Belize is a top-class fishing destination for lots of reasons. The country has a long coastline, with 200 cayes offshore, plus 18 major rivers, creating a natural marine environment. Home to the world's second largest barrier reef, Belize boasts over 500 species of fish and many other types of marine wildlife.
When you land there, you see a painted little billboard that says, “Welcome Home.” And, when I got off my puddle jumper flight, that’s exactly what happened, I felt like I was home. When I talk to fellow expats here, that was their feeling, too.
How about building your perfect custom home on a few acres of your own land, free from the pressures of permits and architects and construction complications? Add saving money by living off-grid and growing your own food...and you can see why my American expat friend did exactly this.
“A lot of people come to Belize for retirement, even if just for the winter, but I’ve been coming here all my life,” says Dan Bingham originally from Ontario, Canada but now a full-time resident of Spanish Lookout in Belize’s Cayo District.
My husband, Scott, and I have owned the Palapa Bar and Grill on Ambergris Caye for 13 years. We've seen a lot in our days here—including our total destruction and rebuild after Hurricane Earl. The arrival of this virus has been unprecedented.
Sittee River is one such spot that has the frozen-in-time feel. The region is situated next to the authentic, welcoming Garifuna community of Hopkins, in southern Belize. This sleepy, historically Kriol area has some huge draws for expats, many of whom say they fell in love the moment they entered the community.
Belize is a hot spot for expat retirees, but it's also a hot spot for expat entrepreneurs. There is a wealth of expat and local needs and wants still not being met, and that means it's fertile ground for new businesses.
I was talking to an expat friend the other day. We were chatting about how much Belize has to offer in the way of exotic experiences. We happened to be on one of Belize’s exotic cayes (islands, there are over 400 cayes off the mainland) during this chat. Having spent the day playing in the water, swinging in hammocks, and enjoying a beach barbeque, the captain offered to take us a little farther away to the reef, where some great snorkeling could be done.
I have been living in Belize for eight years now, in the Xaibe area about five miles west of Corozal. The property is an extraordinary 30-acre island of forest in a sea of sugar cane. One of our philosophies is to really practice "living in harmony with nature"; we can learn so much from it.
Here is a list to help you gain a deeper understanding of what it takes to succeed in the long term… This is just an overview of the kind of "next level" challenges you'll encounter once you decide to settle…