Southern Belize?

According to the latest statistics, the Toledo District is the least populated of all six of the districts in Belize (30,538 people), so that may be why.

Punta Gorda is the largest village there w/ 5,205 people.  Southern Belize is quite beautiful, with lots of tropical foilage lining the highway, acres of land, and PG is right on the ocean.  But there are limited services there, and it is quite a quiet life.  If you wanted to get away from it all, it would be the spot for you.

Also in the South is the Stann Creek District with Placencia, Hopkins and Dangriga - you hear about those spots all the time.  The first two especially are attracting a lot of Expats due to their prime ocean location and the lifestyle they offer.

Hope that sheds some light!

Sharon Hiebing
http://www.wealthships.com

So Southern Belize is not popular because it has limited Services and to much Jungle?  I am talking Punta Gorta area!  What about the Maya Mountains, any assess from the South?  Looking at maps it doesn't seem so but was just wondering.  Isn't that the big attraction around San Ignacio is the Mountainous landscape?  Which makes for a little nicer climate and great views?  Thanks-Clay

Actually what I said was it is the least populated area of all of Belize, so it makes sense you'd hear the least amount of information about it.

But it is quite remote and small, without a lot of the conveniences some of the other areas have.  Punta Gorda (not Gorta) is the biggest village in the Toledo District, but that's not saying much.  There's just not a lot there.

I think some people when they move to Belize aren't always quite ready to give up all the conveniences of living in a City right away.  That's why San Ignacio Town, where I live, is kind of a nice compromise, because you can live in the rainforest/mountains but still get most anything you need quickly in town.

But again, those looking to really get away from it all would love that area - it's very pretty, quiet and simple.  I just think it's growth is slower due it's Southern location, which makes getting to services harder/longer.  Hope that explains what I was trying to say better.

Extreme Southern Belize is just not discovered yet. Property values reflect that. If you are looking to get the most bang for your buck, you can get some great beachfront property in Punta Negra, but it is accessible only by boat for now. 10-15 years down the road, your investment would double or triple when the area gets developed as people discover the south.

Toledo is an emerging destination.  It was only finally linked by paved road to the rest of the country in 2009. It was only linked to the national electricity grid about three years before that and there is no road through to Guatemala yet but one is under construction. 
Toledo is for those who like the road less travelled although this will not last forever.
Don't come if you want shopping, casinos and nightclubs.  Most other things are available.
You can follow my Toledo blog at belizeexpertise.wordpress.com

Rob

Thanks guys, Southern Belize sounds tempting for us!

I think I've read that the far south of Belize gets alot of rain.  Might be wrong but thought I've read it's very heavy there, more than 100 inches a year.

Yes, the south of Belize normally gets at least 100" of rain a  year but this is not necessarily a bad thing at all.
Read my blog post http://belizeexpertise.wordpress.com/20 … -in-spain/
You do have to remember that you cannot have a rainforest without considerable amounts of rain and then also remember that most of the rain falls at night. It is a wonderful climate.

To be quite truthful... I have to spend several months a year in Toledo (mostly PG) and I would like working there -it is an adventure - if I din not have to LIVE there.

Infrastracture is horrible. Grocery shopping is a nightmare: last year I could not even get milk, (forget the fat free variety - full fat milk was not available either!) much less yogurt without sugar, although the van from Menonites' dairy arrived weekly - chinese shopkeepers did not want to order milk, or yogurt, or butter  - probably not enough interest from shoppers. And how often can you go to San Ignacio - or even Placencia - to buy milk?

Never seen even a slice of decent bread in any of PG shops (shops is really much too much to call them: they are garages with dusty shelves full of cans - not much to eat)- just the most horrible English variety of bread at best(tasting like wads of cotton), but at least you can buy tortillas from street vendors - not in the shops.

Meat - whatever there is - is either canned or frozen, etc. etc. Imported butter in cans from New Zealand! - although here again Mennonites from Cayo district have a wonderful local product - but shopkeepers don't want it. I had to eat out every day, sometimes twice a day, no matter whether I had time - or inclination - to do that ot not. Restaurant meals are priced ok, but there is not much variety and you can't influence the level of fat and cholesterol in your meals. Easy to get sick, especially if your diet calls for avoiding health hazards in the form of sugar, starches etc.

OK, there are veggies and fruit at street market - open when I should be in the office, but, yes, if you have mornings free, you can buy fruit and veggies: callaloo (amaranth), tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers.

