I love sailing. After sailing around the San Blas Islands in Panama, I knew I wanted more time on the water. Belize made that very easy, with clear turquoise sea, small cayes and the Belize Barrier Reef almost constantly beside you. A caye is basically a small island made of coral or sand, and you will pass several of them while sailing along the Belize Barrier Reef. The Ragga Sailing Adventures 3 Days & 2 Nights trip takes you one way from Caye Caulker to Dangriga, with snorkeling, fishing, island stays, food and drinks included.

Three days on this route gives you a good mix of sailing, being in the water and sleeping on tiny islands along the reef. This isn’t a luxury cruise; you spend a lot of time outside, the first night is in a tent and your days revolve around the sea. That was exactly what attracted to me!

Booking Ragga Sailing Adventures

Book this trip before arriving on Caye Caulker if your Belize route is already fixed. The 3-day trip normally leaves on Tuesdays and Fridays and only departs when the weather and minimum numbers allow it. The detailed Ragga Sailing Adventures (not sponsored!) tour page lists the trip at US$650 per person; check the final price when you book. The tour includes taxes, snorkeling and fishing equipment, camping gear, marine reserve and island fees, food and drinks.

It is also important to know that this is a one-way sailing trip from Caye Caulker to Dangriga. You don’t return to the island at the end, so plan the next part of your trip before you leave.

Book your next accommodation before departure. Don’t count on having a reliable signal during the trip, and it is much nicer to know where you are going once you reach Dangriga.

Check the payment method with Ragga Sailing Adventures when you book. I would also bring some USD cash to Caye Caulker for tips and small extras rather than relying completely on the ATMs.

Before the 3 day sailing trip

Before departure you get information about what to pack and how the trip works. During my trip we also fitted our snorkeling gear and met the other travelers and crew before leaving. Your main luggage is stored away during the sailing trip, so keep the things you need during the day in a small bag. Swimwear, sunscreen, a towel, dry clothes, sunglasses and something comfortable for the evening should be easy to reach.

Charge your phone, camera and GoPro before leaving and bring a power bank. You will spend most of the trip on the boat or on small islands, so don’t count on having easy access to charging points.

Bring a small dry bag or waterproof phone case for your phone, passport and anything else that really needs to stay dry. You are in and around the water all day.

If you are sensitive to seasickness, bring motion sickness tablets and take them before you start feeling unwell. The route stays largely inside the reef, but you are still spending a lot of time on a moving boat.

What is included in the Ragga Sailing Adventures trip?

One reason the price makes more sense once you are on board is that almost everything is arranged. Food, drinks, snorkeling gear, fishing equipment, camping gear and accommodation are included. The meals surprised me most. I expected simple boat food and instead we had ceviche, fresh fish, fruit, vegetables, pasta, eggs and Belizean fry jacks. And then there was the Rum Punch! The crew does much more than sail the boat. They prepare food, help with snorkeling stops, work with the fishing gear, clean the catch and somehow keep everything running while everybody else is swimming or lying on deck.

Day 1: Caye Caulker to Rendezvous Caye

Departure is in the morning from Caye Caulker. Once your main bag is stored, find a comfortable place on the boat because the first day has the longest sailing time. The front of the boat became my favorite spot. Breeze through my hair, reggae music, sun on my face and the reef around us. One of the crew members eventually asked why I was smiling all the time. Fair question, but just look around.

The route stays inside the Belize Barrier Reef, which keeps the water much calmer than sailing out in the open Caribbean. Along the way you stop to snorkel and fish. One thing surprised me: the sails were up, but the engine helped us along part of the way. It isn’t pure sailing for three days. The crew needs to cover the distance and get you to the islands on time, so expect a combination of sails and motor when needed. That didn’t bother me; there was still plenty of time with the wind, music and sea around us.

Snorkeling and fishing along the reef

The first snorkeling stops quickly show you what the next three days will look like. Jump in, swim over the reef, climb back onto the boat and continue south. Fishing is also part of the trip. Trolling lines are used while sailing and spearfishing can take place outside the protected marine reserves. The nice part is that what comes out of the sea may also end up on your plate later. Fresh fish and ceviche taste even better after spending half the day in the water.

Sleeping on Rendezvous Caye

The first night is spent on Rendezvous Caye, a tiny island with white sand and turquoise water. This is camping. The crew provides the tents, mats and sheets, and you set up your sleeping place on the island. Choose your tent spot well if you want to wake up with the sunrise in front of you. That is what I did. It wasn’t the best night’s sleep of my life, but before bed there was time to swim, sit on the beach, drink Rum Punch and eat the fish caught during the day.

