We uncovered the most beautiful gem in Belize! Ragga Sailing Adventure was a highlight of our time in Belize and honestly one of the draw cards to visit.
While we were lucky enough to collaborate with Ragga Sailing Adventures on this trip as always all opinions are our own. We really loved and highly recommend this trip. All our blog posts contain affiliate links that help us keep our blog running at no extra cost to you!
The tour takes you from Caye Caulker to Dangriga where you’ll arrive back on land. This is everything we experienced and everything you need to know to do it too.
How to get to Caye Caulker
Caye Caulker is home to approximately just 2,000 people. Tourists make their way there mainly between January – April which is the high season although you can visit year round. Stepping off the ferry we discovered an island paradise with Caribbean vibes. It’s tiny and charming, the people are lovely and the food is excellent.
We had a long travel day from Tulum to reach Caye Caulker. Starting with a 4am ADO bus Tulum-Chetumal, before getting on a Marlin Escapes charter to Belize city port. From here we caught the ferry across to Caye caulker.
The easier way (which sadly wasn’t running on the date we went) is to get to Chetamul and then jump on the San Pedro Water Taxi Water Jets ferry across to Caye caulker. This is the easiest and fastest way and everyone who did it was very happy. They run every Mon, Wed, Fri and Sa..
If you are coming from Guatemala near Tikal, this company offers transfers from El Remate, near Flores & Tikal to Caye Caulker.
If you are heading to Tikal in Guatemala afterward this company offers a transfer from Belize City Port to Tikal.
Where to stay on Caye Caulker
You’ll need to arrive the day before your trip as there’s a briefing informing you of what to expect. If you can stay a few days we highly recommend it, Caye Caulker is definitely worth at least 4 to 5 days depending on how slowly you are happy to go.
We stayed at the Enjoy Hotel, it was central, clean and comfortable.
We also loved Barefoot Caye Caulker Hotel, Colinda Cabanas and Sea Dreams Hotel.
The briefing
We arrived at 4pm to the briefing at Ragga Sailing Adventures. It’s a chance to meet your fellow travellers and to get the basics sorted out before the following day. It was a great opportunity to get an idea of what to expect and to meet the crew. We got an overall vibe of the trip and it made me even more relaxed and excited about going! I left the briefing feeling ready for a great adventure. You really don’t need to do anything prior to arriving but I’ve added a what you need to know section at the end of this blog for those of you who like to be organised ahead of time!
The weather
Weather obviously plays a huge part in this trip, if you have perfect conditions it’s going to be incredible! We arrived just as some wind was picking up. In the briefing we learnt about what to expect. The wind had unexpectedly increased and were actually given the chance to pull out. Basically it was a fair opportunity for everyone to understand that the weather is unavoidable and as it’s very windy it may not be possible to do some of the activities that were scheduled. Everyone was still keen to push ahead and we were set.
The day of departure
We dropped our bags off at 7:30am and eagerly awaited the time to board. Breakfast and coffee at ice and beans is good or if you’re looking for local food we can’t rate Martinez Take away more highly. We met back up at 8:15am and by 8:30am we were headed to the boat, handing over our shoes and boarding.
The boat | Ragga Sailing Adventures must do in Belize!
The boat we were on was a 42’ catamaran called Double Helix. The owner Brett joined us on the trip to co-captain. While there were about 25 guests on the trip we all found a spot to sit up front so the captain could introduce the crew and give us his expectations for the day ahead.
*we were told by the owner that they will soon be getting a brand new luxury catamaran which will be used on their trips! It sounds incredible and we hope to come back and do this trip again on the new boat! We hope to return in 2026 so stay tuned!
The crew | Ragga Sailing Adventures must do in Belize!
Ragga Sailing Adventures has the best crew ever! Honestly these guys worked so hard to make our time special and memorable.
Captain Jacob kept everyone informed of what was happening and what we needed to know.
Franki and Salim the fishing and snorkelling guides and deck crew were tirelessly entertaining, teaching us about Belize and the ocean and their lives. They worked endlessly making sure all guests were happy.
Salim in particular was the party coordinator who organised drinks and his famous rum punch each afternoon making sure we were very well hydrated!
