There are 2 common places where you can tie up your dinghy. In the SE corner of the bay you'll see a large BTL antenna tower. Just in front of that there's a cement large commercial dock, to the right of that a gas dock and then squat grey building for the fisherman's co-op. Most boats tie up at the co-op dock. Try to tie up as far to the right as possible so that there's space for the fishermen. Another common spot is at the Lazy Lizard bar which is located at the cut between north and south Cay Caulker. Be careful as there are coral heads in the area. Since most people tie up at the co-op dock, I'll start my description there.
Next to the fisherman's co-op you'll find a fuel dock where you can get gasoline. As of 3/2006 gas was $4.81/gallon. Diesel is not available at the dock, but it is occasionally available at a commercial facility which is located around the south side of the bay.
Directly in front of the commercial dock you'll find Bowen & Bowen, which is the Belizian bottler for Coke, Belkin, Lighthouse and Guiness. Note that they only sell beverages in glass or plastic bottles and via the whole case.
As you proceed eastward on road (Calle del Sol) which leads to the docks you'll find a variety of cruiser-related businesses. On the north side of the road you'll find the El Capitan Marine Shop which stocks a fair amount of marine related hardware. Don't expect to refit your boat there, but you can find things like zincs and basic marine fittings. They also have a large amount of fishing related supplies.
Just past EL Capitan you'll find the #1 Barber shop and welding shop. Literally they're one in the same and are located under the deck of a house. It appears that he only does stick welding and I've never had the courage to have my hair cut there. There are two more hair salons located further east on Calle del Sol which look much more reasonable for hair cuts.
At the first first cross street (Avenida Langosta) you'll find Chan's Marketplace and hardware store. This is the largest grocery store on the island and stocks basic food goods. In the same building you'll find a hardware store that primarily stocks building type supplies. However, they do have a fair selection of stainless fittings. The other large grocery store is the Chinese Grocery Store which is located 2 blocks S of Chan's on Ave. Langosta.
Kiddi-corner from Chan's you'll find Sea and Land Meats which stocks a variety of meats including The Sausage Factory products. On the block N of Chan's you'll find the Caye Caulker Bakery and further on you'll find an ATM at the Atlantic Bank.
On the next block of Calle del Sol you'll find 2 laundries. The one on the left is purely do-it-yourself and you can drop your clothes off at the one on the right (which is located in a raised pink building.) There are other laundries in Cay Caulker, but these were our favorites.
As you continue E on Calle del Sol you'll come to Hicaco Ave which is the main street which runs along the beach. At this intersection you'll find the Cay Caulker Water Taxi Association ticket office. The docks for the water taxis are straight ahead.
If you want fresh squeezed juices, turn right on Hacaco Ave and walk one block S. At the first cross street (Aventurera St) you'll see a small sign on the left pointing to Julia's Fruit Shop where you can buy fresh squeezed juices and the fruits used to make them. Yum! Another good place to buy fruit is Miss Patti's fruit shop. This is located in the small building just S of Chan's Marketplace.
Internet access can be found by turning left (N) on Hacaco. We tend to use the Caye Caulker Cyber Cafe which has lots of terminals and a good DSL connection. You can plug in your laptop to an Ethernet cable. Phone calls to the US were $1/min. Just past the Cyber Cafe you'll find another Internet cafe, but their price structure makes it more expensive.
There are lots of restaurants in Caye Caulker. Our favorite is Don Corleone's which is located towards the cut on Hicaco. They specialize in Italian food. They're slightly more expensive than other restaurants, but you end up with a meal that's memorable rather than just OK. Habanaro's is located at the intersection of Calle del Sol and Hacaco. They provide an eclectic menu, but the service and quality of food has diminished greatly since we started going there. The Sand Box is located kiddi-corner from Habanaro's and is a favorite cruiser drinking and dining place. The menu is typical bar food. Just north of the Sand Box you'll find Rasta Pasta which provides a good selection of burritos, tacos, vegie dishes, fritters, etc in a very laid back beach setting. No shirt, no shoes, no problem. Further N on Hicaco you'll find the Rainbow Grill and Bar which has an rather extensive menu and has always produced good meals and provides a great view of the beach and reef. This is another one of our favorites. There are lots of other restaurants (20+ more) on the island, so be sure to go and find your own favorites.
If you need to do update your Belize paperwork you can take the water taxi to/from San Pedro. It much faster than moving your own boat there and you don't have to deal with anchoring there. Taxis to San Pedro and Belize City depart almost hourly.
For a pleasant view of the setting sun we suggest checking out the Lazy Lizard at the cut. The Iguana Reef Hotel has a nice bar and dinghy dock also. The Iguana Reef is the pink/coral 2 story building mid-island.
You can refill your propane tanks by taking your dinghy to the dock located in the SE corner of the bay. There's a rather long dock located there and you should be able to see the tanks from the water. Note that they call this Butane rather than propane. We find that it burns with less heat than what you get in the US or Honduras.
I hope this helps. If you have additions or corrections, please feel free to contact me.
-- Geoff & Sue
Log ID: 824
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