are used more to take a cute Instagram photo, rather than actually being used for swinging. This is really a place where you can spend a great day relaxing with the family on Caye Caulker.
#3 Bicycle tour of the island
You can explore the two parts of Caye Caulker with kids by bike. Several places on the island offer bike rentals, but if you’re with small children, you’ll have to search carefully for bikes suitable for kids. If your kids are older, there are plenty of bikes you can rent.
Most bikes on the island are not very big anyway, so you don’t have to be too big to ride a standard bike here. You can bike to different points on the island and you can take the ferry at The Split and explore the other half of the island. Here you will find that it is a lot quieter than on the tourist part of the island.
On this quieter part of the island you also have some amenities and during your bike ride you can stop at El Ben Cabanas, where you can have a drink at this resort and use the pool.
Family-friendly restaurant Caye Caulker
You can also have great food on Caye Caulker with kids. You have plenty of family-friendly restaurants where you can go for snacks and drinks with kids. We list some of these family-friendly restaurants below.
Maggie’s Sunset Kitchen: Maggie’s Sunset Kitchen offers stunning ocean views and serves delicious seafood and local dishes. Kids can choose from simpler meals such as chicken with fries or grilled fish. From 5-7 pm, it’s happy hour here and you get 2 cocktails for the price of 1. They also have several vegetarian options here.
The Lazy Lizard: as we mentioned earlier in this blog, The Lazy Lizard is a fun place to go on Caye Caulker with kids. The Lazy Lizard is also a popular restaurant for lunch or dinner. At this restaurant you also have a nice view while eating.
They have a varied menu, including sandwiches, salads and burgers. Kids can play nicely here, while parents can have a drink on one of the sunbeds after dinner. This restaurant is not very cheap, so you have to take that into account.
Namaste Cafe: If you are looking for a restaurant that you can go to with kids for a healthy breakfast or lunch, this is a good option. Yoga classes are also held here in the morning, which parents can join after breakfast if they wish.
Family-friendly hotel Caye Caulker
You can stay on Caye Caulker with kids just fine. You have a number of family-friendly accommodations you can book on the island. We list the best rated accommodations in the different price ranges.
Budget accommodation: Tropical Paradise Express
Mid-range accommodation: Island Magic Beach Resort
Luxury accommodation: La Isla Resort
Also check out the entire list of family-friendly accommodations on Caye Caulker.
