Placencia

Will be in Placencia next Friday.  Can I buy you folks a cocktail and hear your input on the area?  Am driving down the coast looking for a place to settle.
Thank you!

I can't decide between Placencia or San Pedro Town...has anyone been to both and if so, which one do you think is better?

Good Morning, there is no road going down the "coast", towns along the sea can be reached by taking Hummingbird Hwy. Be cautious of speed bumps in villages, buses, narrow bridges, and pedestrians.

I know that.  Simply meant coming south.

sloputtputt wrote:

I can't decide between Placencia or San Pedro Town...has anyone been to both and if so, which one do you think is better?

Will have one opinion later next week!

sloputtputt wrote:

I can't decide between Placencia or San Pedro Town...has anyone been to both and if so, which one do you think is better?

The two places are so different, that one really needs to spend some time in each to decide.
It really comes down to personal preference between a tourist oriented area accessible only by boat or plane, or a more laid back village environment accessible by road, plane or boat.

GuidoBisogno wrote:

sloputtputt wrote:

I can't decide between Placencia or San Pedro Town...has anyone been to both and if so, which one do you think is better?

Will have one opinion later next week!

I am looking forward to your response.

Will The Old wrote:

sloputtputt wrote:

I can't decide between Placencia or San Pedro Town...has anyone been to both and if so, which one do you think is better?

The two places are so different, that one really needs to spend some time in each to decide.
It really comes down to personal preference between a tourist oriented area accessible only by boat or plane, or a more laid back village environment accessible by road, plane or boat.

In your opinion, which one do you like better and why?

Well, so far it's entertaining a lot more development.  Seems construction is everywhere from small to large projects.  Lots more traffic since cars can get here.  People are just as nice.  Will know more when it quits pouring!

The evening activities are about the same.   The biggest difference I've  found is the beach.   When we were in San Pedro there was crud washed up on most the beaches and grass growing along the shore which didn't encourage swimming.   The beach here is a huge, beautiful crescent of lovely,  clean sand and the typical mini  surf.  I like that you can drive here rather than rely on ferries and airplanes.   Roads seem to be in better shape too.

Health care is best in BC so access to it may be important. San Pedro is more expensive but does have more amenities. San Pedro water taxi to chey gives better access to Mexico which will be important for health care and shopping.  Anytime you have a reef you will have limited surf, that is pretty obvious.  Swimming in San Pedro is often done from docks. Placencia will have better access to mainland stuff.  This stuff is all obvious when you look at Belize on gmaps.

We have lived in both and currently stay in Placencia, as it's slower and seems to fit out needs when looking for a more relaxed pace.  We purchased on Ambergris Caye a few years ago, used it for family vacations  and rented when not there.  Now we have retired and have chosen Placencia to spend out retirement.  We Love it!!

I have a blog and website, just posted an article posting my experiences with both Ambergris and Placencia.  Here's the link if you want to check it out.  Best of luck in your search!

www.blog.lessonsinbelize.com   Blog link

www.lessonsinbelize.com            Website

Really great blog on the comparison!   Wonderful writing.  I think that yellow boat is still at the dock this morning with more piled on the decks!  Had breakfast at the Shak there and enjoyed the view and atmosphere.   Seemed to be a fun run in progress.
Drove down to Punta Gorda and realized that wasn't somewhere I want to be so back up to Hopkins tonight.  Great dinner at the newer Frog's Point.
Off to San Ignacio tomorrow then Caye Caulker for the first time.

Mommy2all6,
I enjoyed your blog and comparison of Placencia and San Pedro. Your idea that everyone's happiness is based on their own reality aligns with mine, and that what appeals to some people about SP are the exact same things that make Placencia more appealing to others. Many people ask me what is best for them. All I can say is, "check it out for yourself. You will decide".

Just an observation for if you want to spread your word to a larger audience. I would have shared your article onto my billdoesbelize site or Facebook Page, but it doesn't have any social share buttons. Something to consider if you would like to reach more people.

Great post, keep up the good work.

We did the same thing with Punta Gorda.  Drove down for the day and unfortunately it was Sunday, so nothing much to do.  The stores and markets were all closed.  The drive was beautiful, so we enjoyed that.
I Love San Ignacio area!!  My son is actually there for a few more weeks on an internship working with the organic markets and farmers in Spanish Lookout.  He has had a wonderful experience and has met some awesome and inspiring people.  Nor sure if you've been there before, but dont miss the Saturday market downtown and the BEST restaurant we have found in any of our travels.....GUAVA LIMB CAFE!!
It is awesome and great atmosphere to hang out in the shade overlooking the park! 

