Customer Reviews
It’s not often customers take the time to write a review. They tell their family and friends when they get back from their holidays and then they get back to their lives until next vacation. Some come year after year and others go to a new place. We have so many repeat guests that stay at Costa Maya Beach Cabanas and go on tour with Tsunami Adventures. The other day a guest was asking me about restaurants and wanting me to give my personal opinion. I was like there is so many. I always eat at one of the restaurants at one point or another, it usually just depends on what I feel like eating. I asked him if he ever makes reviews on the internet and he said, and let everyone know about our secret spot! It is a great feeling to get good reviews, it makes you feel good about what you do and that you are doing it right. I know, we go out of our way to try and make everyone happy that either stays at the hotel or uses our tours services or is just asking for information. We like to thank you to all of you that take the time to write a review. We greatly appreciate it. More reviews can be found on our link to Trip Advisor on the side
 a review left on a note in room |
 top 10 things to do in Caye Caulker |
 a view from Tsunami and Costa Maya |
Heather, Nano, and the gang,
You guys are AWESOME! We just want to say thanks already for the
wonderful service you provide our teams! You go above and beyond and
we KNOW IT!
Thanks – you are a blessing and we really appreciate you guys,
Rob & the PPM Summer Staff.
Date of review: May 4, 2011
I had the best time of my trip staying here. The rooms, and excellent staff are top notch. Robert and I went on several snorkeling trips with their guide Vito. He is from Caye Caulker and knows the best places to be. I appreciate all his education of the reef, and its creatures. Heather, the manager, was very helpful. I wish I was sitting with her now! When I go to Caye Caulker I will always stay at Costa Maya Cabanas, and Tsnunami Adventures will get my business. The rooms are big, have refrigerators, and have A/C. Great price when on a budget.
Reviewer ratings for this hotel:
5 of 5 stars Value
4 of 5 stars Rooms
5 of 5 stars Location
5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
5 of 5 stars Service
4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
Date of stay: March 2011
Visit was for: Leisure
Traveled with: Spouse/Partner
Member since: June 27, 2010
Recommended by this reviewer? Yes
“Don’t Beleive The Negative Reviews”
4 of 5 stars
Date of review: Apr 19, 2011
I was a little shakey making reservations here after reading the negative reviews but took the chance away. My wife and I just returned from spending 10 days there and wish we had another 10 days to spend. The rooms were clean and well maintaned. Cleaning lady came by every days. From our deck we had a great view of the water . Would get pastries and fresh fruit every morning, sit on the deck and have them with a cup of coffee. Heather, the owner would help arrange any type of trip you wanted. She never pushed us to use her trips. We did have her make arrangements for us to got to Lamanai. Trip arrangements were great. Talked to others staying there and never heard any complaints. If you want a 5 star place don’t go to Caye Caulker. If you want a great layed back place definetly go. There are a few new and fancier places to stay, If you have the money to blow than stay at them. The location is great. Short walk to town,restraunts and spit, but far enough away so you don’t have any noise. Would highly recommend this place
Room Tip: Get room 6 if you can
Reviewer ratings for this hotel:
5 of 5 stars Value
5 of 5 stars Rooms
5 of 5 stars Location
5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
5 of 5 stars Service
5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
Date of stay: April 2011
I ended up travelling to Belize by myself due to a family emergency, and my family couldn’t make it, neverless, I made a new family and friends at Costa Maya Beach Cabanas. The girls in the office were more than accomodating and “went above and beyond” normal customer service in the hotel/tour industry. I have travelled to many places around the world, from high class, to third world countries, and have the seen good/bad/and ugly in people/places, and believe me, Caye Caulker, is one of the most favourite places in my heart, and I have visited many, many times, always staying at Costa Maya, because of the service/cleaniness/location, it’s a “must experience” in my opinion, and I highly recommend, they will open their hearts to you, help you with all and/or information, and provide awesome tours at great prices. Can’t wait to go back again, and see my friends and family once again……………….
Cruisinlulu Surrey
Caye Caulker Island I was welcomed by friendly locals at the Costa Maya Beach Cabanas. Shortly after arriving I did some snorkeling and was setup with a nice fishing trip. My room had AC, was nice and cool, fresh coffee when I need it and clean. Rented a digital underwater camera from them and used the free WiFi to upload my photos to friends and family back home. Planning on going back this Dec-Jan. The staff are friendly, hospitable and very helpful. A+! Recommending Costa Maya with two thumbs up.
