Quite a large number of expatriates on the island are perpetual tourists, in Belize on visitor’s cards and here until their money, or perhaps their livers, run out. “Lots of people come and go with some regularity, and it seems like there are new gringos everywhere, but it is very hard to say how many actually live here,” says San Pedro real estate investment counselor Jesse Cope. 

Many of the island’s resorts are owned and operated by expatriates from the United States or Canada.

Fairly typical are Wil Lala, who practiced dentistry for 18 years in Manhattan, KS, and his wife, Susan, an artist. 

They moved to Ambergris Caye, bought a piece of land south of San Pedro, and built two villas on the beach in 1991, which they operate in a hands-on fashion as a 10-unit suites hotel with rates from $65 to $225. 

Real estate costs here are, along with those in Belize City, the highest in the country. Beachfront lots go for $1,000 or more per front foot ($50,000-$75,000 for a beach lot), condos for $75,000-$300,000, and houses for $50,000-$500,000 and more. Because of local and seasonal visitor demand, and also demand from students at an offshore medical school, rents are expensive, $300-$1,500 per month for a one- or two-bedroom apartment and $500-$2,500 per month for a house.

Ambergris Caye was in the direct path of Hurricane Keith when it swept through Belize in late September, but most of the hotels and homes damaged by the storm were expected to be repaired quickly, and visitors should find “la isla bonita” almost back to normal. 

Corozal 

Most travelers to Belize either never get to Corozal or pass through quickly en route somewhere else. But Corozal Town and nearby Consejo village offer a lot for those staying awhile — low prices, friendly people, a generally low-crime environment, the beautiful blue water of Corozal Bay and the extra plus of having Mexico next door for shopping. 

Corozal is one of the undiscovered jewels of Belize. There’s not a lot to do, but it’s a great place to do it. The Sugar Coast -- sugarcane is the main agricultural crop here -- is a place to slow down, relax and enjoy life. The climate is appealing, with less rain than almost anywhere else in Belize, and fishing is excellent. The sunny disposition of residents -- Mestizos, Creoles, Maya, Chinese, East Indians and even North Americans -- is infectious.

Real estate costs in Corozal are among the lowest in Belize. Modern North American-style homes with three or four bedrooms in Corozal Town or Consejo Shores go for $75,000-$200,000, but Belizean-style homes start at less than $25,000. Waterfront lots are $35,000 or less, and big lots with water views are $10,000-$15,000. Rentals are relatively inexpensive -- $100-$200 for a nice Belizean-style house or $300-$700 for a modern American-style house. 

Placencia 

You’ll love Placencia if you’re looking for a little bit of the South Pacific in Central America. Placencia has the best beaches on the mainland, and it’s an appealing seaside alternative to the bustle of Ambergris Caye.

This peninsula in southern Belize has some 16 miles of beachfront along the Caribbean, a backside lagoon where manatees are frequently seen, two small villages, a few dozen hotels and restaurants and an increasing number of expatriates and foreign-owned homes. 

In recent years, the Placencia peninsula has been undergoing a boom. Building lots have been sold by the score to foreigners who think they’d someday like to live by the sea. Real estate costs here are moderately high, however. Beachfront lots cost $800 to $1,000 per front foot, making a seaside lot around $50,000 or more. Lots on the lagoon are less expensive. 

There is little North American-style housing available for sale or rent, and most expatriates are building their own homes, with building costs ranging $35-$75 or more per square foot, depending on type of construction. One Californian is building a 15,000-square-foot “retirement cottage” on the beach. 

Cayo in Western Belize 

Cayo has a lot going for it: wide open spaces, cheap land, few bugs and friendly people. This might be the place to buy a few acres and grow oranges. The major towns are San Ignacio, with a population of about 12,000, about 10 miles from the Guatemala border, and Belmopan, the sleepy capital of Belize, with a population of around 6,000.  

Agriculture, ranching and, increasingly, tourism are the major industries here. About 20 years ago, the first small jungle lodges began operation around San Ignacio. Now there is a flourishing mix of hotels, cottages and jungle lodges near San Ignacio and in the Mountain Pine Ridge, along with a lot of natural attractions and outdoor activities -- canoeing, caving, hiking, horseback riding, to name a few. The country’s most accessible Maya ruins are here, as well as Caracol, in its heyday a larger city-state than Tikal. 

Between Belize City and San Ignacio, Belmopan is the downsized capital of Belize, but the attractions are in the surrounding countryside. The Belize Zoo is here, as are several excellent jungle lodges. Along the scenic Hummingbird Highway are barely explored caves, wild rivers and national park areas. Small farms are available for $10,000-$50,000. 

Punta Gorda 

Rainy, beautiful and remote, Punta Gorda in far southern Belize is the jumping-off point for unspoiled Maya villages and for onward travel to Guatemala and Honduras. Over the next few years as paving of the Southern Highway to Punta Gorda is completed and the road is extended into Guatemala, this area is expected to take off, both in terms of tourism and as a place for expatriate living. “PG,” as it’s known, is Toledo District’s only population center, with about 5,000 people, mostly Garifuna, Maya and immigrants from Guatemala. Maya villages, hardly changed for centuries, are located around PG. Cayes and the south end of the barrier reef offer good snorkeling and fishing. Lumbering and fishing are about the only industries. 

Undeveloped land is inexpensive, with acreage beginning at a couple of hundred dollars an acre. Few North American-style homes are for sale. Quality rentals are expensive due to lack of supply and demand from missionaries. 

Other Choices  

Hopkins: On the southern coast of Belize in Stann Creek District between Dangriga and Placencia, Hopkins today is what Placencia was like just a decade or so ago. Expatriates are moving to Hopkins, a friendly Garifuna village that got telephones only in the mid-1990s, and to real estate developments nearby. New small seaside hotels are going up in Hopkins and Sittee Point. Although at times the sand flies can eat you alive here, you can get in some excellent fishing and beach time, with day trips to the nearby Cockscomb jaguar reserve and boat trips to the reef. You’ll love Hopkins if Placencia is too developed for you. 

Private islands: The days of buying your own private island for a song are long gone, but if you have money to burn and the willingness to rebuild after the next hurricane, one of Belize’s remote islands could be yours, beginning at about $100,000. Developers also are selling lots, starting at $4,000, on Long Caye and a few other small cayes. 

-- Lan Sluder