Caye Caulker has no road link. You reach it by water taxi from Belize City or by a short flight, and most visitors start at Belize's international airport.
The cheapest way to get to Caye Caulker is the 45-minute water taxi from Belize City. The quickest is a 10-minute flight straight from the international airport.
Most visitors should take the water taxi to Caye Caulker: at US$29-32 it costs about a quarter of the cheapest flight we found. From Belize's international airport (BZE), the boat route is a 25-minute taxi into Belize City and a 45-minute crossing, so plan on 1.5-2 hours door to door, including the wait for the next boat. The flight leaves from the airport you land at and takes about 10 minutes.
| By boatWater taxi from Belize City | By airFlight from the international airport (BZE) | By airFlight from the municipal airport (TZA) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time | 45 min on the boat, plus 25 min by road from BZE | About 10 min | About 10 min |
| Price | US$29-32 one way, plus the taxi or shuttle | From about US$113 one way (November 2026) | Varies by date, check the airline |
| How often | 14 sailings a day, 8:00 AM to 5:40 PM | Several a day, into the evening on some days | 3 a day on the schedule we checked |
| Best for | Most visitors | Late landings, short trips | Travelers already in Belize City |
| Water taxi times | Flight times | Flight times |
Our view: the flight earns its price when your international flight lands mid to late afternoon, because the last boats leave Belize City before 6 PM.
Nearly every international flight to Belize lands at Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport (BZE), just outside Belize City. From BZE you either ride to the water taxi terminal or take a domestic flight from the same airport.
Both terminals are on North Front Street, about 260 m apart, so one taxi ride covers both companies.1
If a late inbound flight makes you miss the connection, Tropic Air moves you to the next flight with seats, which can be the next day.2, 3
Two companies run the Belize City to Caye Caulker water taxi: San Pedro Belize Express and Caribbean Sprinter. Both take about 45 minutes, and Caye Caulker is the first stop before the boats continue to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. Between them they run 14 sailings a day from Belize City, from 8:00 AM to 5:40 PM.4, 5
Checked November 2026. Times can change at short notice, so confirm with the company on the day.
Fares include taxes. Child fares and the bag rules are San Pedro Belize Express's. Keep cash, medication and electronics in your carry-on.4, 5, 6
No longer running: Ocean Ferry Belize still appears in some guides and search results, but it has stopped operating. The two companies on the route are now San Pedro Belize Express and Caribbean Sprinter.
Two airlines fly to Caye Caulker: Tropic Air and Maya Island Air. Flights leave from two Belize City airports, the international airport (BZE) and the smaller municipal airport (TZA) in town. They land on Caye Caulker's airstrip, a short golf cart ride from the village. The flight takes about 10 minutes.2
| Airline | From | To Caye Caulker | Back to Belize City |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropic Air | International airport (BZE) | 10:40 AM, then hourly to 5:40 PM, plus 8:00 PM | 8:10 AM, then hourly to 2:10 PM |
| Maya Island Air | International airport (BZE) | 12:40, 2:40 and 4:40 PM | 8:10, 10:10 AM, 12:10 and 2:10 PM |
| Maya Island Air | Municipal airport (TZA) | 8:30 AM, 12:30 and 4:30 PM | 8:10 AM, 12:10, 2:10 and 4:10 PM |
Departure times we checked in November 2026. Schedules change by day and season, so check the airline's site for your date. The lowest one-way fare we found from BZE was about US$113 (Tropic Air).2, 7
You'll make the last water taxi if you leave BZE by about 4:30 PM: the last boats from Belize City go at 5:30 PM (San Pedro Belize Express) and 5:40 PM (Caribbean Sprinter). Allow your own time on top for immigration, bags and customs, which depends on how many flights land at once.4, 5 These are the last scheduled boats, but times change with the season and the weather, so be sure to confirm the day's schedule with the company before you plan around them.
Plenty of time for the road and a boat.
Tropic Air flew from BZE as late as 8:00 PM on the date we checked, so the 2-hour connection still works.
Take the first boat the next morning.
Flight times from the airlines' schedules on the dates we checked.2, 3
The first water taxis from Caye Caulker leave at 6:30 AM, which gets you to BZE at about 7:45 AM after the crossing and the taxi. Island flights to BZE run from 8:10 AM to 2:10 PM on both airlines, and Tropic Air asks for at least 3 hours between landing at BZE and an international departure.4, 5, 2, 3
Check your airline's check-in deadline against a 7:45 AM arrival.
Or take a mid-morning water taxi and the road.
The same two water taxi companies run between San Pedro and Caye Caulker, a trip of about 30 minutes, so you can travel between the islands without going back to Belize City.1
San Pedro Belize Express runs a boat between Chetumal, Mexico, and Caye Caulker on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, with a customs and immigration stop in San Pedro. There's no connecting boat to Belize City the same day, so Chetumal arrivals spend the first night on Caye Caulker or San Pedro.4, 1
| Chetumal to Caye Caulker | Caye Caulker to Chetumal | |
|---|---|---|
| Days | Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays | Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays |
| Leaves | 3:30 PM | 7:00 AM |
| Journey | about 1 hour 40 minutes to San Pedro, then about 30 min on | Via San Pedro |
| Check in | Not published, so be sure to check when you book | 2 hours before |
| Fees | Mexico departure fee (about MX$535 in older company info), paid at the border; be sure to check the current amount | Belize exit fee BZ$40 (US$20), cash; Mexico entry fee MX$861, card only |
Caye Caulker has no cars: the water taxis drop you in the middle of the village, and golf cart taxis wait at the piers and the airstrip.
If you haven't booked a room yet, our guide to where to stay on Caye Caulker by area explains which part of the island suits you. You can book reef trips on the island or ahead: compare Caye Caulker snorkel trips.
The trip to Caye Caulker from Belize City takes about 45 minutes by water taxi or about 10 minutes by plane. From the international airport, add about 25 minutes by road to reach the water taxi terminal.
The water taxi to Caye Caulker costs US$29-32 one way from Belize City, depending on the company. San Pedro Belize Express charges US$29 and Caribbean Sprinter US$31.50-32, taxes included.
There is an airport on Caye Caulker: a small airstrip, code CUK, a short golf cart ride from the village. Tropic Air and Maya Island Air fly there from both Belize City airports.
The ferry to Caye Caulker and the water taxi are the same thing: fast passenger boats from Belize City run by San Pedro Belize Express and Caribbean Sprinter. There is no car ferry, because the island has no cars.
You can get to Caye Caulker the same day you land in Belize if you reach the terminal for the last boat (5:30 PM or 5:40 PM) or book an evening flight from the airport. If you land after about 3 PM, we'd book the flight.