Rosasweetb, BC, Feb 20, 2009
This was written by one of our guests that stayed at Costa Maya Beach Cabanas
You better Belize it, Mon
It’s not every day you find yourself about four feet away from a shark engaged in combat with two stingrays over a fish carcass. So naturally, I stopped snorkeling long enough to whip out my $7.00 disposable underwater camera and snap off a few action pix for my Vacation in Belize photo album.
Ozzie tapped my shoulder and directed me to the surface.
“Move that way. Now,” he said when we emerged. “You’re about to get stung by a jellyfish.”
Moon jellyfish are virtually impossible to see by amateur snorkelers, but Ozzie — the second-in-command on this guided adventure to the Hol Chan Marine Reserve — can spot even the tiniest of them from 50 feet away. That’s a good thing. Given the opportunity, moon jellyfish will give you a venomous zap that won’t kill you, but that is guaranteed to put a serious damper on your snorkeling adventure.
Back underwater, Ozzie scooped up a jellyfish in the palm of his hand and put it inches from my mask. Even then it was nearly invisible, like a tiny ball of extra-thin, extra-translucent cellophane.
Ozzie, of course, didn’t get stung. He has spent his entire life, all 11 years of it, getting to know the inhabitants of this Central American stretch of the Caribbean.
“The skin on the front of your hand is too thick for them to sting you,” the boy explained above water. “But that’s the only place they can’t sting you.”
Later, Ozzie and I watched our older tour leader, Harry, perform one of his most crowd-pleasing stunts: while under water, he opens his arms, and — no kidding — sting rays fly into his embrace like children desperate for a hug from Daddy.
How does Harry do that?
“I’m out here every day, mon,” Harry explained in his Belizean accent, which is identical to a Jamaican accent . “They’d should know me by now.”
They should also know by know that, somewhere on Harry’s person, there are chunks of sting-ray snacks.
“I haven’t learned how to do that yet,” Ozzie said of the sting-ray hug. “But I will.”
Yes, he will. No doubt.
‘Go slow’
Snorkeling and diving tours are a relatively new industry on Caye Caulker, but they are thriving — and no wonder. The second largest of the approximately 200 small islands located off the coast of Belize, it’s just a 21-mile, ten-minute, $54 sky hop from Belize City’s international airport — and one mile west of the Belize Barrier Reef, second in size and awe-inspiring Technicolor attractions only to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
Within my first few hours in the surrounding crystal-clear water, I swam with three lazy manatees, giant loggerhead sea turtles, harmless ??? and nurse sharks, moray eels, dozens of stingrays and enough whimsically designed tropical fish to populate six or seven sequels to Finding Nemo.
Caye Caulker itself is not your typical resort-style tropical-vacation Mecca. In fact, the island’s 1,300 or so residents have so determinedly resisted “development” that there are no fancy resorts, chain hotels, chain restaurants or even cars anywhere in sight. On these sandy, unpaved streets, the sole modes of transportation beyond feet are bicycles and softly whirring, battery-powered, golf-cart “taxis.” And visitors stay in ultra-modest, islander-owned beachfront “motels,” cabanas or “backpackers” for as little as $15US per night.
Sparing no expense, I lodged at the Costa Maya Cabanas, where $45US per night — your sixth night is free — buys a very serviceable room with a private bath and shower; hot water; satellite TV (unused by me); a hammock-bedecked porch complete with a continual tropical breeze and an only slightly obstructed ocean view; free access to kayaks and bicycles; and the instant friendship and very helpful tourism advice of Heather, the establishment’s Canadian-born manager and reef-tour organizer.
Heather has held those jobs for eight years — ever since she landed on Caye Caulker for a vacation and promptly deduced that guided snorkeling tours could be very popular. She was correct. Today, dozens of copycat entrepreneurs line the island’s main tourist thoroughfare, Front Street (not to be confused with Middle Street and Back Street), hawking encounters with undersea flora and fauna.
Despite this ever-bustling activity, life on Caye Caulker lives up to the island’s adopted motto, quoted on wholly unnecessary traffic signs posted everywhere you look: “Go Slow.”
This advice is embraced by all who live here — and it’s held particularly sacred by those who cook and serve food in the island’s open, sand-floor restaurants. If, as David Letterman once quipped, a “New York minute” describes the time it takes to get mugged after exiting your Manhattan hotel, a Belizean hour is the time which elapses between the moment you order lunch and the moment you become certain that your waiter has been kidnapped by pirates.
Any visitors who experience such a certainty should heed this warning: Go slower.
Paradise divided
The second largest of the approximately 200 small islands located off the coast of Belize, Caye Caulker is rightly billed as being a half-mile wide and about five miles long — but it’s easier to navigate than even those paltry figures suggest. In 1961, the caye (pronounced “key”) was divided into separate north and south islands by Hurricane Hattie,. Caye Caulker Village is spread across the mile-long southern side of that watery split — imaginatively dubbed “The Split” — and to the north is … well, not much beyond marshy land, mangroves, swarms of very hungry sand flies, and a few clapboard homes which run on self-supplied electricity and water.
