Digital Nomad in Caye Caulker, Belize: A Complete Guide

Is Belize a Good Place for Digital Nomads?

Caye Caulker, Belize is a dreamy Caribbean paradise. It is the definition of “work where you vacation,” and ironically it’s also the name of their visa program.

Island life is slow and simple.

The sea is bright blue and crystal clear and breeds magnificent underwater wildlife. The Mesoamerican Reef is one of the largest reefs in the world, second only to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (and less dead).

Snorkeling around these lively and colorful reefs was definitely the highlight of our time as digital nomads in Caye Caulker. They are home to a variety of marine species, including sea turtles, stingrays, and nurse sharks.

Although Belize is part of Central America, Caye Caulker feels very different from the rest of the region. The island’s main village is a colorful and vibrant place with a mix of Creole, Mestizo, and Garifuna cultures. The vibes like Rasta-Caribbean meets holiday vacation.

There are plenty of restaurants, bars, and shops along the main street. The island is known for its fresh seafood, particularly lobster, which is celebrated every year with a lobster festival in June.

It still feels somewhat undiscovered and authentic, from the restaurant shacks to the dirt roads.

Belize was once owned by England, whereas the rest of the region was occupied by Spain, so the official language is English. After traveling so much in the Latin world, speaking English to people felt weird.

Belizean Creole is also commonly spoken. It’s an English-based creole language (similar to Jamaican Patois) which developed as a result of the slave trade.

If you’re traveling throughout Central America, the Caribbean side of Belize is a must-visit.

Belize Digital Nomad Visa

One big draw to being a digital nomad in Belize is taking advantage of their “Work Where You Vacation” digital nomad visa program. The standard tourist visa allows only 30 days in the country, but the digital nomad visa let’s you stay up to 6 months.

The process is relatively simple. Just apply online with through the Immigration Department, wait for approval, then pay the visa fee at the airport. They even have a live chat box in case you have any questions.

Work Where You Vacation Visa Requirements:

A Digital Nomad’s Guide to Caye Caulker, Belize

Things to Do in Caye Caulker

Scuba Dive

There is no better way to experience the amazing reef and see all the underwater wildlife up-close and personal than scuba diving. The visibility is outstanding and there is so much vibrant life to see.

The popular dive spots include Blue Hole, Spanish Bay, Esmerelda as well as local reefs and night dives. Prices range from $120-160 USD however, the Blue Hole is quite a bit more at ~$340 USD.

Most dive shops have designated days that they go to each dive site, so if you have your heart set on one in particular, be sure to plan in advance. And if you wish to dive the famous Blue Hole, only two dive shops on the island make the trip.

Snorkel

Caye Caulker is a very tiny island, so most of the best things to do are around the island. The Belize barrier reef is the second largest reef in the world, next to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

Snorkeling this reef is an incredible experience full of fantastic corals, colorful fish, and warm waters.

Pretty much every tour place in town does the same half day or full day snorkeling adventures. Before you commit, shop around to get the best price.

Most tours take you to see sting rays, nurse sharks, amazing reefs and even to feed tarpons. Although I still recommend these excursions, it did feel a bit commercial, especially when they were feeding the rays and sharks so they would come near our boat.

Spearfishing

Spearfishing in Belize is a very unique activity. Not only is it not allowed in many places around the world, but it can be very intense and requires freediving training.

In Belize, spear fishing is very chill and the reefs are easily reachable with no freediving techniques. It is basically a private snorkeling excursion but you also have speargun in your hand.

As someone who did not actually want to shoot any fish, I still had a great time snorkeling around the reefs essentially by myself, unlike to the crowded snorkeling tours.

Jack had an absolute blast and ended up catching two fish (apparently it’s a lot harder than it sounds). Luckily our guide caught enough fish for everyone who didn’t have as much success, so after we got back to land we took our loot to Rainbow Grill. They prepared and cooked it for us and we had an amazing, freshly–caught feast.

Discover other epic adventures to cross off Your bucket list in Central America!

Other Things to Do in Caye Caulker

Best Way to Get to Caye Caulker

If you are coming from Flores, Guatemala there is a quick and easy shuttle across the border to Belize City. Book a shuttle from Flores to Belize City.

But if you are coming from most other parts of Central America, flying is probably the best. We decided to fly from Guatemala City to Belize City so we could maximize our time in Antigua. The one-way ticket was about $215 per person (plus $50 to check a bag).

