Caye Caulker or Bannister Is

[SteelerCruiser]

can someone please give me the breakdown of doing either one of these places on our own and not through the ship excursion.

 

prices of transportation to and from.....where to get on the transportation.....how far from the port area it is.....anything else is great as well.

 

thanks in advance!

[charalec]

Check the independent tour operator "Coral Breeze Tours". They go to both of those places.

[SeaPA1]

We were there in early January & went to Caye Caulker on our own.

 

There are 2 companies that run "water taxi" service (decent sized boats). They run from Belize City to Caye Caulker to Ambergris Caye, then reverse the trip. Prices were, I think, the same for either ($10 per person each way, kids 1/2 price). You get a couple of dollar discount if you book a round trip ticket with the same company at time of departure. However, the timing of departures by the two is staggered, such that it may work out better for you to go over with one company, then return with the other company. This is what we chose to do; left Belize City with one company at 10 am, spent a decent amount of time at Caulker, then returned with other company (I think at 2 or 230, don't remember exactly).

 

The two are San Pedro Express and Caye Caulker Water Taxi Association. SPE is located immediately adjacent to the tourist village. Walk out of the village, turn left, and I think it was the first building on your left (you can see their building, and boat if it is docked, from the tourist village, but it is separated by a chain link fence). The lady there was very helpful & had both their schedule for the day and the CCWTA schedule; we'd just missed their boat, so she sent us down to the other. CCWTA is a few blocks down (continuing to your left after you'd left the TV). It was down close to what they call the "swing bridge" - took us a few minutes to walk it.

 

It's about an hour each way by boat from Belize City to Caye Caulker. As I mentioned, $10 pp each way. Food & beverage is cheap once you get there.

[SteelerCruiser]

Check the independent tour operator "Coral Breeze Tours". They go to both of those places.

 

Thanks I had seen their website but they seem pretty pricey for what you get...Thanks for the info though

[SteelerCruiser]

We were there in early January & went to Caye Caulker on our own.

 

There are 2 companies that run "water taxi" service (decent sized boats). They run from Belize City to Caye Caulker to Ambergris Caye, then reverse the trip. Prices were, I think, the same for either ($10 per person each way, kids 1/2 price). You get a couple of dollar discount if you book a round trip ticket with the same company at time of departure. However, the timing of departures by the two is staggered, such that it may work out better for you to go over with one company, then return with the other company. This is what we chose to do; left Belize City with one company at 10 am, spent a decent amount of time at Caulker, then returned with other company (I think at 2 or 230, don't remember exactly).

 

The two are San Pedro Express and Caye Caulker Water Taxi Association. SPE is located immediately adjacent to the tourist village. Walk out of the village, turn left, and I think it was the first building on your left (you can see their building, and boat if it is docked, from the tourist village, but it is separated by a chain link fence). The lady there was very helpful & had both their schedule for the day and the CCWTA schedule; we'd just missed their boat, so she sent us down to the other. CCWTA is a few blocks down (continuing to your left after you'd left the TV). It was down close to what they call the "swing bridge" - took us a few minutes to walk it.

 

It's about an hour each way by boat from Belize City to Caye Caulker. As I mentioned, $10 pp each way. Food & beverage is cheap once you get there.

 

This sounds pretty good...How is the beach once you get there? Nice Caribbean Beach? worth the hour long ride over? Thanks for the info

[World Gallery]

This sounds pretty good...How is the beach once you get there? Nice Caribbean Beach? worth the hour long ride over? Thanks for the info

 

Caye Caulker's beach is not like other Caribean beaches at all, very different. The split is their "main" beach I would have to guess. It isn't really what you would picture a beach to be but my kids had fun there, for a little while at least. It is basically where a hurricane hit and "split" the island. It has kind of what I would call a little manmade beach and there is a bar there. The other beaches were small with a thin layer of sand. I wouldn't go to Caye Caulker for the beach but if you want to visit to see the "quirkiness" of the island and hang out for a while, then it may be worth it to you.

