CAYE CAULKER: THE LATEST ON WHERE TO STAY AND EAT,

WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO GET THERE

By TOM BROSNAHAN

Belize's barrier reef, the longest in the Western Hemisphere, is the eastern edge of the limestone shelf which underlies most of Belize and the Yucatan. To the west of the reef the water is very shallow -- usually not much more than four or five yards deep -- which allows numerous islands called cayes (pronounced "keys") to bask in warm waters.

Of the scores of cayes, large and small, which dot the blue waters of the Caribbean off the Belizean coast, the two most popular with travelers are Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye. Caulker is commonly thought of as the low-budget island, where hotels and restaurants are considerably less expensive than on resort-conscious Ambergris.

Both islands have an appealing laid-back Belizean atmosphere. No one is in a hurry here. Stress doesn't figure in the lives of many islanders. Pedestrian traffic on the sandy unpaved streets moves at an easy tropical pace. The fastest vehicle is a kid on a bicycle. Motor vehicles are few and mostly parked.

Island residents include Creoles, mestizos, and a few transplanted North Americans and Europeans. They run lobster and conch-fishing boats, hotels and pensions, little eateries and a few island businesses which supply the few things necessary in a benevolent tropical climate.

Arrival

Approaching Caye Caulker (population 800) on the boat from Belize City, you glide along the eastern shore which is overhung with palm trees. Dozens of wooden docks jut out from the shore to give moorings to boats. Off to the east, a little over a mile away, the barrier reef is marked by a thin white line of surf.

Caye Caulker (called Hicaco in Spanish, sometimes Corker in English) lies about 20 miles north of Belize City and 14 miles south of Ambergris Caye. The island is about four miles long north to south, and only about 650 yards wide at its widest point. Mangroves cover much of the shore, coconut palms provide shade. The village is on the southern portion of the island. Actually Caulker is now two islands, ever since Hurricane Hattie cut the island in two just north of the village. The cut is called, simply, The Cut or the Split. It has a tiny beach, swift currents running through it, and it marks the northern limits of the settlement.

You disembark and wander ashore to find a place of sandy unpaved "streets" which are actually more like paths. The government has carefully placed "Go Slow" and "Stop" signs at the appropriate places, even though there are no vehicles in sight and everyone on Caulker naturally goes slow and stops frequently. The stops are often to get a beer -- most right hands on this island spend much of the day wrapped around a cold one. Virtually constant sea breezes keep the island comfortable even in Belize's sultry heat. If the wind dies, the heat immediately becomes noticeable, as do the sand flies and mosquitoes. Many gardens and paths on the island have borders of conch shells, and every house has its "catchment," or large cistern to catch rainwater for drinking. Lobster traps are piled everywhere from mid-March to mid-July when it's illegal to catch the beasts. By late July the piles of traps disappear back into the shallow waters surrounding the island.

Orientation

The village has two principal streets, Front Street to the east and Back Street to the west. The distance from The Cut in the north to Shirley's Guest House at the southern edge of the village is a little more than half a mile.

Getting Around

Caulker is so small that most people walk everywhere. There are a few bicycles, and locals with things to carry use electric golf carts. Besides, this is an island. All serious transport is done by boat.

The Belize Telecommunications telephone office is open from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, closed Sunday.

Water Sports

The surf breaks on the barrier reef, easily visible from the eastern shore of Caye Caulker. Don't attempt to swim out to it, however. The local boaters speed their powerful craft through these waters and are completely heedless of swimmers. Several foreign visitors have died from boat propeller injuries. Swim only in protected areas. A short boat ride takes you out to the reef to enjoy some of the world's most exciting snorkeling, diving and fishing. Boat trips are big business on the island, so you have many to choose from. Ask other visitors to the island about their boating experiences, and use this information to choose a boat. Virtually all of the island residents are trustworthy boaters, but it's still good to discuss price, duration, areas to be visited, and the seaworthiness of the boat. Boat and motor should be in good condition. Even sailboats should have motors in case of emergency (the weather can change quickly here). The cost is usually around US$10 to US$13 per person; sometimes lunch is included.

