Caye Caulker Recommendations

[JohnMelendez]

Planning on going to Caye Caulker in a couple of weeks and am looking for any recommendations on lodging and dive operators. Would greatly appreciate any advice. Also from what I hear and read, some of the the best diving is in Turneffe Island (the Elbow) and Lighthouse Reef (the Aquarium). Plan on staying at Caye Caulker as it sounds less expensive than AC and closer to the better dive sites. Is this information accurate?

Would appreciate opinions. How is the local reef diving? Should we be concentrating on dive operators that will take us to the outer sites instead of only diving the local Caye Caulker sites?

About us, we are experienced, advanced divers but not tech divers, am interested in underwater photography.

A complication is that we are flying on buddy passes so arent guaranteed to get there the day we plan on so need some flexibility on where we stay and who we dive with.

Greatly appreciate any advice/recommendations.

Cheers.

 

[battles2a5]

You are making the right decision by staying on Caye Caulker. Much nicer to stay, less touristy, more rustic, better restaurants IMO, and a much nicer vibe. You get hassled on AC and there are all kinds of hokey tourists traps that you won't find on Caye Caulker. Not sure what you are looking to spend on accommodations, but I stayed at The Real McCaw the first time and it was really nice. I also stayed at the Rainbow hotel and it was nice as well. I was just looking for very basic ammenities so both suited me just find. There are a bunch of condos for rent as well. It will be cheaper than AC whatever you decide.

As for diving, Frenchies, Big Fish, and Belize Diving Services are all good operations. They tend to work together and any of them will help you where you want to go. I recall that Belize Diving services heads offshore more often and has regular trips to turneffe and the Blue Hole. I have dove with all three and I would recommend any of them. There is a new one on the island (Black something) but I haven't dove with them yet. The local reef is ok, but you would be better off going on the reef off of AC (Hol Chan, plus dozens of other sites). Most of the ops on CC go there everyday. THe boat ride is a little longer than from AC but that was never an issue for me. You can dive the local reef but it isn't that impressive from what I saw.

Eating and Drinking: Habaneros is one of my favorite restaurants in the world. Fantasic food, service, and ambience. There is another new one that is on the main strip that has some great carribean/indian fusion food. Herbal Tribe has great pizzas, Rasta Pasta is a great lunch spot. Rainbow grill has good seafood. You really won't go wrong. On Friday nights, I believe, there is an outdoor barbeque down by the split that you shouldn't miss. Also, the Lazy Lizard is the place to have a few Belikins and watch the sunset at the end of the day. It's a perfect location at the split where you can watch the sunset on the back side of the Caye. Then in the morning you can watch the sun rise from your hotel. Awesome!

PM me if you have any questions. I have been there a few times and I absolutely love it. If you have a few days to spare there are some great destinations inland as well. Have a great trip!

 

[peterbj7]

My second attempt at a post - the first just vanished when I hit "send"!

These three are the only CC operators. BDS don't have a big boat for atoll trips and don't themselves do those trips - divers are sent with one of the other two or with AquaDives on AC, who pick up on CC. AD offer nitrox, useful on the BH day for suitably qualified divers, whereas the CC operators don't.

BDS would be my choice.

 

[JohnMelendez]

Ryan,
Thanks very much for the response. Which dive sites would you recommend as must sees? Have read the pros and cons of Blue Hole and the jury is still out on that one. We are trying to put together a dive itinerary.

Cheers.

 

[vondo]

I had a great time diving with Frenchie's when I was there. Dove with Big Fish and Paradise (now defunct) for a day each too. Didn't get to dive with BDS, but heard good things about them.

I did like Habeneros, but I wouldn't recommend actually eating the habenero they put on your plate.

 

[JohnMelendez]

Peter, arent the better dives on the atolls? If BDS doesnt do those dives, do they just do local dives?

Thx for the response.

 

[vondo]

Those dives are very good dives and you should get out there once, but doing it more often may get pretty expensive and the days are long since the ride is so long.

It may be that while you are there none of the CC ops will go out there, but they can hook you up with an op from AC that can stop by and get you.

My suggestion would be to let them know as soon as you get there that you want to go to the atolls and it will work out one day (at least).

 

[battles2a5]

Ryan,
Thanks very much for the response. Which dive sites would you recommend as must sees? Have read the pros and cons of Blue Hole and the jury is still out on that one. We are trying to put together a dive itinerary.

Cheers.

Personally, I think the Blue Hole is a must see. It's a short dive to 140, but the cavern with the stalagtites/stalagmites is very impressive. The other two dives on that trip however, especially the aquarium are what make the trip worthwhile. When we splashed from the boat, you are in a huge swarm of fish. The volume of wildlife there is stunning.

I haven't made it to Turneffe yet (blown out both times I was scheduled to go) but they are supposed to be impressive as well.

Of the local sites, I would visit Hol Chan, Eagle Ray Canyon, there's another one with a bunch of long swim thrus (forget the name). You really can't go wrong. The topography is similar all along the reef in front of AC.

 

[peterbj7]

Most of the good dive sites in the area of the two northern cayes are directly off AC, so if that's where you want to dive you'll have shorter boat trips. If I were to recommend two dives for your only day of diving, I'd choose Tackle Box (with lovely tunnels and swim throughs at around 80ft) and Esmeralda (lots of tame and very friendly nurse sharks. Possibly controversially it's common for dive guides to pet them - and for guests to watch).

Off AC the reef has a very pronounced spur-and-groove formation that IMO makes for excellent and very interesting diving. The formations start at around 50ft and go on down to maybe 120ft, both varying with site.

I've dived a fair bit around the world, though there are major gaps in my diving experience. There are good or excellent wall dives all over the place, and I'd say the best, and the best visibility, aren't in Belize or indeed anywhere in the Caribbean. But the best we have to offer here are undoubtedly on southern Lighthouse Atoll. IMO Turneffe is significantly inferior to Lighthouse, though it's still pretty good. I rank Half Moon Caye wall, the second dive on the standard BH day trip, as the best dive I've done in Belize. The third, on Long Caye wall and ending at "The Aquarium", is also a lovely dive when conditions are good.

But I have never seen the formations that we have just off AC anywhere else in the world. To me they're fascinating and I never tire of them. Although I like the dives on Lighthouse I don't think it's fair to say they're "better" than the local dives; very good, yes, and different. I generally recommend people who are either inexperienced divers or who don't take long rough boat journeys in a smallish boat well to stay here on the local reef. Way more bangs for their buck, and for their time.

I've dived the BH many times, both as a "standard" recreational dive, and as a technical dive all the way to the bottom. It's a good technical dive, done occasionally, but as a recreational dive I don't feel it comes close to living up to its hype. And it's dived by too many people who simply aren't ready, in terms of buoyancy control and air consumption. As a rule they make it OK, but their pleasure is more of the masochistic sort than the sheer delight of diving!

 

[battles2a5]

I'd choose Tackle Box (with lovely tunnels and swim throughs at around 80ft)

That's the one I was thinking of . Esmerelda is really nice as well.

BTW Peter, who runs technical dives to the Blue Hole? Is there He available on the cayes?