El Ben Cabañas is a small resort located on the newly developed north side of Caye Caulker, which opened in 2022. During our first visit in 2014, this area was completely undeveloped, so we decided to explore it during our most recent trip.
If you choose to visit Caye Caulker (and you definitely should!), you’ll find that the island is divided into two parts, with a stretch of water between the north and south sides known as The Split.
There are a couple of theories regarding the formation of The Split. One theory suggests that it was created during Hurricane Hattie in 1961, which caused significant damage to Belize’s coastline. The other theory is that it was originally man-made to allow boats to pass through and that it widened during the hurricane. Today, The Split is a popular destination for visitors who come to enjoy drinks, swimming, and windsurfing.
The north side of Caye Caulker offers a slower pace compared to the south side, where most of the accommodations, restaurants, and activities are located. Since there are fewer things to do on the north side and you need to take a ferry to reach this area, you’ll encounter fewer visitors exploring the north side. This makes it a great option if you really want to embrace the Caye Caulker motto of Go Slow!
Transportation to the North Side of Caye Caulker
When we decided to stay on the north side of Caye Caulker, my biggest concern was getting to and from the island’s south side, where most restaurants, bars, and shopping are located. Luckily, there are plenty of transportation options, so going back and forth wasn’t a big deal.
Before your trip, contact El Ben Cabañas to set up transportation to their hotel. They’ll arrange a taxi and a ride across The Split from the south side of Caye Caulker to the north side.
From the airport
If you fly into Caye Caulker from Belize City, which I highly recommend, you’ll meet your taxi driver outside the airport.
From there, they’ll take you to the dock on the island’s south side, where you’ll board El Ben’s boat. However, if their boat is unavailable, they’ll drive you to the Split to Split Ferry, where you can take a quick ferry ride for a small fee (approximately 2.50 Belizian dollars a person).
After crossing The Split, you’ll hop onto the hotel’s golf cart for a short ride to the resort.
From the San Pedro Belize Water Taxi
If you take the San Pedro Belize Water Taxi from Belize City, the hotel will likely arrange for you to hop on their boat from the same dock in Caye Caulker. Alternatively, they might have you take a taxi (golf cart) to the Split to Split Ferry, where you’ll be met by the resort’s driver on the other side of The Split.
El Ben’s boat
El Ben has a boat that takes guests to and from the south side of Caye Caulker. You can text reception through WhatsApp to arrange a pick-up time from either side.
We used this service a few times, and while it was nice to have the option, we found it more convenient to use Split to Split Ferry. The hotel has one boat, so there can be some wait time as the boat goes back and forth between the docks. Sometimes, the wait could be as long as 30-45 minutes.
Split to Split Ferry
The Split to Split Ferry has ferries at The Split that run back and forth all day. If you miss one, it’ll be back in about five minutes. It’s about $2.50 per person, and kids are free. They also offer punch cards at a discounted price. We purchased one, and it worked out well.
When returning to El Ben Cabañas, text the resort before getting on the ferry to let them know you need a ride. They’ll meet you at the dock with a golf cart. You can also walk back to the resort, which takes about ten minutes.
Getting around the north side of Caye Caulker
Whenever we wanted to visit other places on the north side of Caye Caulker, like the Blue Zen Resort, El Ben Cabañas was great about giving us a ride on their golf cart and picking us up when we requested it.
Room options
El Ben Cabañas is located by the water and features individual cabanas with palapa roofs. I loved that we didn’t share any walls with other guests.
We stayed for six nights in a Deluxe Queen Ocean View room. While I wouldn’t exactly call it an ocean view, it was close to the water and the dock. There’s a small porch with chairs on the outside. Inside, there’s a desk with a Nespresso maker (which I never managed to figure out, LOL), a dresser, a fridge, a closet with a safe, a vanity with a sink, and a bathroom featuring a large shower and toilet.
The room was nice and clean, and the air conditioning worked most of the time. Since the north side of Caye Caulker is newly developed, some issues are still being addressed. One night, after a full-day tour on the mainland, we returned to the resort only to discover that the power was out, so the air conditioning and water weren’t working. It was incredibly hot, and we felt grimy after ziplining in 100-degree weather!