When glancing at the map of Belize City, you may notice an airport conveniently located not far from the water taxi terminals. This is most likely not where you’ll land.

Most people will be coming and going from Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport, which is 45 minutes from the water taxi terminals. It also took quite a while to get through customs once we landed, so plan accordingly.

You can easily catch a taxi at the airport ($30 USD), add an airport shuttle to your water taxi reservation, or book this inexpensive airport shuttle.

From the Belize City water taxi terminal, it’s another 45 minute boat ride to Caye Caulker ($19 USD a person). You can purchase this ticket online ahead of time, but be warned you must present a physical print-out of the booking to get your water taxi tickets. If you don’t have access to a printer, you can also purchase tickets once you get there.

The reservation time on the reserved tickets doesn’t actually matter, so don’t worry about it selling out by waiting to purchase the ticket in-person.

Also, when purchasing your water taxi tickets, it is most cost effective to purchase roundtrip tickets, but again don’t worry about the exact time on the ticket. You can return on any boat you want.

Learn more: The Best Cities to Digital Nomad in Central America

How to Get Around Caye Caulker

Caye Caulker is a very small island, like only 5 miles from end-to-end. But there are a few different ways you can get around.

Walking is obviously the simplest. You can walk from one end of the island to the other in about an hour, however the lower half of the island is not very populated and there’s no reason to go down there besides exploring.

Biking is also very easy and convenient and many Airbnb listings include bikes. I loved biking around the island and you don’t have to worry about cars since they aren’t allowed on the island.

Finally, if you need to get picked up with all your luggage to catch the ferry, you can take a golf cart taxi. Golf carts are the only motorized vehicles on the islands.

What to Pack for Caye Caulker

Caye Caulker is probably the most chill, laid-back place I’ve ever worked remote from. And it’s hot. The dress code is no dress code, wear swimming suits around if you want.

Every day I wore tank tops, sports bras, or swimming suit tops with the smallest shorts I own. The less clothes the better in that strong Belizean sun. Nighttime gets slightly cooler so if you want to wear long sleeves or pants to protect yourself from mosquitos, you wont be uncomfortable.

You will definitely want bug spray and sun screen. Our first night on the island I got straight up assaulted by more mosquitos than I could count. I didn’t have this bad of problem the rest of the time, so maybe they just smelled my fresh blood.

Where to Live in Caye Caulker as a Digital Nomad

The island is small – like you can stand in the middle and see both sides kind of small – so there aren’t a ton of options. But there are still a few things to consider when looking for accommodations in Caye Caulker as a digital nomad.

If you’re looking at a map of Caye Caulker, you’ll notice there are actually two different islands separated by a narrow channel known as ‘The Split‘. They actually used to be connected years ago, but The Split was formed after a massive hurricane.

Anyway, these days the part of the island north of The Split is practically uninhabited besides a couple resorts. All the action takes place on the southern island.

Most of the restaurants, bars, and hotels are located on the north side of the southern island in the skinny portion. However, there aren’t too many options for apartments or Airbnb’s in that area. Luckily the island isn’t too big.

There are a lot more options of accommodations if you look a bit further away near the airport. Many Airbnb listings include bikes which is a perfect way to get around the island. Walking isn’t bad either, but if you need to go somewhere quickly, a bike is ideal.

As I mentioned earlier, there are no cars on the island. If you get a place closer to the airport, it is definitely worth taking a golf cart taxi to and from the water taxi terminal with all your bags. That hot Caribbean sun can be brutal. And if you have any roller bags you’ll definitely want the golf cart since all the roads are dirt and gravel.

What to Eat in Caye Caulker

The island may be tiny, but there are a ton of options when it comes to eating out in Caye Caulker. The best things you can get are fresh seafood and BBQ. Besides that, typical food in Belize consists of curries, meat, rice and beans, and if it’s the right season, lobster. And don’t forget to order a famous Belizean Panty Ripper to wash it all down.

Breakfast

Errolyn’s House Of Fryjacks (fryjacks – it’s just something you have to try)

Caribbean Colors Art Cafe (breakfast and iced coffee)

Ice n Beans Cafe (bagel sandwiches)

Lunch

Chef Kareem’s Unbelizable Lunch (BBQ meat extraveganza)

Dinner

Chef Juan’s Kitchen and Pastries (seafood, curry, BBQ)

Belizean Flava (Belize food – my personal favorite)

Drinks

The Pelican Sunset Bar (sunset drinks)

Barrier Reef Sports Bar & Grill (drinks and partying)

Where to Work as a Digital Nomad in Caye Caulker

Caye Caulker WIFI

To my surprise, the WIFI on Caye Caulker was pretty decent. We preferred to work from our Airbnb most of the time blasting the AC where the internet seemed to be the most reliable. The few times we did venture out with our laptops, we either got too hot or the power went out.

