December 6, 2025
After our full day in San Ignacio, Dylan and I had a bit of time to kill before it was time to head to Belize City and catch a water taxi. Our driver the first day, Eder, had recommended we visit the market since it was a Saturday – many of the local farms ship their produce to the city that day.
Around 8:30, we ran down to the local store and grabbed some snacks for the drive later before heading towards the market. We had visited the day before to check it out, but it was clearly much more busy today! Along the way we also passed by a woman selling tamales for super cheap, so Dylan picked a couple up for later.
Dylan and I found some good souvenirs in one of the shops for decent prices (I got a metal keychain for $10 USD – $20 in Belize dollars), and then checked out the rest of the market. Similar to the previous day, it was a huge variety of items ranging from produce to clothes, though there were also a lot more places to get food – there were also just a lot more popups than the day before. We eventually found a good spot and I enjoyed some tacos and a breakfast burrito.
Something I really enjoyed was how it was almost entirely locals at the market. This was likely a routine for residents of San Ignacio, and we were getting a small glimpse at their lives here. There was also a man and woman preaching (in Spanish and English, respectively) and a few others who would perform worship songs every so often. I got a cool video of it you can check here!
We took a taxi back to the hotel a little after 10 so we could make sure everything was packed, and were checked out of our room by 10:45. One of the best aspects of our hotel stay (Cahal Pech Village Resort) was its transportation options. We got one to the water taxi terminal in Belize City, where we would head to the islands. Additionally, because there was a couple also in the car, the rates for Dylan and I were reduced – only $45 each!
After a quick pit stop for snacks and a bathroom break at a gas station, we got moving around 11:30. We went to the airport first, as the couple had a flight to catch. Unfortunately this driver didn’t really talk, so the ride over was much less interesting. Dylan took a nap, and I just watched the scenery. We dropped them off around 1 pm, and then were on our way to Belize City.
We wanted to make it to the 1:30 water taxi, as the next one would not be until 3. Unfortunately, there was much more traffic than normal, so we did not quite make it on time. Apparently, December 6 was one of two days that month in which sales tax was completely waived, so everyone was out in the city!
Additionally, we even saw a minor car accident take place. Right near the terminal, there was a car trying to back up and it backed right into somebody! There were actually a bunch of police officers standing on the corner, and they all wandered over and started laughing at the situation. There wasn’t really any damage, and honestly it was kind of funny. We probably would have missed the taxi regardless.
When we got there we bought our tickets for the 3 pm water taxi and just waited for a while, eating the snacks we had bought earlier. We would be heading to Caye Caulker, one of the two most popular islands to visit alongside Ambergris Caye (San Pedro).
Around 2:45 we started getting in line. The water taxis are used by locals and tourists alike, though it definitely seemed more like tourists in both lines. While many of the Belizean citizens go to the city from the islands for tax-free day, they would probably still have been out shopping at that point.
Dylan and I were towards the front of the line since we were waiting for so long, so we ended up getting decent spots towards the bow of the boat. It definitely filled up!
The ride ended up being about an hour long for a 20 mile ride. It was fairly pleasant, with a nice wind blowing throughout the boat – the waves were also not too bad. One of my favorite parts was seeing the color of the water change to a bright turquois. The coral reefs off of Belize are part of the second largest reef system in the world, only second to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia (which I actually got to visit in 2018).
Upon arrival, we headed from the ferry terminal toward where we were staying, Colinda Cabanas. While it was an overcast day, it was still a really nice walk. Caye Caulker immediately had a very relaxed vibe. There are no cars on the island – just bicycles, golf carts, and the occasional motorbike. Even the taxis are golf carts!
As we approached Colinda Cabanas we had a nice walk near the beach, and hoped we would have better weather the next day to experience island life properly. In the meantime, we checked into our hotel, which was really more a series of private bungalows (you can read my review in full here). We were still a bit hungry, and had some chips and salsa along with Belizean rum and pineapple juice – this is a hotel bundle you can buy in advance.
After a little over an hour, we went out for dinner. Dylan and I did some exploring to try and find somewhere good, and stumbled upon Chicks Backyard, a bar and grill. While the food may be more expensive on Caye Caulker, it was absolutely phenomenal – especially the seafood!
For an appetizer, we started off with shrimp and conch ceviche with tortilla chips. This was something highly recommended to try – basically raw seafood “cooked” by a heavy amount of lime juice as well as other ingredients such as cilantro, tomatoes, and onions. It’s definitely very citrusy, but it was delicious. The conch was a more mild flavor than I expected but still quite unique.
I also had shrimp curry, which came with some coconut rice on the side. This was absolutely phenomenal – while it had a bit less shrimp than I’d have preferred it was still packed with flavor, and the rice was more flavorful than I expected! And because it was cooked in coconut milk, it had a sweet taste to it.
Overall the bar had a nice vibe to it – I only got water that night but Dylan enjoyed his drink. The bartender was also very welcoming, and as we were leaving he had a good conversation with the owner of the restaurant.
We were pretty tired by this point, so we headed back to Colinda Cabanas and chilled out for the rest of the night as it began to rain. We’d get a full day on the island tomorrow, and were hopeful for nice weather so we could truly relax on our island paradise.
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