½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

Hello,

We're a canadian family of 4 and like to move to Belize for 1 year. We're looking at Placendia for location. We would like to rent a condo. I looked at Peninsula Academy for school. I'm not to sure for the distance in town. Is Placendia large in distance? We don't plan on having a car. Can we use the bus for the children going to school? Is there any big grocery store around?
Thank you for your help!
Karine

Placentia is a small town. I believe you can walk to most places you need to go. There are several grocery stores in town

We are staying at the Placencia Village which is at the very southern end of the 16 mile long Placencia peninsula. There are quite a few grocery stores in the village as well as many fresh fruit/vegetable stands. There are also buses that run from the village to destinations north but we have not taken any. We are unfamiliar with the academy you mention but I doubt it is located within the village, perhaps further north around the Maya Beach area.

i'd love to know everything placentia!

You must experience Belize for yourself.    Each of the 5 districts is unique, varying in climate, geography, ethnicity,

what are the main differences between Corozal Town & Placencia? I'd assume both are roughly the same in safety (and risk) but I've never been there. I'm looking at small houses in both & having a hard time picking which. I want something quiet and I don't want grounds keepers or any of that noise. see my thread and it'll give a bit more of what in looking for. thanks in advance!

more redneck expats in Corazal.   more money in Placencia.   More bugs in Placencia.    you will have to see for yourself.

We are also preparing for Belize.  We visited caye caulker, corozal and ambergris caye last May.  Our choice was ambergris caye.  We loved the beaches, the small town with shops and bars, when we wanted or needed that. For us personally, Corozal was more secluded than we desired and with it being a bay, the water was not as nice.
Caye caulker is more low key, but beautiful and peaceful!

We are looking for property to live in part time and rent in high season.  We will do more traveling during those months, and return to US to visit our kids and grand kids, who think we are  crazy!  We are retiring early at 52.
I have not visited placencia, however have heard great things about the area.  I wish you the best of luck in your search!

kristinanadreau wrote:

more redneck expats in Corazal.   more money in Placencia.   More bugs in Placencia.    you will have to see for yourself.

I love this....but you forgot all the backstabbing and gossip going on here lmao

Fortunately I am seldom in the gossip loop.   What little I do hear is usually so obviously ignorant BS.   I mostly ignore it.         I have posted more on Lynns killing than on any other topic.   I have attempted to keep people focused on the very real disadvantages of attempting to live here in Belize.    Both property and persons are simply not safe here!    There is massive corruption & ignorance at every level of the government, which is culturally acceptable.   Just today, 2 tourists were kidnapped for ransom on Caye Caulker.   The kidnappers asked for $75,0000.   fortunately the tourists are safe.   What is the point of promoting a tourist industry, when no tourist is safe.    Why promote Belize as a retirement haven if our homes and property are not safe from theft and harm?    If I want to live in a slum, where I have no personal safety, I can find affordable housing in California & other cities of the USA.   In the USA, if I pay my taxes, no crook in the land office will fraudulently sell my home to some relative.   The advantage is that in the USA slum I can drive to a great grocery store within 20 minutes.   I can get my car reliably serviced.   The roads will not wreck my auto.   etc etc etc.......

Keep laughing.................  kris

The incident actually happened in Cayo.

Thank you Bridgett, for the correction. 

my uncensored remarks were supposed to be in a private message, NOT posted on the general blog, where I am  circumspect in my remarks.

i'm in the process of planning a two week trip to come check out southern mexico and southern belize and would love some info on what to do when i get there, or rather how to approach the trip...

1. money- i have never been to belize and will be traveling alone so i wasn't sure if i should plan on having cash or if plastic works just fine. i'm curious as to how much i should have on hand and/or available to me electronically and i'll break down the expenses i currently imagine below.

2. lodging- i hear a lot of varied opinions on where to stay, how to stay, what to pay, and when to book. i am an easy-to-please, semi-nomadic individual so i'm definitely not coming with the expectation of 5star luxury. i'd like something comfortable, safe, & by water. i'm not sure how picky i can be with this intended move so i can say i definitely want a smaller, more tight-knit community, even if that means just a smaller neighborhood in a surrounding larger area. my main question is the big one... should i book the month before i leave the states or just have cash accessible; and if the latter then (total ballpark estimation of course) how much?

3. food & water- i keep a pretty clean diet as of now... mainly consisting of fruits, vegetables, good carbs like quinoa and loads of brown rice, and hormone-free grass-fed meats or farm-raised fish. i've been vegan for periods of time and rather enjoyed it. i'm curious as to if my diet would have the ability to stay somewhat similar or if i should plan on it changing? i'm simple and only require the basics: rice, beans, fish... i'm good. further, how's the water situation? i'm really curious about that.

4. necessities- the area i'm feeling most drawn towards is placencia but i truly know nothing about it other than what i read. is there somewhere close or within the region for a bi-weekly or monthly supply run?