If you do want to work somewhere besides your house, maybe in the mornings, there aren’t many options.

Ice N Beans advertises being a good spot to work with free WIFI, but when we went there, the WIFI was terrible. Maybe they were just having a bad day; if anyone has been recently, let me know if this has changed!

Best Time to Work Remote in Caye Caulker

Winter and Spring in Caye Caulker is blue skies with temperatures in the mid 80s. January is the coldest month and still only drops to 83 F. This is also the dry season with February, March, and April being the driest.

Summer in Caye Caulker is H-O-T. The temperatures reach 89 F on average, plus you got that 80% humidity. May through September are the hottest months, but when we were in Belize in April, things were already getting spicy. It was almost unbearable to be outside in the afternoon.

June through October is also the rainy season. Hot + rain = no thanks.

Lobster Season

Lobster season in Belize is legendary. If you are looking for that fresh Spiny Lobster, be sure to plan your time in Caye Caulker between July and January. The Annual Caye Caulker Lobster Festival (July 14 – 16th, 2023) commemorates the opening of lobster season in Belize. And what festival would be complete without a Miss Lobster Fest Pageant.

Lobster season is closed from mid February through mid June. So even if a restaurant has lobster on the menu, you can’t order it.

So when is the best time to visit Caye Caulker?

January through April is the best time to visit Caye Caulker, and is their prime tourist season.

However if you are hoping to be there in time for the famous lobster season, January might be the golden month. You get the best of both worlds: fresh lobster and great weather.

How Much Does it Cost to Digital Nomad in Caye Caulker?

Unlike the rest of Central America, Caye Caulker, Belize isn’t the cheapest place I’ve ever been. However you can definitely stay here on a lower budget if you try.

Although Belize uses the “$” symbol to indicate the Belizean dollar, don’t freak out at the price tag; the exchange rate to USD is about 2:1. Interestingly enough, Belize also accepts US dollar bills; read more about using USD in Belize.

Most Airbnb’s range from $1000 to $3500 (USD) a month, but you can get some really nice ones for $4500+ if you want to splurge.

Food and drinks are where things can really add up if you’re not paying attention. An average lunch or dinner meal is about $25 BZD ($12 USD), plus a Panty Ripper is an extra $8 BZD ($4 USD). Eating out all three meals is at least $50 USD per day, or $350 USD per week.

Caye Caulker has a ton of activities and excursions available such as snorkeling, spearfishing, scuba diving, surfing, kitesurfing, and more. Unfortunately, most of them require booking a tour or guide. Even surfing requires someone drive you out to the reef break on a boat.

These can really range in price as well, from a $45 USD snorkeling tour to a $350 USD scuba trip. Make sure you shop around before you commit to anything to get the best price. Tours and excursions really vary in price from shop to shop.

Is Caye Caulker, Belize Safe?

Based on my own personal experience, I felt very safe. We didn’t have any issues with theft or tourist scams, and the streets are well lit at night, even in some of the neighborhoods farther from the main area.

That being said, apparently Belize is in the top five countries for most murders per capita. Other popular vacation spots such as Jamaica, Mexico, and St. Lucia share this statistic as well.

Most of the violence and crime stems from gang rivalry, as well as along the Guatemalan border which is still disputed by both sides.

Canada even warns it’s citizens to avoid all travel to Belize as it is too dangerous. I always find these warnings funny and overly dramatic; if you only went places deemed by the government as ‘safe’ you wouldn’t leave the country. But maybe that’s the point?

Caye Caulker (along with Corozal Town, San Pedro, and Ambergris Caye) is among the safest places in Belize and it’s almost impossible to be stressed in a place this idyllic. Still, mind your belongings as tourists are easy targets no matter where in the world you are.

Make Caye Caulker, Belize Your Next Digital Nomad Destination

Caye Caulker is a peaceful paradise that will make you feel like you’re on vacation every day.

I loved being a digital nomad in Caye Caulker, Belize because of the picturesque sea views, adventurous water activities, and chill but fun vibes. Not to mention the island WIFI is surprisingly good.

If you have any questions or comments about working remote from Belize, drop them below!