Naz the deck hand and all rounder was the loveliest crew member, always checking in on us for water, snacks, working the sails and helping in the galley. His happy smile and “yes man” answer to every question was the sweetest.
Last but not least chef Linton is a superstar! He not only outdid himself each and every meal but was so kind and looked after my coeliac needs perfectly. It’s always a gamble you take trusting someone to not make you sick but I never once had any type of concern. At all meal times I would be lining up and then I’d hear “Hey Aussie, I got you” and a warm pile of corn tortillas would appear! If only all tours could be so caring and well organised!
The food | Ragga Sailing Adventures must do in Belize!
On the topic I’ve got to talk about the food! I love eating and really think it’s an important part of any tour as it can make or break the experience. This was top notch! How Chef Linton whipped up such an array of food in a tiny galley I’ll never know. All allergies and preferences were catered to, I’m coeliac and seafood allergic and a couple of other ladies were vegetarian. We were all looked after at each meal. I would be standing ready to get my food and hear “Hey Aussie, I got you!” and suddenly a warm parcel of gluten free corn tortillas would appear next to me. I never felt like I was too much trouble, Chef Linton was the best!
Our meals were-
Day 1:
Lunch-stew chicken, rice and beans and salad.
Afternoon snack of shrimp ceviche/chips
Dinner-a feast of different veggies, rice, chicken curry, fish curry, salad.
Day 2:
Breakfast-boiled eggs, bacon, bread/tortillas, fruit with coffee
Lunch-bread rolls with all the trimmings to make them to your taste. Loads of meats cheeses and salads.
Afternoon snack of conch ceviche/chips
Dinner-another huge feast, bbq meats, conch, curries, fresh fish caught that day, vegetables, salads, rice, sausages and so much more.
Day 3:
Breakfast-scrambled eggs, bacon, bread/tortillas, fruit with coffee
Lunch-another huge feast, bbq meats, curries, fresh fish caught that day, vegetables, salads, rice, platanos and caramelised pineapple.
There was so much food no one ever went hungry!
Day one of the Ragga Sailing Adventures tour | must do in Belize!
Our first day began with a talk by Captain Jacob. He let us know the wind was up and we would have a big day full of sailing.
We all found our spot on deck and got comfortable for our biggest sailing day. With the wind conditions it took longer than the expected to arrive at our destination for the first night but there were no complaints while sailing through the beautiful blue waters!
Rendezvous Caye | Ragga Sailing Adventures must do in Belize!
We arrived at Rendezvous Caye which was our first overnight island. It is a tiny little island with a few little huts for shelter, a grounds keeper and a few bathrooms. There are a few palm trees and picnic benches to sit at.
We disembarked and went ashore to set up our tents. That’s right! The first night you camp on the beach. Can you imagine how idyllic this is? We were given our 2 person tent. Each person camps with their travel partner or on their own if travelling alone. We set up our tent and covered it with the rain cover. Unzipping the openings at each end to let a cool breeze through the tent. After organising our tents, a quick dip in the sea at sunset we walked over to the main shelter for dinner.
Salim poured the drinks and Chef Linton served up the La huge buffet of meats, fish, rice and vegetables! It was delicious! Full of food we chatted into the night before heading to bed.
Day two of the Ragga Sailing Adventures tour | must do in Belize!
On day two we woke up early to a beautiful sunrise across the ocean. It was a magical experience that Mike and I got to enjoy by ourselves. We were so awestruck standing alone on the tiniest white sand caye watching a beautiful sunrise. It’s a moment that will live in our memories for a long time.
Soon others stirred and coffee was ready. We gladly grabbed a cup before pulling down our tent and packing it away. Jumping back on board we were met with a lovely breakfast of boiled eggs, bacon, toast or corn tortillas for me and fruit. We ate on deck while the last of the boat was packed up before sailing away from our little dream stay.
Captain Jacob announced that the wind conditions were better and there would be some snorkelling stops! We were all excited to see what the Belize Barrier Reef would look like.
Snorkelling | Ragga Sailing Adventures must do in Belize!
Stopping at a location that only the Ragga crew could find in the middle of the ocean we took to our first snorkel. Mike and I love snorkelling! He’s a diver and I just got certified so we love getting out in the sea. We joined Salim’s group who was showing us the reef while simultaneously trying to spear fish dinner! We saw some beautiful coral, fish and a stingray but Salim sadly had no luck fishing! This became the running joke of the trip. Returning to the boat Captain Jacob had speared a fish so adding fresh fish for dinner was saved!
