5-Night Belize Family Vacation Itinerary for Kids 6 & Under
5 ½ Year old jr. snorkeler at the Caye Caulker Nurse Shark Encouter, 2025
Belize can be a magical place to experience through the eyes of a young child, especially when the adventure moves at their pace.
This 5-night Casa Al Mar itinerary is designed specifically for families with children ages 6 and under, balancing exciting firsts like snorkeling, fishing, nurse sharks, sandbars, and tubing with plenty of time to swim, play, explore the island, and simply be together. And because your boat, captain, guide, chef, and Casa Al Mar team are dedicated just to your family, each day can work around little travelers, nap times, weather, and whatever everyone feels like doing next. For our littlest guests, a crib, high chair, and baby bath are also available upon request, making packing and settling in just a little easier. Casa Al Mar can accommodate groups of 8 to 14 guests.
Day 1: Welcome to Your Island Home
After arriving in Belize, your family will be greeted at the airport exit by the Casa Al Mar team and escorted to St. George’s Caye by private boat. The transfer to Belize City takes place by van and is only 25-minutes, the boat ride immediately following is 20-minutes, so travel time is short and very manageable for young children. Life jackets are available on board all our boats for both children and adults.
After settling into your 6-bedroom home, spend the afternoon exploring St. George’s Caye.
The kids can:
Jump into the warm Caribbean waters and swim from the East Dock
Play in the sand box equipped with toys
Search for sea creatures along the shoreline
Take a walk to collect shells. Evening strolls with the Caribbean Sea breeze hit different.
Play any of the games on the property such as giant tic-tac-toe or corn hole
Every child that visits Casa Al Mar gets a island wildlife check-list. It quickly becomes their mission to spot all the land and sea creatures on this list. At the end of the trip, they will receive ‘Casa Explorer’ sticker badge for their efforts during their trip.
As the sun sets, enjoy your first chef-prepared dinner while the kids settle into island life. The Casa Al Mar chef always accommodate young palettes and even cooks special treats for them.
Day 2: Snorkeling, West Side Kayaking & Fishing from the Dock
Snorkeling for Little Explorers
For many children, snorkeling in Belize is their first real look at the underwater world, and we can make that introduction as gentle as they need. Before heading out to the reef, kids can practice wearing their mask, putting their face in the water, and getting comfortable snorkeling right off the dock at Casa Al Mar. We generally recommend snorkeling for children ages 5 and older, depending on swimming ability and confidence. Younger children don't have to miss out, though. They can still swim and splash in many of the same beautiful areas where the rest of the family snorkels, allowing everyone to enjoy the experience together at a pace that feels right.
After your first island breakfast and introduction, you will board your private boat for the first snorkeling adventure on the Belize Barrier Reef. Your captain will select the best location to introduce young explorers to Belize’s incredible underwater world filled with colorful tropical fish and vibrant coral. Most of the snorkel sites we visit are just a 15-20 minute boat ride away from Casa Al Mar.
Return to Casa Al Mar for a chef-prepared lunch, followed by a relaxing afternoon at the house. Spend time swimming from the dock, enjoying the hammocks, or simply unwinding while the kids play along the shoreline or in the front yard. (Hide & Seek is widely popular among kids since the front and back yards are so expansive.)
As the day begins to cool, head out back to take the littles for peaceful evening kayak, the west side of the island provides calm waters make it perfect for young families, offering a chance to spot seabirds, fish, and the beautiful colors of the Caribbean at sunset.
Before dinner, try your luck fishing right from the same back dock you board your kayak from. It’s a fun and easy way to introduce children to fishing, and you never know what might be biting just steps from the house.
Return inside for another delicious chef-prepared dinner.
Day 3: Sandbars, Tubing & Crab Races
Today is all about carefree family fun. After breakfast, head to one of the beautiful nearby sandbars where crystal-clear, shallow water stretches as far as the eye can see. Because the sandbars are just minutes from Casa Al Mar, you can stay as long—or as little—as your family likes. Young children love this area because the waters are calm and shallow. When you’re at the Sandbar enjoy
Relaxing in waist-deep (or less) water
Floating on one of Casa Al Mar’s inflatable tubes, don’t worry the captain will be sure to pack them
Kids can tube behind the boat to and from the sandbar
Drinks and snacks are sent by the chef and served by your on-board bartender.
Return in the early afternoon for lunch, take a break from the sun and then around 5:00pm, set out for one of St. George’s Caye’s favorite traditions: finding soldier crabs and having races!
Search the island and collect soldier crabs, then enjoy friendly soldier crab races before releasing them safely back into their natural habitat.
Day 4: Nurse Sharks, Rays & Caye Caulker
Today will be one of your most unforgettable experiences in Belize.
After breakfast, travel by private boat to the world-famous Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Encounter, where your family will have the opportunity to snorkel at the Caye Caulker coral gardens and then swim alongside gentle nurse sharks and southern stingrays in crystal-clear Caribbean waters. Your licensed guide will ensure the experience is comfortable, safe, and suited to your family’s confidence in the water. Children who are not comfortable getting in the water, can still enjoy the amazing experience from the boat.
After the snorkel and the shark encounter, you can visit the wide side of Caye Caulker to try your hand at feeding tarpons, before returning back to the house by 4:00 pm. If time permits, you can get off the boat and explore the island as well.
Boat time is 35 minutes each way to Caye Caulker
The chef will send a packed lunch, drinks and snacks on the boat so you and your littles are fueled all day long.
Day 5: Fishing, Island Fun & a Farewell Dinner
After breakfast, you can chose a slow morning and an afternoon of drop fishing, or vice versa. Drop fishing is a simple, hands-on style of fishing where a baited line is lowered straight down into the water to catch fish below. Your captain and guide catch fresh sprat ahead of time for bait and help everyone with their lines, making it an easy and exciting activity for all ages, from young children catching their first fish to grandparents joining in the fun.
Afterwards:
Visit another nearby sandbar or
Come back to the house and swim off the dock
If luck was on your side while fishing, your private chef will prepare your catch for lunch or dinner. Spend the rest of your day making the most of your island paradise before gathering together for one last family dinner.
Farewell dinners are always under the stars, and for those traveling with small kids, it can be set up from as early as 5:30 or 6:00 pm
Departure Day
Enjoy one final breakfast before your private boat transfer back to Belize City and onward journey home. Standard check-out time is 10:00 am, and we suggest arriving to the airport 2 hours ahead of your flight time, so it’s important to leave Casa Al Mar at least 3 hours ahead. If your flight is before 1:00 pm, we can arrange an earlier departure. If your flight is later in the afternoon we can suggest some Belize City tours or lunch spots you can enjoy before going to the airport.
Although the vacation may be over, the memories of nurse sharks, sandbars, dock jumps, crab races, and quality family time together will last a lifetime.
Why This Itinerary & Casa Al Mar Works for Young Children
It’s all-inclusive. Your rate already covers all the experiences on this list.
Our location offers short boat rides for fishing, snorkeling and sandbars.
Flexible schedules mean if kids need more (or less) time on an activity, its no problem at all!
Plenty of swimming time and shallow, calm waters
Daily downtime with indoor and outdoor games to entertain without too much stimulation for kids
Wildlife encounters and family-friendly snorkeling
Tubing adventures, soldier crab races and creature spotting
