Located on Central America’s northeastern coast just south of Mexico and north of Guatemala, Belize consists of a diverse mainland area and about 450 islands (called “cayes”). From beaches and mangrove swamps to rainforests and mountains, Belize is known for its biodiversity, natural beauty, and historical significance. Ancient Mayan archeological sites, large cave systems, waterfalls, and the world’s second largest barrier reef attract visitors to the country’s natural beauty.
Due to its tropical location, cultural diversity and acceptance, and affordable real estate, Belize has recently become a hot attraction for people looking to move abroad. We spoke to Rachel Jensen, an expat who has lived on San Pedro for more than 14 years, and asked her the key things someone looking to move to Belize should know. From the practical to the peculiar, here are is her Top 10.
#1: Pack your Patience
The biggest piece of advice that I have for people when they’re moving down here is, pack your patience. It’s true for moving to any country, not just Belize. There are so many different social and cultural norms, different processes, and ways of doing things from what most expats are used to back home. Many times people get here and they want to try to change things to be more like what they’re used to back home. And understandably so, because it’s what’s familiar. But Belize is a young country. It just gained its independence in 1981, so the people are also still figuring things out, but they prefer to figure it out on their own. Which makes sense, right? They don’t need advice from expats who are coming in. So just pack your patience, and let things, people, and life unfold in time.
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#2: Build relationships with people
Belize is a relatively small country population wise, just about 400,000 people. So that means that a lot of people here are related to each other; cousins or second cousins, or they’re related by marriage. And so relationships really matter. Your kindness will go a long way because the person that maybe you were an asshole to at the restaurant is the person who needs to stamp your business license. And if they know you’re the asshole, it could be a problem for you. Those little things really go a long way here. So take the time to build good relationships and get to understand the people, particularly the locals, and bring value to them in ways that are meaningful to them. They’re very kind and open and warm hearted here. Don’t be an asshole.
#3: Utilize your refrigerator to keep things fresh
One thing that’s essential to know before moving here is how humid it is. I’ve never had to put so many things in my refrigerator to prevent them from getting stale so quickly. The moment we open some kind of food package— a box of Cheerios, crackers, cookies, bread—everything goes right into the refrigerator immediately. I grew up in New York where you twist down that top and put that little clip on, and it’d be good for a month. Here it’s like three days later, and it’s stale already. So, just be prepared to utilize the refrigerator more than you expected.
#4: If you’re looking for buy property, know what’s most important to you
A lot of people come down and they say, “we want to live where the locals live,” or “we want to live like a local.” And I think, all right, so you don’t want to have air conditioning? What about hot water? Because it’s not common for the locals here to have those amenities. And if you do decide you want those, then you need to expect to pay a bit more. So understand what’s important to you and what you need in order to really be comfortable. You might think you want to live like a local, but you need to consider the reality. My partner is Belizean, and whenever we go through the Coyo district, that can reach upwards of 105 or even 110 degrees over the summer months, I always feels so bad that most of the residents in that neighborhood don’t have air conditioning. And he just says, “but it’s normal for them. They don’t feel bad for themselves. So why do you feel bad for them?” Well, they could be so much more comfortable. And he’s like, “then they have the electricity bill. They’re content. They’re good.”
#5: Don’t colonize the locals
Which goes to my next point. Don’t colonize the locals. They don’t want that from you. Everyone, of course, wants to improve their life, but if it’s not sustainable for them, then you’re actually doing them a disservice by forcing something on them.
#6: Titling takes time
When you finally do purchase real estate, it’s important to know that there are essentially two close dates. One is the date of possession, that’s the date that your paperwork is registered with the lands department. And then there’s the date you get the physical title, which can take about 12 to 18 months to actually get in hand. But rest assured, you’re still protected because your property has been registered with the layouts department. They give you what’s called an LRS number that you can still use until you get that physical title. And when you do get that physical title, you will want to hold on to it because if you want to sell the property at any point, you absolutely need to submit the physical title to the closing company.
#7: If you plan to work while you’re in Belize, get a remote job before you get here
It’s very difficult for foreigners to find work in Belize that would cover their expenses. In Belize, minimum wage is $2.50 U.S. an hour. And the work culture really protects the locals. So if you’re coming in and you’re this high end waiter from Vic and Anthony’s, and think you can do that job anywhere, think again. There are many people in Belize who are waiters, and local restaurants will hire locals over a foreigner almost every time. Plus, if you do get the job, remember, you’re getting $2.50 an hour, and you’re working 10 hours a day, 45 hours a week. Is that really enough to pay your expenses?
#8: English is the official language
While Belize is in Central America, bordered by Mexico and Guatemala, it’s actually an English speaking country. In fact, it’s a former British colony that just gained its independence in 1981. And a big reason people are so interested in Belize right now is that you don’t need to learn another language.
#9: Be prepared to be served soup on a scorching hot day
This one is kind of silly but Belizeans love their soup on hot days. They say that it equalizes their temperature. So they’re sitting there in 95 degrees temperature with 95% humidity, eating scorching hot soup, and you can see the sweat coming down their faces. But for some reason it’s incredibly common here, so just expect it at any time. Beef stew is a popular choice of soup. As is cow foot soup. So is black soup, which is like beef and chicken and hard boiled eggs with ricotta cheese. It’s really quite delicious, but I need to eat it when I’m sitting in an air conditioned room.
#10: Belize is a hodgepodge of seven different cultures
Given its geographic location, most people expect Belize to be fairly Latin leaning culturally. And while there is a relatively high Latin population—including the Mestizos, and a good sized Mayan population who still speak Mayan, which is rare—there are also the Brits who stayed after the changeover, lots of expat North Americans, a large Taiwanese population, and even a big Lebanese and Arab presence. There’s also a considerable Mennonite group, which runs the agricultural and produce industries here. And we also have the Garifuna, descendants of the slaves who were being taken to North America, landed on the coast of Belize accidentally, and were freed. So it’s a real variety of people and cultures. But we all manage to get along great.
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A native New Yorker with an adventurous spirit, Rachel Jensen moved to Latin America in 2012 to take a sales and marketing position with a regional resort and residential development company. She lives in San Pedro and owns and runs Luna Realty Belize. In her free time, Rachel enjoys spending time with her dogs, hiking, looking at real estate, trying new foods, and traveling.