Local rumor has it that a “resort” was recently slated to be built on the north island, paving the way for its development, but it’s hard to know what that might really mean. In Belize, the definition of the word “resort” is quite a bit looser than it is in, say, Scottsdale, Arizona. Or Elko, Nevada.
Once a shipbuilding and fishing community, Caye Caulker’s economy is now almost entirely dependent on tourists, scuba divers, snorkelers, anglers and tanaholics seeking tropical adventures at budget prices.
I came here seeking world-class snorkeling, and I hit the jackpot within the first milliseconds of my first dip into the water. At the top of my list of vacation goals was to swim with manatees — which, I learned soon after my arrival, is a near impossibility. Although there are daily, eight-hour manatee-watching excursions to their most favored local haunt, Swallow Caye (for about $60US), the area has been declared a manatee preserve and visitors are strictly prohibited (this is a very good thing) from slipping into or otherwise disturbing the water. Their best and only view of a manatee will be of a manatee nose, briefly emerging from the water for air, or — if they’re incredibly lucky — a manatee nose and scalp.
So instead, for my first Belizean sea excursion, I selected a three-hour, $25US guided snorkeling tour of the local reef. Within moments of my first jump into the ocean, as soon as my eyes adjusted to the underwater light, I realized I was floating within 10 or 15 feet of three snoozing … um, cows? Hairless underwater bison? Giant, horrifically mutated walrus/beavers?
Nope. Manatees.
Carousing with Ozzie
On the last night of my 10-day Caye Caulker visit, I was in a bar, enjoying a Belizean beverage quaintly and rightly known as a Panty Ripper, when my young snorkeling guide, Ozzie, suddenly appeared and sat down at my table.
No, he didn’t order a Panty Ripper. He was picking up some take-out food for his family.
“One day I’ll own my own boat, and I’ll be the leader,” Ozzie told me — not dreaming, just stating a fact. In Caye Caulker, that’s probably the best and only career opportunity that will ever be available to him.
And Ozzie needs an opportunity. With the $5 to $15BZ he earns per day (equal to $2.50 to $7.50US), seven days a week, the boy is single-handedly supporting his mother, four sisters and three brothers.
“You’re the only one who gave me a tip this week,” Ozzie said. He wasn’t angry; he was appreciative that he got any tip at all.
Tourists. Sheesh. If you don’t slip a gratuity to an 11-year-old boy who saves you from invisible, venomous jellyfish and leads you to impossible encounters with manatees, whom do you tip?
Belize is, after all, a Third World country (albeit an English-speaking one known until the 1980s as British Honduras), and you don’t have to wander far off Caye Caulker’s three primary streets to find plenty of poverty-stricken reminders of this fact. But I’d wager it’s quite a bit more safe than your average California beach town, and I can state for a fact that you can walk any part of the island at any time of day without worry — something tourists are warned to avoid one in Belize City or even in the town of San Pedro on the nearby and more developed island of Ambergris Caye, located 11 miles (a 30-minute speedboat trip) to the south.
By Michael Burkett
My daughter and I were there April 19-26 and stayed in Cabana #6. Very nice. We were impressed from the moment we had our escort meet us at the airport to take us to the water taxi, and then from water taxi depot on CC to our cabana. Everyone was so very friendly. What could have started as a disaster, when I left my bag at the water tax wharf on CC, someone, possibly Lulu, found it and had Gary return it to our room before I’d even had a chance to discover that both of my cameras were gone! We were so impressed at the honesty of all! Thanks again to each of them. I was terrified of staying in a place without air conditioning but my fears were soon relieved by the fact that there is ALWAYS a breeze! So much so that at night I thought storms were approaching. I’m not saying it was not hot inside at night, but the breezes were always so pleasant and if I were adventurous, I would have slept on the hammock on the verandah! Mosquitoes were never an issue as we had been warned. We certainly did not need the 3 cans of Off! All employees at Tsunami and Costa Maya went above and beyond the call of duty to help answer all questions. We came to adore sweet Maribelle and hope that soon her dreams come true! Remember… Jose at Iguana Reef!! Be sure that we will return and we will tell all we know of our wonderful experiences on Caye Caulker. We have over 500 pictures to help us never forget! Judy (from Alabama) Christine (from Portland, OR) P.S. We sure hope the sweet couple from Canada adopted the little lame dog! (We named her Gimpy) And please tell Gary thanks for the tour in the golf cart!