[SteelerCruiser]

Caye Caulker's beach is not like other Caribean beaches at all, very different. The split is their "main" beach I would have to guess. It isn't really what you would picture a beach to be but my kids had fun there, for a little while at least. It is basically where a hurricane hit and "split" the island. It has kind of what I would call a little manmade beach and there is a bar there. The other beaches were small with a thin layer of sand. I wouldn't go to Caye Caulker for the beach but if you want to visit to see the "quirkiness" of the island and hang out for a while, then it may be worth it to you.

 

Well I am glad you mentioned this.....any good suggesyions for a good caribbean style beach? And how to get there and how much it cost to get there?

 

Thanks again!

[World Gallery]

I posted this comment on another thread and thought it might help you envision Belize a little better, so I will post it here as well:

 

"Belize is a very different place compared to the other Western Carribean ports, very different. There is no beach or orderly taxi system waiting and lined up, like in Cozumel. It can be very unnerving to leave the tourism village without having a plan in mind or an actual tour/excursion booked. Really, I can't stress this enough based on our own personal experience with Belize. Without a plan or tour booked, you are people are likely to be very disappointed."

 

But to answer your specific question, there are no beaches on Belize itself. There is Bannister island that I have read about a lot of these boards, but I have never been. Bannister is much closer than Caye Caulker. I think Coral Breeze does a tour there or your ship may but I am not sure about the ship one (they probably wouldn't call it Bannister island in their description but rather something like "Beach Break" with a lot of extra "fluff" description added.

[SteelerCruiser]

I posted this comment on another thread and thought it might help you envision Belize a little better, so I will post it here as well:

 

"Belize is a very different place compared to the other Western Carribean ports, very different. There is no beach or orderly taxi system waiting and lined up, like in Cozumel. It can be very unnerving to leave the tourism village without having a plan in mind or an actual tour/excursion booked. Really, I can't stress this enough based on our own personal experience with Belize. Without a plan or tour booked, you are people are likely to be very disappointed."

 

But to answer your specific question, there are no beaches on Belize itself. There is Bannister island that I have read about a lot of these boards, but I have never been. Bannister is much closer than Caye Caulker. I think Coral Breeze does a tour there or your ship may but I am not sure about the ship one (they probably wouldn't call it Bannister island in their description but rather something like "Beach Break" with a lot of extra "fluff" description added.

 

Thanks again.....We have not picked the ship yet but the ones we are looking at go to Belize. We have been there twice in the past and only went to the Tourism Village and would love to do a beach break type activity but do not want to pay cruise line prices for the "ship's excursions". Just want to know our options and the how to get there and how much it cost of those options. I really appreciate all your help. I did look at coral breezes but would not mind just taking a water taxi or similar mode of transportation to get there. I know that can be less $ route to go as well.

 

thanks again!

[SeaPA1]

Thanks again.....We have not picked the ship yet but the ones we are looking at go to Belize. We have been there twice in the past and only went to the Tourism Village and would love to do a beach break type activity but do not want to pay cruise line prices for the "ship's excursions". Just want to know our options and the how to get there and how much it cost of those options. I really appreciate all your help. I did look at coral breezes but would not mind just taking a water taxi or similar mode of transportation to get there. I know that can be less $ route to go as well.

 

thanks again!

 

I agree with World re the beach situation on Caulker. It definitely isn't like some other Carib stops, where you have a mile of pretty white sandy beach. That said, we (my wife, sons 7 & 5, and I) enjoyed our day there greatly. It's a small, laid back island. Very casual, nothing close to fancy. Restuarants are typically little places where the owners live & have set up a little kitchen area with some picnic tables outside. If you're considering it, I would suggest a couple of things:

 

*go to youtube & view some videos that people have posted. You can get a pretty good idea of what to expect by doing so.

