When choosing a dive resort, there are so many options available. I narrowed things down to Bonaire (so hard to get to), Roatan, and Belize, and saw that Frenchie’s in Belize had great reviews. You could definitely complete the PADI e-learning first, start confined dives in a pool, then do check out dives once you get somewhere cool… but for some reason it was $250-$300 cheaper to do everything once I got to Belize. So, I went to Belize, sat in a classroom for 6 hours watching videos, and it was all worth it.

Getting to Caye Caulker

Frenchie’s is located on a little island called Caye Caulker, about an hour by water taxi from Belize City. From the airport, I hailed a taxi for $25 USD (set price) to a water taxi station. I know there are 2, and I didn’t specify which one to go to but I ended up at San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi.

I chose Caye Caulker because it’s the closest place you can stay to main dive sites like the Turneffe Atoll and Blue Hole. Belize also has the 2^nd largest coral reef in the world, and Caye Caulker is right on the edge of it!

Caye Caulker is this sleepy but touristy and westernized resort town with few cars, a ton of golf carts and bikes, and good bar culture. The dirt roads make it seem quaint compared to its overly developed neighbor to the north (San Pedro). I had heard that there is little to do here, but I disagree. The food and company made this an amazing spot to dive and hang out at night.

 

Diving

Sooooo this is where I learned how to dive so I felt distracted from taking in the true beauty of the place. I did a few confined water dives and then 4 open water dives over 3 days. FYI the winds are a bit insane. Many dives were cancelled while we were there, and it was iffy that we would even go out.

My first dives were near the local reef and since they were confined, we didn’t see much and spent the entire time flooding our masks, practicing controlled ascents, alternating air source with buddies, and all of the other points on the checklist to help prepare us for open water.

On Day 2, we took the boat with several certified divers to Turneffe Atoll to check out the reefs. My first dive was an absolute disaster where I lost a fin, the waves were crazy and pushed me towards the boat propeller, and for some reason I couldn’t exhale everything in my lungs being so stressed that I kept ascending to the surface even when I tried to swim down. As shitty as this was, I learned a lot from it and it helped me figure out how to be more successful with my buoyancy and breathing for future dives.

There are plenty of nurse sharks and moray eels in the reefs here, and for some reason the nurse shark that came up next to me freaked me out. They are the slothy couch potatoes of the sea and aren’t scary at all, so that was humiliating lol.

I would bring a flashlight to be able to see the reef in more color, since you lose so much at depth.

On our last day after we finished our dives, we went to Shark and Ray alley and I got to test my new snorkel that keeps water from going in when the waves are strong. Omg snorkeling has never been easier. The nurse sharks and rays are everywhere and swim pretty close to you, and the water is shallow enough that it’s a very enjoyable experience!

The final exam was a bit stressful since I feel like what I learned in person was more applicable to real life than a paper exam, but I passed and became an official PADI Open Water Diver.

 

Where to Eat

Pasta Per Caso. So good I ate here twice! They offer 2 pastas a night, veggie or meat, and Alvaro is this wonderful Italian who runs the place. You can’t go wrong with either option as they handmake it all and it’s so good. One night I had a spicy sausage sauce, and the other I had the vegetarian chickpea version. Panna cotta, Italian wines, and a great fusion of artichoke and fluffy cheese made it perfect. FYI, you NEED a reservation. They only seat 24 people over 3 seatings, and Alvaro turned away so many people. You may have to eat community style and make friends.

Maggie’s Sunset Kitchen. Also so good I ate here twice. The first night I had shrimp curry, and the second I had lobster curry. Also let me say, I’ve NEVER liked cole slaw in my entire life but the cole slaw in Belize is perfect. Then rice because I have a weak stomach, but let me tell you even with street food I was totally fine in this country. Make sure you call ahead because it’s very popular, and know that around holidays they may run out of food. They didn’t have lobster for a few days after Christmas. The view of the sunset is ridiculous, and we got a view of the neighborhood croc. Plus I met my new Spanish friend here by fate, so it will always be a special place.

Hibiscus. Heard good things, and that the seafood gnocchi was incredible. Personally, I didn’t like that they had a projected image on the street of their restaurant name, seemed tacky. If I had more time I would have tried!

Chef Kareem’s Unbelizable Lunch. Omg. Right next to my dive shop and incredibly easy. I got jerk chicken, cole slaw, and rice and it was the best street food ever. Didn’t get sick, and Kareem is so nice! You can watch him BBQ your food. This is right on the water, just watch the wind and make sure your trash doesn’t fly away.

Fran’s Beachside Grill. This place serves waterside street food from a little kiosk and my friends loved it so much they ate here multiple times. Bonus that you get unlimited rum drinks with dinner. Great, cheap spot to get absolutely LIT. Fran is a doll.

Chef Juan Kitchen and Pastries. I had full lobster here and it was good, but I had to peel a lot of it out of the shell and work for the meat. In case you are too high maintenance for that, just know. They had a red curry sauce that was yummy, always assume that former British colonies know how to do a good curry.

 

What to Do If You’re Not Diving

The Split. Right where the end of the island is, there is kayak rental, volleyball, a bar, and places to lounge and sunbathe while you watch other people fail at kayaking in wind (aka me), or kitesurfing. They have this crazy green lizard concoction that is really sugary and gross, not worth it. Stick to Belikan.

Koko King. For the perfect insta. Their swings go over the water, you can get a cabana for like $25 for the entire day, they have a DJ, and they serve food and drink. Great place to absolutely rot. I ordered food and it took 2 hours and made me feel queasy, so stick to drinks.

Shark and Ray Alley. You can snorkel, and even if you don’t snorkel you can see these from the boat because it’s so shallow. Nurse sharks are little slothy sloths and the rays are so nice.

Tarpon. They are huuuuge and seeing them from a kayak is way better than a boat. If I were you, I would order a kayak, hang out there, and wait for the boats to come by and feed them. You get piggyback off their feeding and get a closer look.

Wander. Caye Caulker is an easy place to walk around and you’re guaranteed to make friends at some point. Just know that if you power walk, people will yell at you to GO SLOW GO SLOW. It’s annoying and didn’t slow me down, but I appreciated the thought. There are several bars you can step into, no open container laws, and you can really pick your own poison.

Where to Stay

I stayed at Sea n Sun Guest House. It was about $70 a night after taxes, and I had a large bed with AC, ceiling fan, private bathroom with shampoo and conditioner included, refrigerator, and fresh towels daily. It was about a 30 second walk to the dive shop and 10 second walk to the main drag.

They provide free bikes and kayaks for rent and even have a neighborhood croc who hangs out and has never attacked anyone. The Tarpon are right here, so this is a spot where tourists come to check them out from the water.

Perfect location and really nice stay!