Then everybody disappeared into their tents. No fancy bed, no air conditioning and no fancy bathroom, but you are sleeping on a tiny remote island in the Belize Barrier Reef! How surreal it gets!

Day 2: More snorkeling and Tobacco Caye

A few drops of rain woke me early the next morning, but the sunrise outside the tent made getting up easy. First into the sea, then breakfast, pack the tent and back on the boat. Day 2 has less sailing and more time around the reef. This was one of my favorite days for snorkeling.

If you are lucky, you can see turtles, rays, tropical fish, barracudas and coral in all kinds of shapes. Join one of the spearfishing snorkels if the crew offers it. I went along a few times and loved watching how skilled they were underwater. Mirja, middle name Mermaid.

Stop at Tobacco Caye

Tobacco Caye is one of those tiny Belize islands where you can walk around and quickly realize there isn’t much you need to do. During my trip we stopped here before continuing farther south. You find simple accommodation, a few places to eat and water all around you. One of the other passengers decided to stay a few extra nights on Tobacco Caye after the sailing trip. I immediately understood why. The current Ragga Sailing Adventures itinerary uses Tobacco Caye for the second night, so you now have more time here than I did during my trip. Accommodation is simple, mostly dorm-style rooms with bunk beds.

If you want more privacy, you can request a private cabana with shower facilities for an extra US$100 per accommodation for two people. It depends on availability and is confirmed shortly before departure.

Sleeping on Ragga Caye

My own second night was spent on Ragga Caye, which was part of the itinerary when I sailed. It was another very small island, this time with simple rooms, a basic shower and a common area where everyone ate together. Fresh barracuda was served for dinner and the Rum Punch appeared again. The route now uses Tobacco Caye for the second night, so your overnight stop will be different from mine. The style of the trip is still similar: simple accommodation, dinner together and another evening surrounded by water.

Day 3: South Water Caye and more snorkeling in Belize

By Day 3 everybody knows the routine. Breakfast, swimwear, snorkeling gear and back onto the water. My trip included stops around Frigate Bird Island and Swallow Caye Wildlife Sanctuary, where we looked for manatees. One appeared briefly before disappearing again. Stops can change depending on conditions and the itinerary, so I wouldn’t choose the trip specifically for those two places. The reef is the real reason to go.

Snorkeling South Water Caye Marine Reserve

The snorkeling around South Water Caye Marine Reserve was the best of the trip for me. We saw stingrays, green sea turtles, nurse sharks, sea stars, sea fans and plenty of colorful fish. After three days of jumping in and out of the Caribbean, I still didn’t want to get back on the boat. If snorkeling in Belize is one of the reasons you are traveling here, this is where the 3-day sailing trip really works. Instead of taking one boat to one reef and returning to the same hotel, you keep moving south and wake up somewhere different the next morning.

Arriving in Dangriga

After the final lunch, the trip finishes with a boat transfer into Dangriga. The schedule aims to have guests in Dangriga at around 2:45 to 3 PM. From here you continue overland rather than sailing back to Caye Caulker. Everybody on my boat became unusually quiet on that final transfer. Three days of sun, swimming, food and Rum Punch may have had something to do with that. But everybody was smiling!!

Is Ragga Sailing Adventures worth it?

For me, yes. This isn’t a small amount of money, especially when you are traveling through Central America for several weeks. But look at what those three days include: transport from Caye Caulker to Dangriga, two nights of accommodation, all meals and drinks, snorkeling, fishing, equipment and three days around the Belize Barrier Reef. The trip also turns getting from one part of Belize to another into part of the experience instead of just another travel day.

The accommodation is basic and there is quite a lot of time on the boat. If you need a private room, hot shower and hotel comfort every evening, this probably isn’t the right trip. If you like snorkeling, being outside and don’t mind sand in places where sand shouldn’t be, it is a very fun way to travel through Belize.

Where to go after Dangriga

Dangriga is a useful starting point for continuing farther south. I traveled on towards Hopkins and Placencia, which fits naturally after three days on the water. You can also head inland towards San Ignacio or continue north again if your Belize route works the other way around. My preference would still be to continue south. After Caye Caulker and three days of sailing, Hopkins and Placencia are an easy next step without feeling like more of the same. And after two simple island nights, a proper shower isn’t a bad idea either