Travel sites show Caye Caulker at its best. We have owned Casa Vista Belize since 2015, and we would rather you arrive knowing what the island is really like. Guests who know what to expect are the ones who love it.
The whole world on one island
Caye Caulker is about five miles long and holds a remarkable mix of people. Creole, Mestizo, Garifuna and Maya families who have fished here for generations live alongside Chinese shopkeepers, backpackers, retirees and people from everywhere who came for a week and stayed. English is the official language, and you will hear Kriol and Spanish on every street.
You will also see wealth and poverty side by side. A new villa can sit next to a wooden house on stilts. Nobody hides it, and nobody is in a hurry. The island motto is Go Slow, and people will say it to you if you walk too fast.
Bugs
Mosquitoes and sand flies come out at dusk, more after rain and on still evenings. Bring repellent, keep doors and screens closed in the evening and keep food sealed. A breeze solves most of it, which is why rooftops and docks are where people gather at sunset.
Seagrass
Sargassum is seaweed that drifts across the Caribbean and washes ashore in waves, heavier in some months and some years than others. When it piles up it can smell. At Casa Vista we built more than 350 feet of seawall to keep it out of our cove, and it has made a real difference, but no one can promise a clear beach on a given day. When one side of the island has it, the other side usually does not.
Power, water and wifi
Power and water pause now and then and usually come back on their own. Drink bottled water, not tap. Wifi at the house is fast enough for video calls. Air conditioners work hard in salt air and sometimes need repair.
Noise and quiet
The village has music most nights. The north side is much quieter, with a beach bar next door that plays music in the afternoons.
What makes it worth it
- No cars, only golf carts, bikes and bare feet
- The reef two minutes away by boat
- Sunrise on one side of the island and sunset on the other
- Fresh fish, lobster in season and fruit juice everywhere
- More than 500 species of birds in Belize, many of them overhead
If you want a resort, this is not it. If you want a real place where your group can be together and the days slow down, it is hard to beat.