Sailing a little further before jumping back into our second then third snorkelling spots for the day. In between Chef Linton served us up some fresh rolls (or gluten free warm corn tortillas!) to make our own sandwiches. These were perfect between swimming and really hit the spot.
We were lucky enough to visit the Ragga crews very secret spot a smaller version of the famous Belize blue hole! It was fascinating to see the dark blue drop off while we snorkelled around the hole. Once our snorkelling for the day was done we were given snacks, fresh conch ceviche and headed for our second nights destination.
Tobacco Caye | Ragga Sailing Adventures must do in Belize!
Tobacco Caye is another small island just larger than Rendezvous. There are some different accommodations on the island and our group was split up into 3 groups. The groups of singles were in one building, couples in another with private rooms and bathrooms. This was situated at Ragga Residence where we would meet to eat and drink. Our group was taken over to another residence where you could pay $100USD extra to have a private room with private bathroom. We were lucky enough to stay here and walking into these simple island rooms felt like walking in to a mansion! The bed was comfortable. There was a fan and the bathroom had running hot and cold water! What luxury! The properties here are run off rain water so it is best to conserve water and not take a long shower but even so it was heavenly!
After freshening up we all met at the Ragga Residence, we watched the sunset while waiting for dinner. Chef Linton cooked up a storm and there was loads to go around. By the end we were stuffed and wandered off to sleep while others stayed to drink and dance for a while.
Day three of the Ragga Sailing Adventures tour | must do in Belize!
Day three began and again we rose with the sun. Watching the sun rise over Tobacco Caye was the perfect way to start our last day. Again we felt like the only two people on earth and watched in silence as the sky lit up around us. In the tranquility I can’t help but to think how lucky we are to witness this. Heading over to Ragga Residence we grabbed coffee and breakfast before Captain Jacob announced that we would be split into two groups to go snorkelling. We were in the first group and got ready to leave asap.
Last snorkelling trip | Ragga Sailing Adventures must do in Belize!
Salim and Franki took us out to look for manatees. I’ve always loved manatees and was hoping to see them, we did see a couple surface but they scattered before we could get close enough to view them properly. Salim tried so hard to get us to see them up close while teaching us information about them. His genuine desire for us all to share the experience was so endearing.
After searching for a while we went off to the snorkelling spot for the morning. Everyone jumped in to the clearest and prettiest water we had seen on the trip! It was spectacular. There were fan corals gently swaying with fish darting amongst them. We all agreed that this was our favourite snorkelling spot. The colour of the water was so beautiful.
Last beach BBQ lunch | Ragga Sailing Adventures must do in Belize!
Arriving back to Ragga Residence we showered off while the next group went out. Chatting while we snacked and had a drink we waited for them to return. Chef Linton had been at it again and we were soon presented with a huge spread of food to celebrate our last meal together. We all tucked into the massive feast, our eyes slightly bigger than our bellies!
Final goodbyes | Ragga Sailing Adventures must do in Belize!
Before long we were saying our last goodbyes, taking a group photo and thanking the crew.
We all split up into two smaller motor boats and the crew left of the catamaran. The boats took us to shore at Dangriga where shuttles and taxis were waiting. We had met some other travellers going to Hopkins and we all joined together to get a taxi there. With 7 of us it ended up at $10USD each from the Dangriga port at Riverside Cafe to each of our hotels in Hopkins.
Favourite moments of Ragga Sailing Adventures tour | must do in Belize!
Honestly Ragga Sailing Adventures really is a must do in Belize. From sailing amongst the bluest water, enjoying great food, meeting new friends and staying on tiny little islands there was something to take joy in everyday.
They say life is lived in moments and Ragga Sailing Adventures really provides not only an incredible experience but so many special moments that we will remember forever.
We really recommend this trip for anyone who likes camping, sailing, snorkelling, being outdoors and in general doesn’t mind roughing it a little! While you are totally looked after, you’re on an outdoor adventure! You’ll be putting up tents, sitting on deck during the sailing periods and outdoors a lot. You should have this expectation.
