So you’re looking for ways to get from Mexico to Caye Caulker in Belize? You got quite some options… great right?! I looked a bit online and asked around and I think these are the three main ways to cross the border and make it to the tropical island (splendid choice by the way).
Here’s how to get there:
Number one: Take the ADO night bus to Belize City + boat
The ADO bus (famous amongst backpackers in Mexico) recently added a night bus that runs from Cancun and Playa del Carmen all the way to Belize City. It takes some 8 hours and costs something like $50,- or less if you’re in time and book online.
I never like to take night buses when I’m on my own, but I like to say that I do feel the ADO bus is pretty safe in general. So if I would be with another person travelling I might have opted this one, just because it’s the fastest way to get to Caye Caulker. You save a day. ‘Go slow’ might be the slogan of Belize, but you do want to get there pretty fast possibly.
The road from Cancun towards the south of Mexico isn’t that interesting, so you’re not missing out on that either.
If you take this bus you’d arrive in Belize City early in the morning. Next take a taxi to the docks for $5,- USD (you can pay in Belize with USD on top of their Belizean Dollar). There are two companies that offer the one hour boat ride to Caye Caulker and they charge around $15,- USD one way.
Number two: Travel by day with the ADO bus + boat
This would be the regular way. Take the ADO bus to Chetumal. This takes something like 5 hours and tickets are sold from $280 MXN and up I figured (it depends on how long in advance you book online)). Over there take a taxi to the market in Chetumal. Don’t take a cab next to the ADO bus station, they overcharge you, just walk one block west and you’re likely to pay a quarter of the amount (25 MXN rather than 100 MXN). The regular taxis felt pretty safe to me too. If you don’t feel like that, just return to the bus station for the fancy taxis.
Next the same routine as with the previous option. Take a taxi to the docks for $5,- USD (you can pay in Belize with USD on top of their Belizean Dollar). There are two companies that offer the one hour boat ride to Caye Caulker and they charge around $15,- USD one way.
Number three: Travel by day with the ADO bus to Chetumal + boat
Last but not least, how I did it myself (after weighing all the options).
From Cancun I took the ADO bus from Cancun to Chetumal for 280 MXN. This took me some 5 hours. As I took off rather late in Cancun, I stayed there for a night in a dorm at Hostel Manik (for 210 MXN), which is conveniently enough located right next to the ADO bus station.
The village of Chetumal was a lot more relaxed than I expected it to be, which was good obviously.
Next day I took a cab (15 minutes / 25 MXN) to the dock of Chetumal. Don’t take a cab next to the ADO bus station, they overcharge you, just walk one block west and you’re likely to pay a quarter of the amount. It felt pretty safe to me too.
There are two boat organisations that are in charge of the boat tours to Caye Caulker. The tickets offices are located next to one another, so just show up and see which one is open. They leave at either 3pm or 3:30pm. As customs can get a bit busy and they organisations sell their tickets between 12 and 1 pm, you have to be there a bit in advance.
There’s a little shop that sells great panini’s if you have to kill some time and hunger in between.
I believe the boat ride was some $50,- USD (you can pay in here with credit card). On top of that you have to pay an exit fee ($25,- USD, only cash!), but check it you haven’t already paid this amount when you came in. It should be on your the flight ticket to Mexico.
Customs is fairly easy, although all bags are sniffed upon by a german shepherd for drugs (always a bit intimidating).
Next you enter a relatively small boat and ride in two hours towards San Pedro, which is already Belize. Over there you have to get through the Belizean customs with all of your stuff, which actually took a lot longer than the Mexican one. Another $2,- USD is expected to be paid (a tax implemented because they have to work ‘at night’, a bit of an annoying reason, but ah well..)
San Pedro, Belize
Customs at San Pedro, Belize
Jump back into the boat and hold on for another 45 minute ride along the reefs to Caye Caulker.
That’s it.
I chose this option because I badly wanted to avoid Belize City ánd because I’m fond of boat rides :). Especially in the tropics. Although not the best way in terms of time saving, I really enjoyed it this way.
Some people say that you could do this on one day from Cancun. Although I think this is indeed possible I wouldn’t recommend it to do it like that, because it might cause a bit of stress in the end if the bus is delayed. But coming from either Tulum or Bacalar (where the ADO bus also makes stops) I think this would really be possible indeed!
Whatever way you hop that border, I wish you good luck and a safe ride!