Judy Alexandar, May 21, 2008
We wanted to tell you how much we enjoyed staying at the Costa Maya Beach Cabanas. Everyone is so helpful, having the use of the kayaks was great, and the room we stayed in (#5) was wonderful. We will definately stay there again when we get a chance to come back to Belize. Thanks again for the hospitality. We will definately be recommending the Costa Maya Beach Cabanas to anyone going to Belize.
Danette and Barry Suhan
I just wanted to say thanks again for making my stay at Caye Caulker a fun one. You guys made me feel like family. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas & a Prosperous New Year. Take care…
Dan Brackett
Thank you so much for such an incredible experience in Belize! You, and everyone at Costa Maya, were the central part of our first trip to Belize! Thank you so much for the memories of snorkeling, cave tubing, zip lining, and the Mayan ruins! They all were incredible!! Each were trips that will never be forgotten! We also want to thank you and everyone at Costa Maya for their kindness, helpfulness, and friendly welcome that we received everyday! We haven’t been able to stop telling everyone at home about our trip and we can’t wait to get back there!
Tobi Perkins
Michele Mitchell
We just had the most awesome time on Caye Caulker. Our group was resting up there after being on missions with Praying Pelican Missions. We had the Friday Snorkel trip which was great, but I appreciate
most the extra day that we stayed and rented equipment from you on Saturday. One of our guys scraped his back and you helped with your first aid kit and made everyone feel like family. Thank you so much for such a great time and I hope our families will be able to come and enjoy your home again soon.
Michele Mitchel, Youth Director, Christ Fellowship Church
I just wanted to thank you for a great time in Caye Caulker. We truly enjoyed the personal attention given to us by Rene, and your willingness to work around our tight schedule due to our ship’s early departure. We hope to return to Belize for a longer stay in the near future, and will be giving you a call at that time to explore more of the excursions that you provide. Once again thank you for an extremely enjoyable time.
Bryan Fern
We did a private charter with Tsunami Adventures – We had a great time, and our guide Renee’ was outstanding. He took the time to make sure everyone in our group saw everything, and made sure those with cameras got pictures of everything. The lunch included was outstanding. I couldn’t have asked for more.
Krysy & Jeff
I don’t have words to thank you for such a wonderful experience. We arrived in Belize City on 03 January 2007 aboard RCI’s “Legend of the Seas” and you were there at the tender dock when we got off. From there, the short walk to the water taxi pier was easy. Rene, our guide, very kindly took a bit longer route to avoid rough water from an approaching squall (which we beat to the Caye!) – the ride was better than any at Disney World. After a short delay to let the squall pass we embarked on our first adventure – through another rain storm that quit just as we reached our site. The reef is gorgeous, and Rene and his helper (sorry, I don’t know his name) were excellent guides. Then, on to shark/sting ray alley – exciting! While we didn’t get to see any sharks (one of us “jumped the gun” and fell in the water, scaring them away!) the sting rays were beautiful; we got “up close and personal” with them and enjoyed the sensation when they swam past us – very soft ripples. Even pelican visited near us. The refreshments (pineapple & papaya) on the boat were terrific and hit the spot – the lunch on the shore was terrific. Our whole group (twelve strong) had a terrific day. Hard to believe it’s less than a week ago – and I’m ready to come back. We’ll let you know when we can!.
Linda O’brien
Our family very much enjoyed our half day snorkeling trip with Renee and his 12 year old assistant abourd the boat. We where very impressed that upon the arrival of the water taxi at Caye Caulker, Renee was right there calling out our name; and everything went smooth from that point on. Renee worked very hard to bring out that ellusive moray eel from his hiding spot, but he didn’t give up until we all had a chance to see it! Hope on our next visit, we have more time for a longer tour. Take care. PS Thanks for helping us with the Tropic Air reservations for the flight back to Belize City! The Fahey Family.
Diane Donovan
Just wanted to shoot you an email to tell you I had a great time on your island and at your place. I would recommend that for future visitors you let them know that baby oil is the one thing NOT to let the airport security take from your luggage. YIKES those sand flies ate me alive. Thankfully there are some kind souls that hooked me up with some oil and aloe. Hope this finds you well and that the new year treats you well.
Diane
We know it has been about a month but we just wanted to say thank you for setting up such wonderful tours for us during our visit last month. The jungle river cruise to Lamanai and the Turneffe Atoll tours were exceptional and so were your tour guides. We plan on scheduling with you again should our travels ever bring us back to Caye Caulker.
