Caribbean cayes and coast holidays
Caribbean cayes and coast holidays at a glance
This is where Belize goes to slow down. Just offshore lies the Belize Barrier Reef, the longest in the western hemisphere and second only to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. It runs almost the length of the coast, sheltering a warm, clear lagoon scattered with sandy cayes and threaded with coral. The water is the star attraction, whether you’re snorkelling straight off the beach, diving among turtles and rays, or simply floating in the shallows.
The cayes each have their own feel. Ambergris Caye, the largest, is the busiest and best connected, with San Pedro’s bars and dive shops and quick access to the reef. Caye Caulker is smaller and barefoot, a former lobster-fishing island where the golf carts crawl and the motto is go slow. On the mainland, the beach villages of Placencia, Hopkins and Dangriga string along the southern coast, home to the Garifuna, whose drumming, dance and cooking give this stretch a culture all its own.
You don’t have to be a diver to make the most of it. The snorkeling here is some of the best in the Caribbean, with coral and fish in water shallow enough to wade into, and boat trips run out to the reef daily. For divers, the atolls and the Great Blue Hole are within reach for a longer day on the water.
Why choose Journey Latin America for your holiday to Caribbean cayes and coast
We’ve been planning trips to Central and South America for over 45 years, longer than any other UK specialist. Every holiday is built around you by a Travel Expert who has been to the places they recommend, with support from your first enquiry to the day you fly home.
Pair a few nights on the coast with time in the rainforest inland. The reef is the reward at the end of a Belize trip, not the sole focus.
When to visit Caribbean cayes and coast
The coast is warm year-round and the sea is swimmable in any month, but the dry season is the most reliable time to visit. Belize sits in the tropics, so the year splits into dry and wet rather than four seasons.
This is the dry season on the Caribbean coast and the cayes meaning plenty of sunshine and beautifully warm days. As the season progresses it becomes increasingly humid and there are more frequent short downpours – mainly in the afternoon and evenings.
June marks the beginning of the wet season with increasingly persistent rain fall, tropical storms and high humidity. As the months move on, however, the rain and humidity begin to ease.
Top Things to do in Caribbean cayes and coast
This is a region for getting in the water and out to the reef. Here’s what we recommend.
Scuba dive in the Caribbean waters of the Belizean Cayes, which shelter a vast barrier reef, coral atolls and the famous Blue Hole.
Get a fish eye view of Belize’s thriving reefs, swimming amongst colourful shoals.
Encounter the gentle giant of the seas on a boat trip from the coast of southern Belize offering the chance to swim with the world’s largest marine species.
Explore the territory of the elusive jaguar in the jungles of Belize.
Accommodation in Caribbean cayes and coast
Accommodation here runs from simple beach cabañas to smart island resorts and remote reef lodges, and we hand-pick each one for location and character. On the cayes you’re steps from the water and the boats out to the reef, while the mainland beaches of Placencia and Hopkins offer a quieter, more local feel. Staying near the reef means easy days of snorkelling and diving.
Chabil Mar Villas is a laid-back, service-orientated resort set on exclusive soft-sand beach on Belize’s Caribbean coast.
Glover’s Reef Basecamp is a permanent tented camp on a coral atoll off the coast of Belize, offering spectacular kayaking, snorkelling and diving.
A small and friendly beachfront lodge in the Garifuna village Hopkins offering relaxation and water sports on Belize’s Caribbean coast.
One of San Pedro’s longest-established properties, Sunbreeze is friendly, well-run and great choice for visitors seeking convenience and value on Ambergris Caye.
Luxury rustic cottages from film director Francis Ford Coppola, perched on a sugar-white Caribbean beach.
Relaxed resort with elegant rooms and villas set around a palm-shaded infinity pool at the south end of San Pedro in Ambergris Caye.
A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.
Tailor-Made Caribbean cayes and coast Tours
Prefer to travel on your own terms? We’ll build a trip around your dates, your pace and the things you most want to see – whether that’s a first run at Machu Picchu, a family adventure mixing history and wildlife, or a food-focused journey through Lima and the Sacred Valley. Our Travel Experts can help shape it with you.
Active Belize: Jungle and reef adventure
Places visited: Maya mountains and jungle · Caribbean cayes and coast
11 days from £3,750
Luxury Belize: Nature, wildlife and Caribbean cayes
Places visited: Maya mountains and jungle · Caribbean cayes and coast
11 days from £3,885
Luxury Guatemala and Belize: Tikal and the Caribbean
Places visited: Antigua and the highlands · Maya mountains and jungle · Caribbean cayes and coast
15 days from £5,400
Signature Belize: Rainforest, reef and ruins
Places visited: Maya mountains and jungle · Southern Belize · Caribbean cayes and coast
12 days from £3,860
Signature Guatemala and Belize: Culture and Caribbean
Places visited: Antigua and the highlands · Lake Atitlan and villages · Maya mountains and jungle · Caribbean cayes and coast
15 days from £3,795
Value Belize: Mayan mountains and Caribbean caye
Places visited: Maya mountains and jungle · Caribbean cayes and coast
10 days from £1,930
FAQs about visiting Caribbean cayes and coast
Caribbean cayes and coast is one of the most popular destinations, and there’s plenty to think about before you go. Here, our specialists share their best advice.
- When's the best time to visit the Caribbean in Belize?
The best weather conditions are during the dry season Dec-May, when temperatures hover around 30°C. There’s a risk of tropical storms or hurricanes June-Nov. The busiest time for tourists is Dec-Mar.
For more detailed information visit our When To Go section.
- What's the official language of Belize?
English
- How do I get to Belize's Caribbean coast and cays?
The cayes, and the southern resorts such as Placencia, are accessible by light aircraft and boat from Belize City.
- What are the festivals, cultural and sporting events in Belize's Caribbean?
Belize chocolate festival: Toledo in southern Belize, 3 days in May annually.
Belize Carnival: (Feb/Mar). Lively celebrations especially in San Pedro, on Ambergris Caye.
Costa Maya Festival: San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, early Aug. A five day festival with music, dance, cuisine, and other cultural celebrations from the Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico.
Lobster season: Lobster season starts Jun-Jul, with lobster on offer in all its forms, with drinking and partying.
Belize Independence Day: throughout the country, 21 Sep. Parades, processions and parties.
- How do I get local money in Belize's Caribbean coast and cays?
Belizean dollar. Notes can be obtained from money exchanges and from banks (Ambergris and Caye Caulker have them) which will supply advances on a debit or credit card. There are ATMs in Belize City where you can use a UK credit or debit card. You may have to get authorisation from your bank first, and withdrawal amounts may be limited. Time difference: GMT -6 hrs.
- Which caye should I choose?
It depends on the pace you want. Ambergris Caye is the largest and liveliest, with the best choice of hotels, restaurants and dive operators. Caye Caulker is smaller, cheaper and more laid-back. For a mainland beach with Garifuna culture, look to Placencia or Hopkins.
- Do I need to be able to dive?
Not at all. The snorkelling here is superb and accessible to everyone, often straight from the beach or a short boat ride away. If you’d like to dive, there are courses for beginners and world-class sites like the Great Blue Hole for the experienced.
- How many days do I need on the coast?
We’d suggest three or four nights to enjoy the reef without rushing, longer if you want to dive. It works best as part of a wider Belize trip, paired with the rainforest and Maya ruins inland.
Ready to start planning?
Tell us where you want to go, and we’ll take it from there. No obligation, no sales pitch – just a conversation with someone who knows the region inside out.