Underwater visibility is up to 60 yards. The variety of underwater plants, coral and tropical fish is wonderful. Be careful not to touch the coral, both to prevent damage to it and to yourself; coral is sharp, and some species sting or burn their assailants.

Among the more interesting places to dive is in the underwater caves off the western shore of the island. The cave system here is elaborate and fascinating, but cave- diving is a special art. You should not go down without an experienced guide and the proper equipment (strong lights, etc.). The dive shops on the island can tell you what -- and what not -- to do.

Dive trips to the Blue Hole can be arranged through any of several dive shops or travel agencies, including Dolphin Bay Travel and Belize Diving Service (tel. 22- 2143, fax 2217). A one-day trip including three dives costs from US$150 to US$168 per person, gear included. A three-day trip with meals and accommodation costs from US$290 to US$308.

Beach-goers will find the water warm, clear and blue, but they won't find much in the way of beach. Though there's lots of sand, it doesn't seem to arrange itself in nice long, wide stretches along the shore. Most of your sunbathing will be on docks or in deck chairs at your hotel. Caulker's public beach, at The Cut to the north of the village, is tiny and crowded, and nothing special.

Places to Stay

(Note: Numbers in bold to the left of hotel or restaurant name are keyed to the Caulker map (in the regular edition only). When calling from outside Belize, telephone and fax numbers shown should be prefixed by the country code, 501. From the U.S., dial 011-501 plus the number shown. Calls from within Belize should be prefixed with a 0.)

Among the comforts you pay for on Caulker are shade and pretty grounds.

Cheap, No Shade or Grounds

(1) Lena's Hotel (tel. 22-2106) has 11 rooms in an old building right on the water, with no grounds to speak of. Rates are fairly good for what you get: US$12 a double in the busy winter season.

(2) Daisy's Hotel (tel. 22-2123) has 11 rooms in several blue-and-white buildings which get full sun most of the day. Rooms with table or floor fans, sharing common baths, cost US$11 a double; with private shower the rate is US$18.

(3) Hideaway Hotel (tel. 2-2103), behind the Asambleas de Dios Church, is a hot two-story cement-block building with six bare rooms on the ground floor; all have table fans (ceiling fans are preferable). No beach, no shade, no grounds, and the church rocks with up-tempo hymns some nights, but prices are fairly good at US$11 a double in summer, US$13 a double in winter.

(4) Hotel Edith's is tidy and proper, with tiny rooms, each of which has a private shower, priced at US$15 a single, US$18 a double (one bed) or US$22 a double (two beds).

(5) Hotel Miramar (tel. 22-2157) has rooms on two floors in a building facing the sea. Rooms with private bath cost US$22.50.

(6) Castaways (tel. 22-2294) has six rooms that are quite clean, and cost a reasonable US$13 a double. There's a restaurant and bar as well.

(7) Sylvano and Kathy Canto's Island Sun Guest House (tel. 22-2215) has only two rooms, but both have fans and private baths, and cost US$30 or US$40 a double. It's neat, quiet, and near the beach.

Some Shade for Sitting

(8) Martinez Caribbean Inn (tel. 22-2113) has taken over the old Reef Hotel at the center of the village. The two- story wood-and-masonry building has a porch for sitting, a bar nearby (it can be noisy, but doesn't go late at night), and rooms with private showers. You pay US$20 a single, US$25 a double for a good location.

(9) Hotel Marin is not on the shore but it has some trees and gardens, and porches off the bungalows for hanging hammocks. Prices are good: US$12 a double with common bath in summer, US$18 in winter; with private shower prices are US$22 in summer, US$28 in winter.

(10) Tom's Hotel (tel. 22-2102) has nice, tidy, white buildings with 20 rooms priced at US$10 a single, US$12 a double with common bathrooms.

