What do I need to know before moving to Belize?
When we asked people what advice they would give someone preparing to move to Belize, they said...
"The Placencia Peninsula is approximately 14-16 miles long. The Placencia Road that connects to the Southern Highway is about 24 miles long, with the northern most 8-10 miles on the mainland. Riversdale, a tiny community right on the ocean is the most northern habitation on the peninsula itself. A few homes, a small resort, and that is about it. The "Plantation" area starts just south of Riversdale. It is all residential on the sea side of the peninsula, but toward the southern end of the area residences and lots are available on the lagoon side. There is no city or private water supply to this area. Everyone who lives there has cisterns or other water catchments to collect rain water. In dry season, there are people who provide water tanker service to fill cisterns or pools. There are no grocery or other types of stores until you reach Maya Beach, about 15 miles south of the Southern Highway. Between Plantation and Maya Beach you will find a lot of homes, lots, and a couple of resorts, but no commercial activity. Maya Beach is a popular residential community, with mostly homes, several small resorts, a few restaurants with bars, two small grocery stores, and a police station. A few miles south of Maya Beach is Seine Bight. A Garifuna community, and home to many workers from other countries such as Guatemala, Mexico, and Honduras. There are a couple of small groceries and restaurants, a large grocery with pharmacy, and just outside the village some large resorts. It is another 8 miles or so south to reach the village of Placencia (Punta Placencia). Between Seine Bight and Placencia Village there are a multitude of residences, lots, a number of commercial entities, and just outside of the village is the Placencia airport (airstrip). The village is where you will find almost all shopping amenities, medical services (government clinic and a private doctor practice), restaurants, bars, pharmacy, nice beaches, hotel accommodations, gift shops, clothing (mostly re-sale) shops, coffee houses (2), hardware stores, and service locations for phone and cable. I have been living on the peninsula for over 6 years, and love it," remarked another expat in Placencia, Belize.
"Look for a place where you don't necessarily need a vehicle. Gas is expensive here. Rely on local transportation as much as you can. We bought a Chinese made truck (diesel) here. Not 4WD but a truck. We live in the Cayo, between San Ignacio and Spanish Lookout. Lots of unpaved country roads, hence the truck. Diesel is a bit over $6 USD/gallon," said a member in Belize.
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Other Questions:
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- How do I meet people in Belize?
- What is life like in Belize?
- Is there a lot of crime in Belize?
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- What are the visa & residency requirements in Belize?
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- What do I need to know when buying property in Belize?
- Are foreigners allowed to own property in Belize?
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What do I need to know before moving to Belize?
If you live in Belize, newcomers to Belize would love to hear your answer to this question.
About the Author
Betsy Burlingame is the Founder and President of Expat Exchange and is one of the Founders of Digital Nomad Exchange. She launched Expat Exchange in 1997 as her Master's thesis project at NYU. Prior to Expat Exchange, Betsy worked at AT&T in International and Mass Market Marketing. She graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with a BA in International Business and German.
Some of Betsy's articles include 12 Best Places to Live in Portugal, 7 Best Places to Live in Panama and 12 Things to Know Before Moving to the Dominican Republic. Betsy loves to travel and spend time with her family. Connect with Betsy on LinkedIn.