The boat leaves Placencia at 9am. Thirty-five minutes later, you step onto white coral sand so soft it feels like powder. Moho Caye sits 12 miles offshore, a private 12-acre island where turquoise shallows reveal coral beds you can snorkel in minutes. No resort. No restaurant. Just 2,980 feet of beach, hammocks strung between coconut palms, and water so clear you see the reef from shore.
This is the Caribbean island tourists don’t know exists. While Caye Caulker draws thousands daily, Moho welcomes handfuls. The entry fee costs $10. Bring your lunch.
An island that stayed wild
Moho Caye sits on the fringe of Laughing Bird Caye National Park, 9 miles west of the Belize Barrier Reef. The island measures 12 acres of untouched coastline. Three-quarters of the beach is white coral sand, finer and softer than the quartz-mixed shores on developed cayes. Coconut, almond, and oak trees shade picnic tables and beach loungers left for visitors.
The sister island, Ray Caye, built a luxury resort with pools and beach bars. Moho stayed raw. No structures beyond grills and hammocks. No staff. Boats arrive, visitors claim a spot, and the island absorbs them into its quiet rhythm.
What makes this different
Access without reservations
Any boat can land here. Groups under 25 people need no advance notice. Larger groups email ahead. Local captains from Placencia run trips for $50-100 per person round-trip. The 35-minute ride crosses calm water during December through March, the dry season when seas flatten and visibility peaks.
Camping costs $20 per person per night. Day-trippers pay $10 entry. Children under 12 enter free. The island provides grills, tables, chairs, hammocks, and volleyball nets. You bring everything else: food, drinks, snorkel gear, trash bags. One restroom charges $1. That’s the entire infrastructure.
Reefs you wade to
Countless small coral systems ring the island. You walk into knee-deep water and see brain corals, sea fans, parrotfish, angelfish, blue tang. The reef sits steps from shore. No boat needed. Water temperature holds at 78-82°F through winter. Visibility stretches clear to the coral.
A visitor in March 2025 described it simply: “Lunch on a beautiful little island, sun on the beach or lounge in hammocks under dense shade.” The snorkeling happens whenever you want. The reef doesn’t close.
What you actually do here
Snorkel, grill, repeat
Morning arrivals claim hammocks or beach chairs. Some snorkel first, following parrotfish through coral gardens where nurse sharks and stingrays pass occasionally. Others grill lunch brought from Placencia: fresh fish, chicken, vegetables. The grills work. The shade holds. The water stays turquoise.
Afternoon means more snorkeling or beach volleyball or reading in a hammock while trade winds move palm fronds overhead. No schedule. No activities coordinator. The island offers space and you fill it however fits. Most visitors stay 4-6 hours. Campers watch sunset turn the water gold, then sleep under stars with waves as the only sound.
The food you bring
Placencia markets sell everything you need. Fresh conch ceviche, lobster tails, fry jacks, coconut rice. Pack it in coolers. The island has no vendors, no restaurant, no bar. This keeps crowds low and prices lower. A full day costs entry plus boat fare plus whatever groceries you choose. Total: $70-120 per person including transport.
The quiet that stays
By 3pm, most boats head back to Placencia. The beach empties. Campers have the island. The reef keeps working: parrotfish scraping coral, angelfish drifting through fans, small barracuda hunting in shallows. The water holds its turquoise even as light fades.
This isn’t the Maldives. It’s better in one way: it costs a fraction and feels more real. The coral sand, the palm shade, the reef steps from shore. All of it exists without the resort layer. You get the postcard without the polish.
Your questions about Moho Caye answered
How do I get there from Belize City?
Fly into Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (BZE). Shuttle to Placencia takes 3-4 hours and costs $100-150 for two people. Domestic flights run 35 minutes for $150-250 total. From Placencia, hire a boat captain. Fin Obsession Tours, Sunny Side Tours, and Seahorse Dive Shop all run trips. The 35-minute ride costs $50-100 per person round-trip. Total travel time from BZE: 4-6 hours.
When should I visit?
December through March brings dry season. Seas calm, skies clear, water visibility peaks. February sits in the sweet spot: warm but not hot, calm but not crowded. Water temperature holds at 78-82°F. Rain stays minimal. This is when the turquoise shallows show every coral detail.
How does it compare to Caye Caulker?
Caye Caulker draws thousands of tourists daily. Moho sees handfuls. Caye Caulker has hostels, restaurants, bars, dive shops. Moho has hammocks and grills. Caye Caulker costs more and feels busier. Moho costs less and stays quiet. Both offer excellent snorkeling near the Belize Barrier Reef, but Moho sits 9 miles closer to the reef and requires you to bring your own provisions. If you want infrastructure, choose Caulker. If you want seclusion, choose Moho.
The last boat back leaves at 4pm. Most visitors make it easily. Some stay through sunset, watching the reef fade to silhouette as the sky turns orange over Placencia. The water holds its color longest, turquoise deepening to blue as light drains. Then stars. Then waves. Then sleep on an island that chose to stay wild.