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Caye Caulker - Belize Island Paradise (cont.)

Maxhapan (http://www.toucantrail.com/Maxhapan-Cabins.html) stands out as a great place to stay. While not smack dab on the beachfront, it offers clean, well-kept cabanas with a large garden and a thatched roof. Relax on lounge chairs and hammocks on the common area patio, a perfect place for friends to gather, play cards or host a barbeque of the catch of the day.

Louisa Aguilar, the owner of Maxhapan, may be the most hospitable guest-house owner on the island, so book with the knowledge that you will be well taken care of.

She keeps snorkeling equipment and bicycles for guests to use during their stay, and recently left flowers for a guest on her birthday.

Many guesthouses have peculiar bathroom setups where the walls do not reach the ceiling. Delicate travelers won't like the bathroom's sound proofing, or lack thereof. Bring your iPod and mini-speakers or turn the TV on when nature calls.

Those looking for a deserted island feel will enjoy staying at The Driftwood which debuted in January 2008 and boasts canopy beds covered in crisp white mosquito nets and doors in each shower that open to the sea. While this may be the most romantic accommodation on the Caye, it is also the least convenient as you need to hop a water taxi in order to get to the main island where most of the bars, restaurants and excursions are based. Occasionally the water taxi takes a day off, so guests rely on kayaks to get to the main island.

Those not staying at the Driftwood, should consider floating over to it for dinner. The menu may be limited, but the food could be the best on Caye Caulker. The chief transforms lowly carrots into delectable dill-infused treats that melt in your mouth, and the seafood is spectacular.

Foodies beware: those looking for fine dining throughout the island will come away disappointed. While restaurants choices are considerable, the offerings at most are too often mediocre. Even the abundance of fresh seafood doesn't help, as much of it is prepared in an unimaginative fashion.

A notable exception to the ordinary Caye Caulker food is the highly rated Habaneras restaurant. Rasta Pasta also offers a few items worth savoring, like a heralded Kalua cheesecake. But why can't they make decent pasta, given their namesake?

Local merchants do offer great desserts, so give the street peddlers a try. Each afternoon, children sell fresh popcorn, coconut fudge and kettle corn from their mother's kitchens. But save some room for the delectable treats from the infamous banana bread peddler, who rides his bike around the island just before sunset selling breads, brownies and pastries.
If you can't decide which treat to buy, take one of each and revel in the delicious gluttony… it is vacation, after all!

The island's unofficial drink is the "Panty Ripper" - coconut rum and fresh squeezed pineapple juice. Panty Rippers are half price during happy hour, which starts as early as 10 a.m. at some island bars. They're tasty and the name alone will bring a naughty smirk. Island bars also serve delicious pina coladas, banana coladas and alcoholic smoothies.

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