Nice Shady Grounds

(11) Jimenez's Caba–as (tel. 22-2175) has little thatched huts with walls of sticks, each with a private shower. The place is quaint, quiet, relaxing, atmospheric, family-run, and constitutes very good value at US$18 to US$25 a double, US$28 a triple, US$33 for four.

(12) Tropical Paradise Hotel (tel. 22-2124, fax 2225) pretty much lives up to its name. Choose from six tidy paneled rooms in a long wooden building for US$25/28 a single/double with private shower and ceiling fans; or an equal number of individual yellow cabins with ceiling fans and private baths (some with tubs) for US$33/38. There's a nice modern restaurant and bar, and a big dock for boats or sunning. Owner Ramon Reyes keeps everything in good shape.

(13) Shirley's Guest House (tel. 22-2145, fax 2264), along the south-eastern shore, has nice bungalows with four rooms (two upstairs, two down) boasting mahogany floors, good cross-ventilation and fans. Each pair of rooms shares a bath. Rates are US$33 a single, US$36 to US$44 a double.

(14) The Anchorage rents its four thatched, whitewashed bungalows in winter for US$33 a double, about half-price in summer. Each bungalow has a cold-water shower -- but how cold is the water here? Its location at the southern end of town is quiet.

(15) Sea Beezzz Guest House (tel. 22-2176) is a solid, two-story house on the shore with a nice patio garden in front. Safe, secure, comfortable, with hot water in the private showers and a dining room service for all three meals, its only disadvantage is that it closes down for the summer. Rates are US$35 to US$50 per room.

(16) Rainbow Hotel (tel. 22-2123; fax 2172), just north of the boat docks on the way to The Cut, is a two-story concrete building with plain but clean rooms going for US$32 (ground floor) or US$36 (upper floor) a double with clean tiled private shower, fan, and a window facing eastwards out to sea.

(17) Vega Inn (tel. 22-2142, fax in Belize City 23-1580), owned by the congenial Vega family --Antonio ("Tony"), Lydia and Maria -- has several tidy waterless rooms upstairs in a wooden house, with clean showers down the hall; these go for US$20/24 a single/double. Other much bigger rooms with private showers are in a concrete building and cost US$45/55. All rooms have wall fans; there's some shady space in front of the house for sitting. An adjoining shady camping area is just the place to pitch your tent, for US$6 per person. The Vegas rent snorkeling equipment, little sailboats (Sunfish), and can sign you up for snorkeling or sport-fishing trips. For reservations, write to them at P.O. Box 701, Belize City.

House Rentals: Heredia's House Rental (tel. 22-2132) can arrange room or house rentals for two days or more. call or write to P.O. Box 1018, Belize City.

Places to Eat

Though they serve such "luxury" items as lobster and conch, there are no fancy restaurants on Caulker. Even so, prices are not dirt cheap because much must be brought from the mainland. As for lobster, do your part to avoid illegal fishing: don't order lobster off-season (mid-March to mid- July), and complain if they serve you a "short" (a lobster below the legal size for harvest).

The island's simple eateries are supplemented by little shops selling sandwiches, snacks and baked goods. (18) Sobre las Olas, north of the center on the water, is a simple, tidy open-air place with a wooden dock, bar and umbrella-topped tables, as well as an indoor dining room across the road. Standard Belizean fare is served from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day but Monday. Expect to pay US$5 to US$8 for a full meal. Just to the north, the (19) Sand Box is similar, with tasty food and decent prices.

(20) Fisherman's Wharf Restaurant also has shady tables out by the water, and a "breakfast nook" upstairs. Prices are low: burgers (including a fishburger) for US$2, Belikin beer for US$1.50. This is a popular place.

(8) Martinez Caribbean Inn features lots of sandwiches, burgers and antojitos (garnaches, tacos, panuchos, etc.) as well as rice and beans with chicken or lobster. For breakfast, coffee and a fruit plate costs less than US$4. Lunch or dinner can cost US$3.50 to US$8. They concoct a tasty rum punch that's sold by the bottle or the glass. (21) Marin's Restaurant, a block west of the Tropical

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