Sat on the floor of San Pedro Belize’s immigration office, I had no idea that five months and six countries later, I’d be eating Christmas dinner with the same group of travellers in Colombia. Chaotic border crossings and confusing travel days always make for the best memories in hindsight, and are often the start of loyal travel friendships.
Far away from long bus rides and gas stations, the Chetumal to Caye Caulker border crossing is one of the more interesting international transits on the Central American backpacking route.
Before moving from Mexico into Belize, conversations surrounding immigration costs, dodgy port cities and the best way to get to Caye Caulker seemed endless and unproductive. And, online information regarding the route and ferry times can be limited (or written by a robot who has no passport stamp to speak of!).
Many backpackers choose the Chetumal route to avoid a ‘land border fee’ as you leave Mexico by bus. While this is a common traveller tale, blog sites, social media posts and official guidance tend to conflict and some travellers claim that they were never asked to pay up at all. It seems that it might depend on a variety of factors including where you’ve been or how long you’ve stayed in Mexico and may even only affect certain nationalities. If that all sounds like too much bureaucracy – I’d hop on the ferry!
The Chetumal to Caye Caulker crossing is fairly simple, and what better way is there to arrive on a tropical island than by traversing the Caribbean seas?
This ‘how-to’ route guide will cover the journey from booking your ferry to making landfall in Belize and what to expect from the lesser-explored Mexican city of Chetumal.
Bookings, prices and travel tips
The transit is operated by both San Pedro Belize Water Taxi Express and Water Jets International (also sometimes called Islander Ferries) on opposing days, and at different frequencies throughout the year. I would argue that booking online is the smoothest choice for a straightforward travel day to Caye Caulker.
We booked our ferry a week in advance to ensure we were travelling at our preferred time, although according to both companies you can book online and in-person up to three hours before departure. I have to admit that is a little too relaxed for me, but if you are willing to risk a sold out sailing, there are plenty of places to stay in Chetumal until the next opportunity.
San Pedro Belize Water Taxi Express
Operates on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays all year-round and every day in the high season (December through May) leaving Chetumal at 3:30pm.
Price: Around $80 one-way, and an ‘internet processing fee’ of $9.
International Islander Ferries/Water Jets International
Operates Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays all year round, leaving Chetumal at 10 am.
Price: Around $80-90 one-way.
Tip: Despite these scheduled sailings, I’d keep a close eye on the website for updates and changes – especially in the low season!
In my opinion, it doesn’t matter which service you select. In fact, I think we booked one company and ended up with a different one altogether. Both ferries are identical and the operators work together, follow the same policies, and leave and arrive from the same locations. I would base your choice around timings and convenience over who is driving the boat.
- Bacalar → Chetumal: ~40 min ADO bus
- Chetumal bus station → Chetumal port (“Marina”/”muelle fiscal”): 10–15 min taxi
- Chetumal port → San Pedro: ferry, ~2 hrs, Mexican exit immigration before boarding + Belize entry immigration on arrival
- San Pedro → Caye Caulker: ~45 min, same boat continues after the San Pedro stop
Pre-travel day quick tips
- Luggage – both ferries only allow passengers to take a backpack or suitcase and a small personal bag on board, and bicycles, surfboards or anything else will cost you extra and may need a bit of planning ahead.
- On-board – The ferries are small, and do not come with on-board facilities like food or drink services or even toilets (apparently this varies boat to boat but we weren’t lucky enough to have one on our crossing!). You won’t find cafes or vending machines at the ports either, so have snacks and water at the ready.
- Timings – Plan to arrive in Chetumal, or present yourself at the port, at least two hours before your ferry departs. Mexican immigration can take a while, and there are quite a few forms to fill out. The port is very strict on late-comers!
The travel day
We started our journey in Bacalar, taking an early morning ADO bus for around 40 minutes to Chetumal.
No matter where you’re coming from, buses arrive at a station in the northern corner of the city, meaning you need to take a 10-15 minute taxi to the waterfront. I’m sure local bus routes may exist, but the taxi was simple and you can often split the cost with other travellers!
- Arrival at the port – Ask for the ‘Marina’ or ‘muelle fiscal’. You will need to walk the length of the pier to the immigration building, and present yourself to a member of staff who will hand you the first (of many!) forms.
- Mexican immigration – Proceedings at the port are thorough and include bag and passport checks. To be honest, it’s a whole lot of waiting around. I’d recommend having some cash with you just in case you’re asked to pay a small exit fee or port tax.
- On the ferry & San Pedro – Our ferry left at 3:30pm, and after an uneventful two hour crossing, arrived in San Pedro. Those travelling onwards to Caye Caulker are split into a separate group, are processed in the immigration building, and come back out by the boat. We managed to get through pretty quickly, but often ferry staff take a break here and you won’t leave the port for an hour or so!
- Back on board – After lingering in San Pedro, the trip to Caye Caulker is only around 45 minutes. The San Pedro- Caye Caulker leg is slightly more scenic, with mangrove forest islands and wildlife to watch from the window. You should arrive in Caye Caulker at around 6:30pm!
What to expect from Chetumal
We arrived in Chetumal with six hours to kill before the ferry, and if I’m totally honest – they weren’t easy hours to bump off.
Chetumal is not a popular backpacking hub and has a practical, local feel that speaks more to the maritime industry than international tourism. Our brief city exploration did lead us to friendly cafes and pretty local parks, but it didn’t strike me as somewhere you could plan more than a day or two around.
I don’t want to be too harsh; there are nearby archaeological sites, beaches and cenotes, but a lot of the ‘best things to do in Chetumal’ seem to involve a backwards trip to Bacalar. Perhaps a pleasant non-touristy stopover, but not a major Mexican highlight.
Is it safe?
We were surprised by the number of other travellers who were avoiding a Chetumal-Caye Caulker crossing because they’d heard negative reviews of the city. I can’t speak for a longer stay, but in the daytime, nothing spooky was going on.
Around the ADO bus station and further from the marina we definitely got a few looks for our annoyingly large backpacks, but even as female travellers, the city’s vibe was not a hostile one.
Should you stay overnight before the ferry?
My answer to this depends on where you’re coming from and which ferry service you’ve selected.
Naturally, if you have a 10 am departure from Chetumal’s port, I’d recommend staying in the city overnight regardless. However, if you’ve opted for a 3:30pm start then I’d suggest just getting an ADO bus in the early morning to ensure a timely arrival.
Throughout our time in Mexico, ADO was a reliable service and buses are scheduled throughout the morning from Bacalar to Chetumal and from other areas of southern Quintana Roo.
If you’re coming from Tulum or anywhere further north, stay the night in Chetumal. Swapping services or hitting traffic is unpredictable and even that 3:30pm departure would be a tight turnaround!
If you need to spend the night in the city, The Downtown Hostel is reputable amongst travellers for a simple, affordable stay. The walk down to the port in the morning is only around eight minutes, and while the rooms definitely aren’t on the luxury side, roughly $10 for a dorm bed is an absolute steal for Eastern Mexico!
Made it to Caye Caulker? Check out our accommodation guide for the best areas and picks by budget. And for the island’s day-to-day – what to eat, what to do, when to go snorkeling – our full Caye Caulker guide has you covered.