*if you go the water taxi route, watch your timing on the return. We had no issues or problems, but I've heard of situations where people waited for the last ride back that would get them to their ship, only to have the taxi overbooked & not able to fit everyone on. I've not spoken to anyone directly who had this problem - and it might just be a horror story spread by tour operators trying to get you to go with them - but we decided to forego an hour on the island, leave a little earlier, and not risk missing our ship.

 

But as I said, we had a great time, enough so that we're considering a land trip there. Fun, quirky place, with good, cheap food & drink.

[ciship]

I posted this comment on another thread and thought it might help you envision Belize a little better, so I will post it here as well:

 

"Belize is a very different place compared to the other Western Carribean ports, very different. There is no beach or orderly taxi system waiting and lined up, like in Cozumel. It can be very unnerving to leave the tourism village without having a plan in mind or an actual tour/excursion booked. Really, I can't stress this enough based on our own personal experience with Belize. Without a plan or tour booked, you are people are likely to be very disappointed."

 

But to answer your specific question, there are no beaches on Belize itself. There is Bannister island that I have read about a lot of these boards, but I have never been. Bannister is much closer than Caye Caulker. I think Coral Breeze does a tour there or your ship may but I am not sure about the ship one (they probably wouldn't call it Bannister island in their description but rather something like "Beach Break" with a lot of extra "fluff" description added.

 

If it takes an hour to get to Caye Caulker, how long does it take to get to Bannister Island?

[World Gallery]

I am not 100% sure but it is much closer (approx. 15 min). It also all depends on if you go with a private company like, Coral Breeze, or if you book with the ship (I think some ships still go there but it has been off and on from what I understand). If you go from the ship, you go directly from the ship to the island, without having to first go to Tourisn Village and back out again. So then your travel time would depend on where your particular ship is anchored. If there are several ships in port that day, they are all spread out, anchored in different places. Also, keep in mind that most ship tours will then bring you back to tourisn village from Bannister so that you can shop. I don't think it is an option not to go back to tourism village, then you have to tender back to the ship. I personally do not like that idea of a ship "trapping" you into shopping (because they do get big kickbacks from the shops in tourism village) but then again, you can always not shop.

If you book through Coral Breeze, you have to tender into tourisn village and out again but from what I remember, it is only about 15 to 20 min.

[bklsmom]

We've used Coral Breeze tours twice. The first time was to Caulker Caye, which is a very cool place to see and visit. It reminded me of a small fishing village that hasn't moved in time for 50 years. We rented a golf cart, which really helped us to get around and allowed us more time to see everything and then go to little shops and eateries that we saw along the way. There are only 4 streets on the Caye, which we toured via golf cart in about 20 minutes, the entire Caye. We have thought of going there for a week....it's one of those places that you really can't even describe. Like the previous poster suggested, go to you tube and watch some of the videos of caulker caye. Our second trip with coral breeze, was captain our own boat, and this was one of our favorite excursions of all the cruises we have taken. There were only 6 of us total on this tour and it was amazing going up river through the mangrove tunnels. Coral Breeze is a great company, and offer some really good guides and excursions. Give em a try....but pick another island for beaching....Belize is NOT a beach stop...snorkeling in Belize is the thing to do, or visit Caye caulker, Altun Ha mayan site is very good, captain your own boat is awesome...Enjoy your cruise and enjoy Belize.

[jkloni]

We've used Coral Breeze several times - twice for the snorkel, shark ray alley tour which includes a stop at Caye Caulker for lunch, 1 time for Bannister Island and the manatee and 1 time for Caye Caulker only.

 

I personally would not use the public water taxis to get to Caye Caulker because there is no guarantee that you will get back on time. Taking public transportation OVER WATER and if there is a problem, you are SOL. If the wind picks up or water gets rough, the taxis can cancel and not make the trip back. And then how are you to get back to the ship?

 

We paid $39 a person for round trip transportaion (45 min ride one way) to Caye Caulker. The piece of mind knowing that CB would get us back to the pier in time, was worth the additional $19. (Even if there was a boat problem, they would find another to get us to the ship.)

 

Good luck in whatever you decide.

 

Kathy