Retiring in Belize...no second language required

Retiring in Belize

Retiring in Belize, formerly British Honduras, has the advantage of not requiring a second language.

Having said that the natives speak English requires a caveat. Living 8 years in the Caribbean taught me that if the natives want to speak among themselves, with you present, you will not pick up 1 word in 10.

They speak in what they call a patois, a sing song lilt that is pleasant to listen to but hard to understand.

Personally, I think it is only good manners to try and learn the native language. In the case of Belize it is not necessary.

Geography of Belize

Belize in on the Yucatan peninsula, surrounded by Mexico and Guatemala. offshore lies 200 miles of barrier reef, second only in size to the Great Barrier Reef of the Northeastern coast of Australia.



It is this reef, and the islands in its boundaries that attract the retirees. If sport fishing, diving or the beach life is what retirement means to you...Belize should be given a hard look.

Where to live in Belize

The islands off the coast have the most appeal...on some islands the only vehicles are golf carts...the "roads" an extension of the beach, hard packed sand. There are not many places where you will need shoes. This is Jimmy Buffett's type of place.

The most popular town would be Ambergris Caye. This is where you will find the biggest resorts...it has a busy dock with boats ready to take you bonefishing, snorkeling or scuba diving.

Not as cheap as it used to be but still cheap for the Caribbean. For the same views but not the same money you can choose a smaller island off the beaten path if you like it quieter. These islands are accessible only by boat.

The Mainland

Most of the 300,000 residents of Belize live on the mainland...the capital is Belize City and where you will most likely fly into.


As you can tell on the mainland you have ruins of the Mayan civilization.

Conclusion

If you have to have English spoken everywhere, consider retiring in Belize. If beach life with fishing and diving are important..look no further than Belize.

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