4 Nights at a Private Island Resort in Belize: Shaka Caye Review
This was my first time at an all-inclusive resort, and holy smokes, I loved it! When you’re at a place as beautiful as Shaka Caye Island Resort, what’s not to love? The staff was so gracious and hospitable, and the views were majestic (I’d never seen the Caribbean before); the drinks were delicious, and having four days to relax and unwind was simply amazing.
If you’re looking for a 10/10 place to enjoy a vacation to Belize without the crowds, noise, or chaos, I think you’ll find tranquility at Shaka Caye. Inside, I’ll dive into what we did each day, what all-inclusive looks like here, plenty more helpful information to plan your trip, and how to enjoy your vacation to Belize.
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Shaka Caye Island Resort Review
Let’s dive into all my thoughts about staying at Shaka Caye Private Island Resort.
What We Loved
- Everything was easy and convenient. Not having to worry about travel plans meant we could sit back and relax.
- The staff was excellent. Super friendly, accommodating, always reachable, and open to chatting while at the bar. We truly felt welcomed.
- Closeness to snorkeling. It was only a 25-minute boat ride.
- Breakfasts were phenomenal. 10/10.
- No sargassum. White sand beaches. Clear, turquoise colored water.
- At one point, we were the only guests on the island, so we loved the privacy and calm of the island.
- Having AC in the villas.
What Do You Get with an All-Inclusive Package
You get pretty much everything, which is amazing. You get three meals per day, plus snacks if you wish. You also get full bar service with local beers and liquor. They make some TASTY drinks. You also get to use the paddleboards and kayak around the property, along with games and their media room.
Lastly, you get a boat ride to and from the island, plus an airport pickup/drop-off. It makes traveling in Belize hassle-free and easy.
What is NOT included in your All-Inclusive Package
Higher-end liquor isn’t included, but there’s really no reason to want it when the options they have are great.
Additionally, your excursions are not included. For a couple, if you do one excursion per day, you are likely looking at an extra $500-$750 – though it will vary based on what you want to do.
What Were Our Slight Criticisms
There aren’t many.
- We hoped (expected?) more seafood/fish options. They only had Snapper, which is fine, but it’s full of tiny bones, making it more time-intensive to eat. We figured there might be salmon or other options. The shrimp was delicious, though.
- This isn’t really about our experience, but just know that if the weather is not great, they will cancel tours, and it can feel like you’re stuck on an island – which you are, haha – if it happens more than once.
How Much Does Staying At Shaka Caye Cost Per Night?
The nightly rates for rooms vary by date and by the type of room you choose. During peak season, usually December through March, you’ll find higher rates. But over the summer months, when it is their rainy season, rates drop.
Below you’ll see the room options and the ballpark cost range for two adults.
- 1-bedroom, partial ocean view suite – $891 – $1,040/night
- 1-bedroom, beachfront suite – $991 – $1,160/night
- 1-bedroom, ocean villa – $791 – $1,037.50/night
- 2-bedroom beachfront suite – $1,816 – $2,300/night
- 2-bedroom presidential ocean villa (the largest and most expensive of them all, more private, but worse views) – $2,016 – $2,650/night
How We Spent Our Days at Shaka Caye Resort
Here’s a daily rundown of how we spent our time at the resort to help you better understand what to do and/or structure your future trip.
Day 1 – First Day on Shaka Caye Private Island Resort
Our day started in Denver with a 7:25am flight, a short layover in Houston, and continued to Belize City. When we landed, it was raining and wouldn’t stop until we were 2/3’s of the way through the boat ride.
The team at Shaka Caye picked us up at the airport and took us to the boathouse, where we boarded the boat and headed out. Jaimie and I were greeted graciously by the team. Within moments of stepping off the boat, we had cold rum drinks in hand and were so excited to spend the next four nights at Shaka Caye Private Island Resort.
The rest of our first day consisted of a late lunch, settling in, swimming, and indulging in quite a few tasty rum drinks.
Day 2 – Hangout on the Private Island
Our first full day at Shaka Caye was a quiet one. But that was much needed. My wife’s a doctor in her fellowship and needed some lounging time. So, this was perfect.
We enjoyed our meals, drank lots of rum, played games on the island, read, used the hammocks, and swam. It was a perfect island day.
Day 3 – Paddleboarding & Sand Bar Lunch
On the third day, we wanted to get off the island for a bit. We arranged a Sand Bar lunch, though the tide was too high to set up lunch fully. Still, we walked and swam around the sand bar, seeing some fish and stingrays.
We had lunch on the boat, used the floaties, and drank a beer in the clear waters of the Caribbean. What’s not to like?
Day 4 – Adventure Day: Snorkeling, Caye Caulker Day & Shark-Ray Alley
This was easily the most fun day at Shaka Caye. The winds had died down enough for us to go for a morning snorkel, and what a fun day it was! The Belize Barrier Reef is the second largest in the world and home to an incredibly diverse ecosystem.
After a 25-minute boat ride south, we anchored and hopped in the perfect-temperature water. Less than 10 minutes later, we spotted a manatee! While they aren’t rare, it’s not every day you get to see them. We snorkeled for two hours, weaving and bobbing around coral and fish. It was a phenomenal experience and probably my best day ever underwater.
After getting back and taking a bit to relax, we headed back onto the boat for a day at Caye Caulker and all the fun things to do around it.
