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Belize – a Central American oddity

March 10th, 2010 by The JetSetter Team | Comments Off on Belize – a Central American oddity

Positioned immediately south of Mexico and perched above Honduras and Guatemala, the tiny country of Belize is something of an oddity, taking its culture in equal parts from Latin America and the Caribbean. It’s easy for English speaking tourists to get around because that’s the primary language, though you will find three different Mayan languages, as well as Creole, spoken too. One way Belize differs from other Central American countries is tourists have already found it in a big way, to the tune of 850,000 tramping through per year.

Simply put, the infrastructure is having a hard time handling the load. And the Floridazation of the Belizean coastal areas is well underway – high rise condos, cruise ships, and the accompanying eyesore that entails. Sure, the country is beautiful, historic, and still boasts much cheaper prices than Americans and Europeans are used to paying back home, but for the expatriate retiree looking to buy a chunk of paradise, there are cheaper options available. Panama, Costa Rica, and Ecuador, and Uruguay to name a few.

One expat reports property taxes in Belize run $30 a year, and car insurance less than $150. Not bad. Another suggests you come prepared for bugs, bugs, and more bugs. Our advice is don’t seriously consider moving anywhere until you’ve visited at least once for a week or so. It would be even better to go two or three times just to make sure you REALLY like it.

The JetSetter Team

Flickr / AJ Baxter