Caye Caulker Shopping

Julia is an incredibly nice lady who owns a fruit & juice stand in Caye Caulker. You can stop by anytime during the day to pick up some freshly-made natural juices, or fill your basket with carefully selected fruits and vegetables. Nothing makes you feel like you're in the Caribbeans like munching on a juicy pineapple or mango!

What to buy: I loved the watermelon juice, and I would often stop by to pick up a pineapple that Julia would cut and peel for me so I could eat it on the way back to the hotel :o)

If you forgot to pack a book to read for those lazy, sunny afternoons in Caye Caulker, you can always pick one up at Cayeboard Connection. This little store is first and foremost an Internet cafe, but they also offer the best selection of second-hand books on the island, and most are in excellent condition. Don't miss the small but very interesting "local literature" section!

What to buy: I bought a collection of Belizean short stories by local author Zoila Ellis.

There were a couple of small convenience stores located within two blocks of our hotel, so we used both the Chan Mini Mart and the Friendship Shopping Center for some basic needs for our room. Both places have the usual assortment of household goods, suntan lotions and drinks, including cold beers and wine. They also accept credit cards if you want to save on your Belize $. By the way, Caye Caulker now has a bank with an ATM machine, it only opened the week before we arrived. If it happens to be out of order, there is no easy way to top up your spending money.

What to buy: We were only into snack items for our balcony perch at the Trends Beachfront Hotel, for when we just wanted to enjoy the breezes or were sitting around chatting with some of our fellow travellers. A container of dry-roasted peanuts, some water bottles, Belikin beers and bottles of red and white wines for our refrigerator. The typical costs for wine were US$13 for a 750 ml California Inglenook Classic Burgundy and US$22.50 for a Carlo Rossi 1.5 litre California White. These were fairly typical for costs throughout Belize, but any kind of wine was scarce and/or more expensive in some of the more distant places we later visited (Hopkins and San Ignacio).

Harry Pariser indicates on his website that this is a dive shop. He says:
Sea-ing is Belizing shop includes a gift shop, photo gallery, and a bookstore.

I do remember the photo gallery, but there doesn't seem to be anything of this nature in Caye Caulker now.

Currently there are two businesses that might be the descendents of the original bookstore. One, which is down on the south end of the island is

TROPICAL NATURE
PO Box 10
Caye Caulker
Belize, Central America

Website:http://www.picturebelize.com/

Service Offered:

* Licensed Belizean guides
* Bird/Nature Walks
* Environmental slide presentations
* Wildlife photography
* Student Groups

Description: Step into the Tolkien-like world of the mangrove forest searching for the illusive Rufus-necked Wood-Rail and the endangered American Crocodile. Rest under the shade of the Gumbolimbo listening to the melodious songs of Black Catbirds, Bananaquits, and Mangrove Warblers. Taste wild fruits of Cocoplums, Seagrapes, or Xo-Coi. Arrange an interpretive Bird/Nature Walk with birder Dorothy Beveridge. Enrich your group's enjoyment of Caye Caulker's eco-systems by booking an hour long slide presentation: "Reef Ecology", "Birds of Caye Caulker", or "Mangrove World".

What to buy: We bought a map from here for $9US

It shows some local crafts and the prices are resonable, it is small but it is enogh, you will find something.

What to buy: I cant think of anything than a Hammock :-) but ofcourse some seashells that I dont think is possible because of the customs, we are not allowed to bring corals and that stuff home

What to pay: It is up to you, and the quality you are asking for, we paid about 30 Us for a high quality Hammock

This was the closest mini-mart to Trends, so it was convenient. They had all the typical stuff at good prices. I most picked up bottled water and Belikins.

What to buy: For everything you forgot to pack or ran out of. They also had an amazing Caribbean sunburn lotion that worked like magic.

What to pay: $2 BZ for water.

There aren't many shops in town, but each one has nice local faire. If you want a bargain - and have cash - you're best bet is to buy from the street vendors. Coco Plum's gift shop was pricey, but had nice items. Miriany's was where I bought local souvenirs. The little shop next to the ice cream shop had unique stuff - artwork and jewelry - but was pricey.

What to buy: Mayan/Guatemalan handmade woven mats. The girl said they were for table covers or place mats, but I bought one and hung it up on my wall. I also got a slate carving, a coconut ring and a hemitite (lucky) bracelet. Cheap and fun. Typical souvenirs are also in abundance.

What to pay: Rings and bracelets cost from $4 BZ - $20+BZ. T-shirts are $30 BZ. I heard several vendors ask for $65BZ for the handmade weaves, but I got mine for $45 BZ. I probably over-paid for the slate carving ($65 BZ) at Coco Plum, but it had a toucan on it and seeing a live toucan was one of the highlights of my trip, so I got it.