So, your want to plan a trip to Caye Caulker?
One of the first things to consider is where to stay on the island? Do you keep looking at millions of trip advisor reviews? Fear not! I have stayed many times and can give you the best advice. There are wonderful options to stay on our small beautiful island in paradise.
Where should I stay?
This is a more complicated question than people may think. Where you stay depends on what you want during your vacation.
There are a few items I suggest people consider before picking a location. Depending on the importance you place on these things will determine where I would recommend you stay.
Safety
Caye Caulker (as any other place in the world) has crime. Most of the crime that occurs on our island home is "Crime of Opportunity." I have written about the crime of the island before, but summarizing, most criminal issues can be avoided with common sense and picking a popular enough place to stay so as to avoid some issues.
Although this may sound counterintuitive, staying in the village will keep you safer.
If safety is high on your concerns, then I would recommend you stay in the village.
My recommendation, if you want to stay in the village at a very safe place would be Go Slow Appartments. This amazing place is right in the heart of the village, convenient to everything on the island and amazingly safe.
Quiet
If you are looking for a quiet escape, I would recommend Oasi Apartments. This great little hotel is owned by Luciana Essenziale and can be found on Back Street.
The hotel is relatively close to the airport and is a 5-minute bike ride into the main village. This amazing place has a pool and offers bikes for the people that stay with her. These apartments are exceptional for a couple or small families.
Luciana herself is also great because she can give you great recommendations for any excursions you would like to do while on vacation.
Nightlife
If being able to enjoy a nightlife and easily get back to your bed, I would suggest staying in the village. Again, Go Slow Appartments is an easy 10-minute walk to all of the party spots on the island, including the Split (the main swimming area on Caye Caulker).
Now, I know that many people come here with families and this requires more space. I have the best place for this. When my family and I visited a couple of years ago, we stayed at Laura's Look Out and Barbara's Beach House. They share a pool and are right on the beach on the south side of the island. They both have three bedrooms and each sleep six people. These properties are managed by Michael, and he is great! Whatever we needed he was there to help! Would stay here again.
Is there anywhere I should NOT stay?
There are a couple of places on the island (the south side) that are off the grid. There is no internet, air conditioning, and television. Unless you enjoy this type of environment, I would avoid this area. It is also very remote from the village, which means it will curtail your utilization of the village infrastructure and events.
How do I book?
One of the best places to book a place on Caye Caulker is through Airbnb.com. This is one of the leading websites that places on the island are listed, and you get the best reviews here. This is how my family has booked during every vacation.
That's all folks!
I think it is time to sum this up. If you are going to Caye Caulker, there are many options on where to stay. If you want more peace and quiet, I would stay outside the village. If wanting to stay safer and more integrated stay with activities I would stay in the village at Go Slow Belize Appartments.
The last thing I would like to offer is our help. If you reach out to us and tell us what you're looking for we can make many suggestions.