Looks like lots of new things going up in the Hopkins area.  When we were looking in Placencia our realtor said that is definitely the area to invest in.  Im amazed at how fast new things are going up in Placencia, definitely not many deals left that I can see.  Lots are near 100k on the lagoon side!  Seems high, but things are selling.

Safe travels.....enjoy!!

Thanks for the info......Ill get my "tech guy" ( that would be my hubby..lol)  to fix that for me.  Thanks for sharing.....please check back in a couple days, it should be there!
Ill check your out too!

10000 people a day are retiring in the US and house values are back to pre-recession levels lots of equity and lots retire Boomers to go South

I loved your blog also. I officially retire Jan 2018 and have begun researching Belize. Hopefully we will be there in the next 6-9 months to visit and do more looking.

My younger son is 34 and has a brain injury, so quieter life style is what we both need. No major medical care except his daily meds and incontinence supplies needed for him. Nothing major for myself either. My older son will also be sharing the home for vacations until he reaches his military retirement (almost there).  Palencia has already been our choice for several reasons. Beach and lagoon access is a major plus as Joel (older son) wants to bring his boat down when we are there full time. He also loves to dive and has visited Belize for his certification, so that is a major plus. Rickey (the youngest) loves to be outside living 5 miles from Bush International Airport does not allow that. He has some memory issues and anxiety around crowds and noisy places. Hoping he would be more comfortable in quieter lifestyle, that allows him to actually go outside. Just might be able to take him off some of his anxiety and sleeping meds. Seriously, I'd move to hell if he could come off of them and be able to function without being sedated on anxiety meds.

Sorry rambling here! I guess my major concern would be getting Rickey's meds and supplies on a regular basis. Few questions about that. I can order his supplies on line from US but not meds which need RX. Those I can order from online pharmacy outside US with his RX but will they be allowed in thru customs? I have already checked online for requirements to bringing pets in and no problem there. I couldn't find information on meds thru mail. Hoping someone has personal knowledge to share.

thanks
Laura

In our circumstance,  we had a few meds that we needed.   We were able to go to clinic in town wirh our scripts,  the doctor wrote a new c script that we could fill at the pharmacy in town.     

Obviously each situation is unique,  but we found the local clinic and pharmacy very helpful in getting our meds.  Might be worth checking for your situation.   Best of luck!

Mommy2all6 wrote:

We have lived in both and currently stay in Placencia, as it's slower and seems to fit out needs when looking for a more relaxed pace.  We purchased on Ambergris Caye a few years ago, used it for family vacations  and rented when not there.  Now we have retired and have chosen Placencia to spend out retirement.  We Love it!!

I have a blog and website, just posted an article posting my experiences with both Ambergris and Placencia.  Here's the link if you want to check it out.  Best of luck in your search!

www.blog.lessonsinbelize.com   Blog link

www.lessonsinbelize.com            Website

I really enjoyed your blog and your perspective! I feel like Placencia is more the type of area that we would enjoy, not as crazy as SP, but still things to do and a good launching place to explore the rest of the country.

I am A citizen of Belize by descent. My mother and grandparents were also Belizeans. I lived in the United States most of my adult life but my husband and I traveled back and forth to Belize and visited quite a few areas such as San Ignacio, Ambergis Caye, Caye Caulker, Placencia and of course Corozal! We chose to settle down in Corozal because it fits our lifestyle. Take a look at my blog site belizerichlife.com. I have lots of information about EVERYTHING BELIZE!!!

do you know whenBelikinm will be exported to the US. I email them but they don't answer

Hello Travelgirl...would you recommend Plancencia a good place to live? I was surprised it is not in the top five. By looking at videos or pictures of the beaches of Plancencia and the beaches of San Pedro Town, it looks like Plancencia has nicer beaches.

katzgar wrote:

do you know whenBelikinm will be exported to the US. I email them but they don't answer

http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Belikin

While there are certainly expats in southern Belize most tend to settle on ambergris Caye or Northern Belize because of proximity to Mexican shopping and Mexican Health Care