Eileen, Jen, and Dan
Our group of 4 had such a good time that we’re planning on coming back next year with more people! Thanks for helping arrange our tours on such short notice and pointing us in the right direction in regards to restaurants, fishing places, and activities. See you soon (hopefully)!
The Arkansas Crew
Yes we hope we can come back to Caye Caulker again and stay for a week sometime. It was very nice!!! We enjoyed the tour. Snorkeling was fun, we took lots of pictures and I would love to be there right now.
I wish we could have met you too. I have read online that you are the one to talk to get good information.
Brian Fussy
We truly enjoyed our excursion with Tsunami Adventures on March 16th. Rene was extremely knowledgeable, and he made our snorkel experience very adventurous. His young helper was also very kind and caring. He always kept a watch out for our little ones to make sure they were okay. Swimming with the sharks and stingrays was exciting. The colors of all the coral and various fish will remain in our memories forever! Also, I’ve never seen waters as beautiful than in Belize. I wish we had more time to explore Caye Caukler. Hopefully, we can come back soon and stay longer.
Thanks for one of the most unforgettable experiences, and we look forward to seeing you again one day.
Donna Scirghio
We just wanted to thank you again for the wonderful stay on the island. Cabana #5 is excellent; we hope to stay there again in the future. Your responsiveness to questions and convenient online booking was great. We can’t say enough good words about your place and operations. Caye Caulker is complete paradise.
Ryan and Jennie
My wife, Ellen, and I stayed at your cabanas April 5-9 and had a wonderful time. Olga was very helpful and a pleasure to deal with. She booked 3 tours for us all of which were wonderful and went off without a hitch. Your housekeeper was also very efficient and friendly, the rooms where clean and neat every day. Thank you, and thanks to Olga for a memorable week.
Dave Bailey
We went with tsunami adventures – they where absolutely wonderful. All 4 guides were excellent, they were very friendly and offered much info. it was the best adventure we were on! we had small children as well as adults, and the were all excellent with them also. my 8 year old daughter snorkeled with us the entire time, and the guide swam beside her part of the time, pointing out various things to her. words are not enough to say how excellent they were and what a fantastic experience it was!!! swimming with the rays and the sharks was amazing.
In addition, when we got off the ship in the morning, the weather was cloudy. we headed on out with the tsunami group and had a wonderful time – the sun came out, and it was just a little too windy probably, but we did not seem to notice. Heather was very friendly and did state she was concerned that we may not have the best weather – this showed good customer courtesy, which we appreciated. she also helped those of us who did not have snorkel gear with some – in addition, she offered masks with varied lens capabilities for those wearing glasses. my brothers were very grateful. when we returned to the ship, we learned that other excursions for the snorkeling were cancelled that day due to the weather. we were very thankful that we got to go.
The lunch was superb. the cook was very friendly. later, one of the boat guides, showed the kids how to clean a conch – that was also wonderful. If anyone wants to see the area with a fantastic gropu of people, we would highly recommend this trip. it was fantastic!!!!
Rod
I just wanted to Thank you and your company for the wonderful day we had in Belize. Thank you Heather for all your help in my planning stages of the trip. And special thanks to Neno he was a great tour guide and we really enjoyed talking with him. Thanks again for making our trip such a memorable one.
Mary Moser
Just a note of thanks for such a wonderful day you gave us on our visit to Belize!! Our entire family thoroughly enjoyed the snorkeling and Manatee watch! I will highly recommend your charter service to all family and friends visiting Belize as you all did a fantastic job. Thanks again!
Jeanne Collins
The Snorkeling Trip in Belize was not only fun, but very educational.
Our guide Harry snorkeled with the group and dove down, picking up
many types of marine life and letting us hold it. We even saw a spotted
eagle ray! Harry was great–went above and beyond to accommodate what turned out to be nearly a private tour
Meredith
We had a great time on both snorkeling trips. There were 20 people in the Belize trip and 12 people in the Cozumel trip. The feedback I would suggest for the Belize (Caulker Caye Snorkeling Adventure) trip is they could have the inflatable vests that most of the snorkeling tours provide. Some of the people in our group were uncomfortable in the water and they ended up using the life vests from the boat (which maybe is better anyway). Overall, the advantage that both trips had was the smaller group size than what we would get from one of the trips arranged from the cruise ship.
Jerry
“Our other ShoreTrip at Belize “Snorkel The Belize Reef” was also excellent. The onlything was that we were not sure if we were going to get off our Norwegian Wind ship in time to make the 9:00am water taxi to get to Caye Caulker. The ships were letting their own booked excursions off first. But we made it and the whole day was very good. The personel offering this was also very good.”
Dan Burkhardt
Please tell us what you think about your experience with Tsunami Adventures.