It’s about a 40-minute ride to Caye Caulker, but with gorgeous views, we hardly noticed. Our Captain Edwin dropped us off and let us explore the island for three hours. We did a little bit of walking, but because it was so warm, we quickly made our way to the Lazy Lizard for drinks and lunch.
After enjoying our time on the island and cooling off in the water, we began the adventure portion of the trip.
First, stingrays. Jaimie and I nervously ventured towards the beach where others were standing in the water. “Would they sting us?” we wondered. Thankfully, they didn’t. They were totally harmless and docile. Just make sure to act normal and don’t do anything that would cause commotion.
Next up were the Tarpons. These are prehistoric fish, dating back 100 million years. And when you see them, you’ll immediately think about dinosaurs! We bought some bait (small fish) and held it out over the water.
Almost immediately, the fish started circling beneath the surface, and out of nowhere, one jumped a foot out of the water to eat it. (You can see the video here.) I also quickly grabbed an anchovy and held it up, and seconds later, a bird swooped down and snatched it from my hand.
The last big finale was swimming with nurse sharks! This was definitely one of the highlights of the day and our trip to Belize. There wasn’t much instruction other than hop in and have fun. We were the last boat of the day, which meant all the sharks converged on us as soon as the fish were thrown into the water.
It’s a slightly eerie experience. Nurse Sharks won’t bite a huge gash out of you, but they can still cause damage if they wanted to. Thankfully, they aren’t aggressive if you’re not aggressive.
I definitely tried to keep my distance, but the current pushed me quite close a few times, which caused me to stand up… but then I had to worry about not stepping on a stingray! Talk about chaotic – but fun.
Watching them interact with the other sharks and rays was fascinating. Such a fun, yet nerve-wracking experience!
Day 5 – Final Day at Shaka Caye Island Resort
On our final day at Shaka Caye Island Resort, we enjoyed breakfast on our porch and went paddleboarding. It was a perfect way to end our trip before heading off to the mainland and Jade Jungle Resort for another four nights!
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Is Shaka Caye Worth It?
1000% yes, Shaka Caye Private Island Resort is worth it. Jaimie and I had the best time – and it was my first time at an all-inclusive resort. Not having to worry about any logistics, meals, or excursions made for a wonderful first half of our trip to Belize.
I’ve mentioned it before, but the staff was truly great. So nice and friendly, always open to helping out, and they had someone at the bar serving drinks whenever you showed up. And the rooms were very nice and offered everything that we needed. (Especially AC!)
I so highly recommend a stay here. You’re in for a treat!
Paradise is calling. Will you answer?
FAQ for Staying at Shaka Caye Private Island Resort
Yes, you can. If you’re not planning to spend any nights inland on your vacation, you can book a full-day jungle tour. This tends to be a very long day, but can include activities such as: Cave Tubing and Ziplining, Xunantunich Ruins, ATM Cave, and more.
Yes. Thankfully! Belize is quite warm, and having AC in the rooms was heavenly. We really appreciated getting to sleep with cooler temperatures and not be roasting at night.
This somewhat depends. The best time of the year with the least weather is winter. However, that’s more expensive. If you want more affordable prices, visit in the summer. We visited in mid-June, technically the beginning of the rainy season, but only had one day of rain – when we arrived. Also, both Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker were dealing with sargassum at this time, but we had zero, which was incredible.
Yes, there is wifi across the island, so you can work from anywhere if you want to. (Not that I’d recommend it. Take time to detox.)
It can be good for both, but at the price point, I would probably leave the kids at home. However, if the kids love fishing, spending time in the water, or playing games, they would love it here. But if they want to stare at their phones, leave them at home.
Snorkeling, kayaking, paddleboarding, and fishing are all offered, plus guided trips to the nearby Belize Barrier Reef. The resort can also arrange spa treatments, sunset cruises, and inland tours to the mainland if you want a day off the sand.
This is one of the best selling points of coming to Shaka Caye. The number of people is capped, and it’s usually under 15 at its max. The unknown factor is that you can fit more people in the Presidential Suite if you wanted to. But if only two people stay in each bedroom, there should be only 12 guests on the island at any given time.
The team at Shaka Caye arranges a boat ride for you to come and leave the island. It’s about 25 minutes and isn’t too bumpy – though weather can change that. There is the ability to rent a private helicopter if you really want to get to the island fast. But that seems to be a very small use case.
Yes. The package covers lodging, meals, and drinks. Add-ons like day excursions, spa treatments, and specific water activities cost extra. The resort website has a breakdown of excursion costs.
Shaka Caye Resort is a 25-minute boat ride to a very small private island east of Belize City. (You can actually see Belize City from the island.) It is just north of St. George’s Caye. Unless you zoom in, you’ll hardly see it on a map.
Belize and the USA use the same outlets, so you don’t need an adaptor when you visit.
Yes. English is officially the country’s language, though not the most common tongue. But there were no language barriers at the resort. No need to fret.
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More Photos from our time at Shaka Caye
Final Thoughts on Staying at Shaka Caye Private Island Resort in Belize
As you can see in the photos and everything we did, we had a blast spending four nights at Shaka Caye Resort. It’s a gem in the Caribbean and very much geared towards Americans. If you’re looking for a place to stay while exploring the beauty of Belize, this is the place to go!
You will leave happy and full of memories.
Until next time, adventurers, stay safe.
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