5. culture- this might be a stupid question but i guess no question that gets asked is stupid.. what's the culture of the area like? i see a lot of almost anti-tourism backlash from the massively-funded buybelize.com promotions that keep running on american tv all day long. i'm willing to bet there's an almost negative perception of those who become expats, specifically towards us americans. is belize somewhere i can really plant roots and integrate within the community i choose? will i be accepted as a contributing member of that community or will i be shunned and generalized as a snobby expat? secondly on the culture aspect, as i've mentioned in my previous posts... i'm covered head to toe in tattoos. my limbs, hands/feet, fingers/toes, neck and even a very tiny anchor by my left eye... how will this, or will it at all, affect my social interactions with locals differently than here in america? is it as accepted or less?

6. permanence- i want something permanent. i want to move into somewhere and make it my home. raise a family with my beautiful girlfriend.


thanks so much in advance, i can't wait to see what helpful information i receive! jamie@hb4.me thanks again!

Most places on the mainland take only cash.  your plastic is useful  at the Bank ATMs.   I would not carry more than $500 USD.    The high end restaurants and hotels take credit cards.   

Food will not be an issue.   Generally safe, cheap and a little bland.   Flavor comes from the condiments served on the side.  The Belize Oranges are the best I have ever tasted.   7 for a Belize dollar.   

IF you marry a Belizean woman, have children and live a very low end life style you could maybe assimilate a little over the course of a life time.    We have friends with the wife Belizean & husband from Scotland, with a business here.  The locals were certain he was DEA.    My husband was identified as probably FBI!   (he is a chiropractor& MD)     There is a history that has caused the locals to be suspicious of gringos..  And to view us as money sources to be exploited.

Assimilation/Integration is highly unlikely for a host of reasons, too complex to be discussed here.   We  lived in Aruba, where we could assimilate because there were already 5 languages and 40+ ethnics there.  We are a mixed race couple, with my husband born on an Caribbean island.   In Belize we can never assimilate due to my skin and very blond hair and our very modest income.   These factors also influence our acceptance into the local expat community, in reverse.    LOL

Be careful about your person and your belongings when you visit.   

Belize can be a lovely place.   We like it here.   We plan to stay.   Each person has a different experience depending on their personal preferences and where they locate.   There are great differences among the districts.  All are worth checking out.   The expats who are happiest here in Belize, took the time to discover the places they felt most comfortable. 

wish you good fortune in your explorations.

jamalikai, after 5 weeks in the Placencia Village, I would highly recommend it as one of your options here in Belize. The village has banks, grocery stores, fresh vegetable/fruit stands, hardware stores, etc. for every day life and all within walking distance. There are also many "shack" food places that are nothing more than an extension of someone's personal kitchen offering fabulous food (enough for 2) for about $7bz. We've eaten at many local places and drink the water from the tap with absolutely no issues. We have found everyone to be very friendly and accepting to a couple of light-skinned mid-westerners (no tats though). At the beaches we often see others with many tattoos but I can not speak to how well they are accepted.

Canadian looking to invest/move to Belize

Hi every one, I'm new to this site and would love some advice.
I am looking for mid term investment opportunities in Belize. Property now and perhaps to purchase a business down the road.
My time frame to 'retire' to Belize is 7-8 years but in the mean time, if I find a property that I can set up my aged folks in, well that would be a bonus (even though I'd probably have to trick them into moving!)
I've been looking at the Sanctuary Belize properties and of course have some reservations. Mainly will the project ever get completed and will there be infrastructure in place to service the community. I have a tour planned in early Feb.
I've also been considering the offering by the Placencia Group. I am concerned about what sort of impact that Norwegian Cruise Lines will have on the community/property values. I've read that the impact on Roatan was largely negative when they were placed in a similar situation.
I believe that this area's value as a destination is hinging on the completion of the new airport. I understand that the work has commenced, any body got any new info?/
I've also been considering Ambergris Caye but I'm leery of the accessibility.
Any sort of feed back would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks a bunch!
Sam

Have you searched/read the many many posts in this forum on Sanctuary Belize? I think the longest running post is 155124

Have you searched/read the many many posts from others looking to move/live in Belize? A recent post is here.

Karine. The peninsula is about 17 to 19 miles long, depending upon who you ask and where you begin your measurement. But PIA is right down in the thick of Placencia Village, at the tip of the peninsula. It is a new school, having started this past September, and appears to have an enthusiastic set of teachers. (My neighbor is a teacher there and loves her job!) The other option is St. John's Memorial, which is supported by the Anglican church. I live about 10 miles north of Placencia, and the children in my area attend one or the other of these schools--some travel by bus and some by carpool--but in either case, it takes about 20 minutes to get there. "Commuting" in Placencia is a very different experience than in Canada--we don't have any traffic lights (just speed bumps to keep folks at safe speeds), and you rarely see a back-up of traffic.

Please do more research on Sanctuary Belize, lately I have read some negative comments, also a wise idea to rent for at least the first year giving you plenty of time to search for the perfect location.