Caye Caulker

The island is thought to have been inhabited for hundreds of years, and the main settlement has probably stood on the same spot all that time, where the bay behind it shelters boats, the reef in front breaks the big waves and firm coral sand gives a good anchorage. On early British maps it appears as Cay Corker. Its Spanish name, Cayo Hicaco, means "island of the cocoplum", and "Caulker" may be an English rendering of it, though other stories link the name to sailors filling water bottles at a freshwater spring or caulking boats in the sheltered bay on the western side.

The modern population began with the Caste War of Yucatán in 1847, when Mestizo refugees fled south. Around 1870 the area of the village was granted to Luciano Reyes, and lots were sold to six or seven families, most of whom still have descendants on the island. Coconuts and fishing became the island's livelihood.

Hurricane Hattie struck in 1961. Its storm surge swept across the narrow part of the village and destroyed the wooden schoolhouse being used as a shelter, killing 13 people, most of them children; about 42 houses were rebuilt within weeks with help from the colonial government and the British Army. The storm also opened a shallow passage across the island, which villagers then dredged by hand — the origin of the Split. In modern times at least four major hurricanes have devastated the island, the most recent Hurricane Keith in 2000. In recent years the island has become a popular destination for backpackers, and it now has more than 50 hotels.

Caye Caulker's local culture is Mestizo, Creole and Garifuna. At the 2010 census Mestizos were the majority, followed by Creoles, with smaller numbers of Maya, Garifuna and others, and the descendants of the families who bought the first village lots remain a strong influence.

The island's motto, "Go Slow", sums up its character. There are no cars in normal use, the streets are sand, and life moves at the pace of walking and bicycles. Nightlife is low-key compared with Ambergris Caye, and most bars close before midnight; dances and events are held on holidays and long weekends, organised by island committees. Lobsterfest in early July is the island's annual lobster festival.

Conservation is part of local identity. The northern end of the island is a forest reserve, the local reef is a marine reserve, and a Caye Caulker islander's campaigning led to the creation of the Swallow Caye Wildlife Sanctuary, a manatee reserve near Belize City protected since 2002.

The 2010 census counted 1,763 people on Caye Caulker. Village life runs along Front Street, Middle Street and Back Street, none of them paved. Tourism dominates the economy, with about a dozen snorkelling and dive operators, guesthouses, restaurants and gift shops, while fishing continues and a few older women still make coconut oil for their own use and for sale. Gift shops along Front Street sell mainly T-shirts, hammocks and souvenirs, and vendors along the main street sell crafts and jewellery. There are no large supermarkets: convenience stores and small grocery shops with a limited selection serve the island.

The island's low elevation shapes life: the highest point is only about 8 feet above sea level, and the sandy banks of the Split are still eroding. Water taxis connect the island with Belize City and San Pedro several times a day. The shallow lagoon in front of the village, between a few inches and 14 feet deep, attracts windsurfers, and the bay behind it is where boats shelter.

Seafood is the island's staple. Fish, shrimp and lobster fill the menus of the oceanfront grills, and cheap take-outs serve Belizean and Chinese food such as stewed chicken with rice and beans and cow foot soup. Lobsterfest in early July is celebrated with spiny lobster and coconut rice. Some trips let visitors fish for their own meal.

Coconut has been part of island life since the first settlers' plantations. As across Belize, grated coconut is pressed for its milk and baked into tarts and other sweets, and a few older women still make coconut oil for their own use and for sale. Breakfasts follow the Belizean pattern, with fry jacks — puffed fried dough — served with beans, eggs and cheese.

Drink is relaxed and mostly rum-based: some snorkelling trips end with rum punch on the way home, and the bars along Front Street and at the Split serve rum drinks, along with Belikin beer.