Will The Old wrote:

katzgar wrote:

do you know whenBelikinm will be exported to the US. I email them but they don't answer

http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Belikin

Thanks now I have to do is figure out who the Importer is

If beaches are important to you then I suggest taking a look at both San Pedro and Placencia! Keep in mind San Pedro is an island and the major tourist area in Belize. Placencia is a peninsula bordered on three sides by water and it sits on the southern part of Belize so it tends to be more humid. We live in Corozal which is at the highest northern point of Belize. It gets very windy and cool up here and we are only five miles to the Mexican border where we go to the town of Chetumal for duty free shopping ( Wal Mart, Home Depot, Restaurants, Hotels, Casinos etc..) and state of the art medical and dental clinics)! What I would suggest is make a list of the top five things that are most important to you and come to Belize and look around the various towns and islands! You may also want to look at Caye Calker. We go there quite often! Nice beaches there as well. Belize has a place for everyone willing to step out of their comfort zone and through caution to the wind TO LIVE AN ADVENTEROUS LIFE!!! 😎😃✌️

Will The Old wrote:

katzgar wrote:

do you know whenBelikinm will be exported to the US. I email them but they don't answer

http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Belikin

What? No amber? 

No Amber just ambergris

You said that you go to Chetumal to shop. Are things cheaper there than in Belize?

Yes!!!

Belize has import duties on Imports which makes them pricier anything produced locally is going to be much much cheaper

katzgar wrote:

While there are certainly expats in southern Belize most tend to settle on ambergris Caye or Northern Belize because of proximity to Mexican shopping and Mexican Health Care

Do you have any up to date sources to back up this Opinion?

Travelgirl777 wrote:

If beaches are important to you then I suggest taking a look at both San Pedro and Placencia! Keep in mind San Pedro is an island and the major tourist area in Belize. Placencia is a peninsula bordered on three sides by water and it sits on the southern part of Belize so it tends to be more humid. We live in Corozal which is at the highest northern point of Belize. It gets very windy and cool up here and we are only five miles to the Mexican border where we go to the town of Chetumal for duty free shopping ( Wal Mart, Home Depot, Restaurants, Hotels, Casinos etc..) and state of the art medical and dental clinics)! What I would suggest is make a list of the top five things that are most important to you and come to Belize and look around the various towns and islands! You may also want to look at Caye Calker. We go there quite often! Nice beaches there as well. Belize has a place for everyone willing to step out of their comfort zone and through caution to the wind TO LIVE AN ADVENTEROUS LIFE!!! 😎😃✌️

I agree with this but would like to point out something a future expat should take into consideration.

Belize collects an Exit tax on non-residents every time one crosses the border, or enters the "Free Zone". That means $25 US per person. I found this out on one of my driving trips to the North when I just wanted to walk into the so called "Free Zone" to check it out and found out is was not exactly free.

I suspect if a person working on their permanent residency requirements were to time the shopping trip to Chetumal with the expiration of their Tourist Visa every 30 days, there would be no additional expense for the first few months. On the  month when the Tax goes up, I don't know if one would be saving money or what the proper way of handling this so as to not violate the permanent residency program is. Of course each day trip would be subtracting from the 14 day Total one is allowed to be out of country and still stay in the program.

I do not have any Idea how of if this affects folks in the QRP program. Does anyone here Know about that?

Will The Old wrote:

katzgar wrote:

While there are certainly expats in southern Belize most tend to settle on ambergris Caye or Northern Belize because of proximity to Mexican shopping and Mexican Health Care

Do you have any up to date sources to back up this Opinion?

I know your question is meant to be humorous but this is good as data is likely to get.  You really dont get the third world thing do you.

http://www.belizefirst.com/where.html

Expats do settle on CC but keep in mind it is very small so island fever may be an issue

katzgar wrote:

Will The Old wrote:

katzgar wrote:

While there are certainly expats in southern Belize most tend to settle on ambergris Caye or Northern Belize because of proximity to Mexican shopping and Mexican Health Care

Do you have any up to date sources to back up this Opinion?

I know your question is meant to be humorous but this is good as data is likely to get.  You really dont get the third world thing do you.

http://www.belizefirst.com/where.html

I had not intended for my question to be humorous, but your reply certainly was. 

In any event, thank you for the link, even though the article was written about nine years ago and much has changed since then, (which is why I asked for up to date sources). it does contain some interesting information.

BTW it is my opinion that It is perfectly acceptable to offer opinions in forums, but it is better to inform the reader it is one's opinion rather than coming across as fact...

As for your statement to me "You really dont get the third world thing do you." Although between 2006 -2014 I had only been spending a couple weeks a year in Belize, last year about two months over three trips, and about six months in two trips this year buying and improving a home in Placencia Village, I have much to learn. I always learn a lot from many sources every time I go to Belize.

I will be making my first trip for 2017 soon. So I welcome your great wisdom to fill me in on what it is I "don't get" about the wonderful country of Belize and its fantastic people.