Free things to do in Caye Caulker are hard to come by, as Belize is one of the most expensive destinations in Central America. Luckily, I’ve found a handful of activities that were either completely free or super cheap to still have a fun trip without breaking the bank.

Caye Caulker is most known for it’s incredible excursions like snorkeling tours to the Hol Chan Marine Reserve or scenic flights over the Great Blue Hole, but these experiences can quickly add up.

Of course these activities are absolutely worth the splurge, and a snorkeling tour is the one of the best things to do in Caye Caulker. But you don’t have to go on expensive tours everyday to have an amazing time. There are plenty of inexpensive things to do around the island that are perfect for budget-travelers to keep costs as low as possible.

Free Things to Do in Caye Caulker

1. Visit the Caye Caulker Animal Shelter

This may sound like an odd thing to do, but if you’re missing your furry friend back at home, stopping by the Caye Caulker Animal Shelter may be just what you need. We stumbled upon the shelter by accident just walking to our hostel when we spotted a few cats hanging out nearby. And I’m sure glad we decided to check it out!

The Caye Caulker Animal Shelter is an outdoor no-kill shelter that’s home to dozens of adoptable dogs and cats. It’s located right along the main street in town so you’ll likely walk past it while walking to other destinations around the island.

You can find the shelter at this pin. Then you can let yourself in through the gate to find dogs and cats roaming the yard.

If you want to see all the cats, try to visit the shelter around 2:15-2:30. This is their feeding time. You’re likely to see them all gather here before they go their separate ways after eating. 

The dogs get fed at the same time as the cats but they’re usually always hanging around waiting for visitors to come by. So you can really see the dogs at any time of day. 

You can also give cash donations at the shelter if you want to help support the organization. It’s owned by a really sweet man who’s been running the shelter for 17 years on his own and with the help of volunteers. It’s not required to donate, but it does go towards purchasing their food and the upkeep of the shelter. 

As a huge cat lover, spending time with the cats was my favorite free thing to do in Caye Caulker. I think we stopped in almost every night of our trip.

2. Look for Seahorses at Iguana Reef Inn Dock

Another free thing to do in Caye Caulker is look for wild seahorses. Seahorses live in the shallow waters off the coast of Belize, so you won’t find them on your snorkeling tour. Luckily, there’s a spot in town that’s well known for seahorse sightings.

At the Iguana Reef Inn, there’s a dock open to the public where you can see seahorses swimming in the waters below.

You may have to look around for awhile before you spot one because these guys are tiny. We saw a few on the left side of the dock around this sign that’s shown below.

It seems like they like to hang onto the rope in the water with their little tails. It’s adorable, but they can be really hard to find since they can get so hidden in the rope and sea grass.

Your best bet is to look around and see where groups of people are standing and looking down at the water because there will likely be one down there. 

Around the dock you’ll also see stingrays swimming around. The inn workers feed the stingrays around 4:30 PM so you’ll see a lot of them coming by in these evening hours. You can stand in the water as they swim by and gently craze your ankles with their fins. Just of course, do not touch them or provoke them to keep yourself safe.

This is also a great spot to watch the sunset as the dock is on the west coast of the island.

3. Hangout at The Split 

If you’re looking for an upbeat and lively place with a restaurant and bar (The Lazy Lizard) right on the beach, you won’t want to miss The Split. 

The Split is essentially just the small area of ocean in between the Caye Caulker North Island and the South Island (the South Island is the main one that we’re talking about in this post). The Split can easily be walked to from most hostels or hotels on the main strip of the island. 

We don’t drink so our time at The Split was short lived. It does seem to be more of a party place, especially in the evening hours. That’s not really our crowd, but we did enjoy hanging out in the turquoise blue water and the social atmosphere. It’s worth visiting for sure while you’re on the island.

If you’re feeling brave, there’s a 20 foot high diving board at the eastern corner of The Split that’s free to jump off of into the ocean below.

4. Relax & Swim on One of the Public Docks

Something we loved in Caye Caulker was just soaking up the sun on one of the many public docks on the coast. We found several free docks with chairs perfect for tanning and relaxing.

There are some docks that have signs posted at the front saying that they are private or for guests only of a nearby hotel. So these are obviously off limits to the public.

But if you walk along the east coast of the island, a little bit north of where you came in from the water taxi, there are a few nice docks with chairs you can use. 

Cheap Things to Do in Caye Caulker

5. Rent Bikes & Ride Around Caye Caulker

The caye is very small so all the main things to do are within walking distance. However, if you want to explore the less visited areas of the island then renting a bike for an hour or two is a great inexpensive thing to do.

You can find bike rental shops all over the main strip of the caye. We just picked one right across from our hostel to rent from. Bike rentals typically run at $2.50 USD or $5 BZD per hour. You will also have to pay a cash deposit which you get back when you return the bike. 

From there you’re free to explore as you please. Just take caution especially on the main strip. There are no cars on the island, only golf carts and other bikes. But there are a lot of them on the main road and they can drive fast.

Once you get out to the less popular areas you have more space to ride around and can take it a little easier. 

Bonus points if you’re able to catch one of the planes taking off at the Caye Caulker Airstrip! When they take off they fly right above your head. You could walk to the airstrip from the main area of the island, but biking there is a lot quicker and easier. Planes typically take off every hour. 

6. Take the Ferry to the North Island

If you’re ever curious about what goes on at the North Island of Caye Caulker, there’s an inexpensive ferry you can take across The Split to find out.

The North Island is much more underdeveloped with less options for accommodation and restaurants. If you’re looking for secluded beaches and tranquil hikes it may be right up your alley. 

Walking around the island and exploring is a great way to escape the crowds on the South Island for a while. There’s also a lot more hiking options here.

A ferry trip takes only about 5 minutes and costs $2.50 USD or $5.00 BZD per person each way.

7. Watch and/or Feed the Tarpons

This is something that most snorkeling tours will take you to, but you can also visit the tarpon feeding area on your own.

There’s a little cove on the western coast of the island where you’ll find dozens of enormous tarpon swimming around the dock. Here you can purchase sardines and hand-feed these impressive fish.

If you aren’t familiar, tarpons are huge fish famous for their size as they can grow up to be 6 feet long and 100 pounds! Something else special about the tarpon, is their ability to acrobatically jump out of the water. When a sardine is held above the water, the tarpon launch themselves completely out of the water to grab it. Despite their size, they do not have large sharp teeth. So there’s no risk of them biting you.

You can find the tarpon feeding area near Tarpon Springs Bar at the end of Calle La Posa. Click here for the exact pin.

You can purchase sardines for $5 BZD to experience feeding the tarpon

I will say, I didn’t know this was a stop on our snorkeling tour. And I’m not sure how I feel about feeding wild animals as a tourist attraction. If we hadn’t stopped at the cove during the tour, I think I would have preferred to just walk to the dock and watch the tarpon swimming below. They really are such impressive and beautiful animals.

Whether you choose to feed them or only admire them from the dock, checking out the tarpon is definitely worth adding to your itinerary of free things to do in Caye Caulker.

I hope this article gave you some inspiration for free or cheap things to do in Caye Caulker, Belize! These 7 activities are perfect to add into your itinerary to keep your trip as budget-friendly as possible. Thank you so much for reading!