To and From Caye Caulker

There are only a couple of options to get to an island…by boat or by plane.  I’ve taken both to get to Caye Caulker, but I definitely have a preference.  First let me share some details so you can make your own decision.

By Boat

If you fly into Belize International Airport, you’ll have to take a cab to the Water Taxi terminal.  I’ve never taken a cab from the airport (I’ve been coming from other towns), but my understanding is this will cost you approximately $50BZ/$25US.  Once at the Water Taxi terminal there are two water taxi companies to choose from.  Each one has a slightly different schedule.

I found that San Pedro Belize Express had a slightly better schedule when I used them to go back to Caye Caulker from San Pedro, but in my opinion the price difference is not worth it at all.

So, all in by boat (for one person…one way) would be $70BZ/$35US…not bad and would be even cheaper per person if more than one person was traveling (i.e. taxi could be shared).  However, this option will take an hour or more…I think the one time I did it was three hours because I didn’t check the schedule before arriving at the water taxi terminal.

By Air

If you fly into Belize International Airport, it’s a short jaunt to the domestic terminal to catch a flight to Caye Caulker.  Again, there are two options.

  • Tropic Air – $84.15US one way or $147.55 round trip.  They have flights leaving nearly every hour.  I always book in advance (even if just a few days), but most of the flights are not full so you can likely walk right on as well.
  • Maya Island Air (I’ve never used them before) – $75.50US one way or $131.50 round trip.

So, all in by air (for one person…one way) would be $147.55US (or $131.50US).  The bonus with this option is the stunning beauty of the flight and the fact that it only takes eight minutes.

If you are already in country, I recommend trying the Belize Municipal Airport (instead of the International).  I found prices cheaper on Tropic Air – $50.90US one way $89.80US round trip (these prices are even cheaper than when I flew earlier this month).

My Preferences

My preference is always by air or at least water taxi to and air from.  Leaving via air gets you right to the Belize International Airport and allows you to stay on Caye Caulker for as long as possible.  In fact, 30 minutes before my flight left Caye Caulker I was still sitting on the dock in front of my hotel reading and enjoying the sun and sea.

I prefer Caye Caulker Water Taxi for one HUGE reason.  On my recent trip I used water taxis to get between Caye Caulker and San Pedro.  I bought a round trip ticket on Caye Caulker Water Taxi for $29BZ/$14.50US.  Later in my trip I needed a one way water taxi trip from San Pedro to Caye Caulker.  Because of the timing the San Pedro Belize Express water taxi schedule made more sense.  I ended up paying $34BZ/$17.50US for one way.  I find the price difference a bit shocking to be honest.

I prefer Tropic Air for flights within Belize.  I’ve used them several times and find them to be a professional airline.  I’ve never used Maya Island Air, so I can’t say for sure what they would be like.  Maybe I’ll try them next time since their flights are cheaper.

The Flight

On my recent flights I decided to make a video.  Keep in mind that videos are not my thing and I’m still learning.  But, I did want to share the beauty.  On the flight from Belize City to Caye Caulker we even flew close to the reef (notice the waves breaking right before we land…that’s the reef).  It was the first time I had been on a flight that landed from this direction so it was an extra special treat.

Note, I sped this video up significantly so you could view the whole thing without taking up too much time.