Be ready to get your adventurous spirit on and throw yourself into the experience. It’s not everyday you are immersed in such a pristine environment, it’s really something to appreciate!
We were told that there would soon be a new larger boat that would be extremely comfortable and eventually a new residence to stay in on Tobacco Caye. This is super exciting and we can’t wait to return to do the trip again and experience this!
What you need to know | Ragga Sailing Adventures must do in Belize!
If you like to keep it exciting or travel light you really can wait until the briefing to find out what you need to do. If however you are an organised person then this is what you need to know!
You’ll get a small bag organised with the clothes and things you need while on the sailing trip. I’ve added a packing list of what I took below.
We had our small travel bags for this and a wet bag for our electronics. The wet bag is essentially if you have cameras, phones etc as there’s tons of opportunity for it to get wet.
Get this organised the day before as you will meet at the office at 7:30am day of departure to hand over your large travel bags, these will get stored on the boat and won’t be accessed again until you depart. Make sure to get everything you need out!
After leaving your big bags go for breakfast and coffee until it’s time to board around 8:15am.
You’ll walk from the Ragga Office to the Split where the boat is waiting.
Camping/accommodation:
You won’t sleep on the boat. The first night is camping on Rendezvous Caye. It’s a pretty spot! You’ll be given a tent to share with your travel partner or a single if travelling alone. You’ll put the tent up and need to make sure it’s securely pegged in! Our trip was really windy and during the night the tent was flapping. If it hadn’t been so strongly pegged it could have come off. This was pretty unusual though, most trips on the boat are pretty calm.
The sleeping mat is quite good, it’s about 3cm thick. It’s by no means a bed but it’s fine for a nights camping! Remember you’re roughing it and that’s part of the adventure. You’ll be given top and bottom sheets to make up your mat. There’s no pillows so bring your own. Some people scrunched up a jumper. We brought our blow up travel pillows which were perfect!
The second night is a downright pleasure! You’ll be in a proper bed, either in a dorm style accommodation, a private room with shared bathroom or you can pay an extra $100USD to have a private room with private bathroom. We were thrilled with this option, it was such a treat!
Getting to the mainland after leaving Tobacco Caye:
You won’t return to Caye Caulker, instead you will be dropped off at Dangriga. The crew leaves on the catamaran and you are boarded into two smaller open motor boats. Please note you will get wet on these boats and there’s a chance your bags/large luggage will get wet also. If you can cover them with a rain protector or garbage bags I would suggest it.
We planned to go to Hopkins after the tour and Mets others to share a taxi there. This is the easiest way as the buses are not regular and you have to take two different buses and hitchhike or walk a lot to do it.
Alternatively if you’re going to bus it to any destination you can take a taxi to the Dangriga bus stop. This is the website for the bus schedules and transport options.
Packing list for small day bag:
- Camera/phone/GoPro
- Any medication you need during the trip-I took some bandaids and paracetamol as well just in case
- Cash-everything is provided for you on the trip, however you may want to buy a beer on Tobacco Caye and to tip the crew for their hard work. They really go above and beyond to make sure you’re happy and it’s a nice way to say thanks!
- Swimwear, at least 2 sets so you’ve got a dry one to use the following day.
- Sarong
- Towel
- Sunglasses
- Travel pillow
- Sunscreen
- Mosquito repellent
- Lip balm
- Soap
- Moisturiser
- Hair ties/brush
- Clothes while on board-these will get wet so we just reused them each day. A long sleeve shirt, rashie, pair of shorts were pretty much what we all wore each day. A separate set of clothes for evenings as you’ll rinse off and have dinner once you’re on land. I tied this up in a plastic bag so I know I’d have clean dry clothes to change into. Just a shirt and shorts/skirt/dress. Mike had a pair of shorts and T-shirt. A long sleeve shirt is also a good idea as it can get cool at night depending on the weather.
Where to next?
Caye Caulker must visit destination in 2025
The Lodge at Jaguar Reef – the best place to stay in Belize
The best itinerary for Belize!
Is Hopkins worth visiting in Belize?
Crossing the Mexico – Belize land border in 2024
Why you have to visit Xunantunich Mayan Ruins from San Ignacio
What to do in the jungle town of San Ignacio, Belize