The resort’s manager was on the phone with the power company, urgently trying to get someone to resolve the problem. Power was restored after a couple of hours, but it went out a few more times throughout the next day for short periods. While it was inconvenient, it wasn’t the hotel’s fault; it’s just part of the challenges that come with a developing infrastructure.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to take pictures of our room before we sprawled our stuff out, but the images on the resort’s website linked below are precisely how our Deluxe Queen Ocean View room looked in person.
- Double Room Pool View
- Double Queen Pool View
- Deluxe King Pool View
- Deluxe Queen Ocean View
- Deluxe King Ocean View
Amenities
Bike rentals
To easily explore the island, you can rent an electric bike from El Ben. If you want to ride around the island’s south side, The Split to Split Ferry allows you to take your bike across.
Kayaks and stand-up paddle boards
Although we didn’t test the water gear, the resort provides kayaks and stand-up paddle boards for guest use. Just notify the front desk prior to using them.
Housekeeping and laundry
When we stayed, housekeeping was done when we requested it, and for a small charge, you could have laundry done daily or as often as you like.
Dining at El Ben
T&T Bar and Grill
The T&T Bar and Grill serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you’re like me and can’t figure out the Nespresso machine in your room, you can also grab coffee there in the morning.
We had breakfast, dinner, and dessert at the T&T Bar and Grill, and all our experiences were great. There’s also a nice bar to hang out at and order cocktails and food.
Pool bar
The pool bar is between the resort’s two pools and often has guests around it. You can order drinks and food, and there’s a TV available.
Pool
My son loved the pool area! It has two pools, which is perfect because if one was crowded, he could play in the other. It also helped shield guests who were relaxing and sunbathing from the chaos of cannonballs and splashing water!
Booking tours
We booked all our tours through the front desk at El Ben Cabañas with Tyra, and she did an amazing job organizing everything for us. Just tell her what activities you’d like to do and on which days, and she’ll make the arrangements. She provides clear instructions on how to reach your destination and lets you know who you’ll be meeting. This made our experience stress-free and saved us a lot of time on research and logistics for each excursion.
Our tour experiences arranged through El Ben Cabañas included a full-day private snorkeling tour with Latitude 17, as well as a full-day private tour with Coral Breeze Tours, which took us to Altun Ha and Caves Branch Outpost for zip lining and cave tubing. Both tours were exceptional, and we had a blast!
Things to do on the north side
Even though the north side has fewer activities, you can still get some beach time, exercise, and treat yourself to a spa day!
Koko King Beach
Koko King, last known as Northside Beach Club, is closed, but tourists can still visit the beach, which is one of the only swimmable beaches on the north side. For approximately 5 to 10 Belizean dollars, you can swim and use the lounge chairs. Remember to bring your own food, drinks, and towels.
Bike around
Rent a bike from the resort and explore the island. If you ride to the northern end, you can stroll around the Blue Zen Resort and grab lunch or dinner.
Blue Zen spa day
Take your relaxation to the next level with a massage, manicure, or pedicure at Blue Zen’s Bambu Spa.
Places to eat on the north side
Blue Zen restaurants
For my husband’s birthday, we dined at La Fogata, and the food was delicious! We devoured their wood-fired pizzas and sipped on some cocktails and craft beer. The menu also includes tacos, burgers, chicken, short ribs, pasta, and more.
Blue Zen also has Lotus by Habanero. We didn’t get a chance to dine there, but they offer farm-to-table dishes inspired by Thailand and Southeast Asian cuisine.
North Side Happy Lobster
We walked to the North Side Happy Lobster from El Ben Cabañas for lunch. Aside from a few people at the bar, we were the only patrons there, which gave us a pleasant and private dining experience. I really liked the outdoor, beachy setting with tables set up in the sand.
Would I stay on the north side again?
That’s a great question! The north side is a wonderful choice for many people, especially if you’re looking to relax at a resort and enjoy the pool. But after experiencing both sides, I personally prefer the south side. We wanted to walk around, dine out, and go shopping, and I found the south side to be more convenient for that. It’s also really nice to be able to quickly return to your hotel to drop off items, use the bathroom, change clothes, or take a break. While these things were still possible on the north side, it became a bit more of a hassle because it required a boat ride.
During our first trip to Caye Caulker, we stayed at Seaside Cabanas. It’s a great option if you stay on the south side.