Fish supposedly you can buy from fishermen's coop, but I must have always be there at the wrong time, so I never managed to get any. :-((

I sort of dread having to stay there for three to six months - will have to take at least one long weekend a month in Placencia (with an extra cost in plane tickets and hotels - makes it expensive to endure PG) to have a bit of a respite from PG's scarcity - and to enjoy the beaches, and snorkeling. PG does not have any beaches. You can jump into the sea from a pier, but then you have to wade to shore through dense sea grass to get out - not even a single ladder at the pier! Not a pleasant experience.

Not a single bookstore - not even for exchange books, like in Placencia - but lots of drumming - fun at the beginning, but if I ever have to endure one more night of non-stop drumming, while I am trying to sleep I'd scream: "shoot me now, please!".

As for rain - I got out of there by May, but heard from the locals how bad it gets in the summer.

In my opinion Toledo - especially PG - its jungle beauty and colorful Maya villages nearby notwithstanding - right now is only for very young, adventurous, and with iron stomachs.

If your goal is - like someone remarked to "double your investment" and you are inclined to try this particular way of doing it, you are on your own. But if your goal is to have a pleasant life in picturesque surroundings - the picturesque surroundings part is  still there (until they start drilling for oil, and Belize's prime minister promises that "drill we will" in Belize's national parks, starting with Toledo...) but pleasent life ???

Who is this Basia Alm? I have lived in Toledo and run a restaurant for the past ten years and do not recognize the picture painted by Basia Alm who should probably stay at home and enjoy the supermarkets there.
In ten years I have never been unable to obtain fresh milk in Punta Gorda and never been unable to buy butter in half pound packs. On the other hand I have never tried to buy them from any of the Chinese shops that do not stock these items but from the more well-established local stores.  Basia Alm appears to lack the local knowledge that would solve her problems.  Be careful how much credence you give this over-emotional rant: "infrastructure is horrible","shopping is a nightmare", "horrible English variety". "Easy to get sick" is just an unsubstantiated slur.
Fish is not normally purchased from the fishermen's co-op which is an unreliable source of supply because most of their product goes straight out of the district. However, if BA goes to the local fish market open on Mon, Wed, Fri and Saturday then they will find plentiful fresh fish; kingfish, snook, various kinds of snapper, grouper and other varieties. They will also be able to buy conch and fresh shrimp in season.
We serve chicken, wonderful pork products (bacon, sausages, thick cut chops, pork roasts) as well as beef tenderloin. The pork and beef need to be ordered. BA should ask Mr Balona to order for her.  It is not normally available on the shelves because of the local preference for chicken and the cost. It is true BA that the people of Toledo are fairly poor so you will have to either order or forgo a few of the things you would normally expect to find.

She is correct about the lack of good bread in shops.  We make our own and so can she if she is here for several months but Supauls has a fairly decent wholemeal loaf if you do not have the facilities to bake your own. They also sell locally produced yogurt both natural and flavored which is always available.
She is correct about the lack of a bookshop but that is true of the country as a whole. There is no general purpose bookshop in Belize. Buy a Kindle, BA.
She is wrong about the supply of fresh fruit and vegetables of which there is plenty. Watermelon, papaya, mangoes, oranges, grapefruit, bananas produced locally as well as grapes, apples and melons imported. Vegetables include beans, okra, calaloo, lettuce, green beans, yam, cassava, coco yam and chocho, bunches of fresh cilantro and mint and scallions.  She needs to recognize that in Belize though for the most part fruit and vegetables will only be available in season and not year round. This is a good thing. The seasonal availability of fresh produce can challenge the newcomer who is used to having everything available because it is flown thousands of mile around the world to reach the local supermarket but planning according to the seasons and preserving some of the seasonal adds a natural rhythm to the seasons
Be careful how much weight you give to Basia Alm's over-the-top critique. A normally resourceful person with a tongue in their head, to ask where to find the things BA misses so much, will be able to get them all in Punta Gorda and Toledo.

Dear Belizeexpersise - thanks for pointing my shortcomings - no pun intended: I would be the first to admit my knowledge of Punta Gorda is far from comprehensive and I wish I have met Belize Expertise when I was there - though I hope he and his expertise shall still be available when I arrive there again in about three weeks.

As for "who is this Basia Alm" - I did not intend to be anonymous. I have been on Expat.com for many years as I happen to be a multiple expat of many, many years and have worked and lived in several Central American and Caribbean countries - to mention anly this region. I have been sharing my lack of expertise ;-) on this forum and in my blog (www.retirement-merry-go-round.blogspot.com) as Minerva909, but I have been inactive for some time and was unable to access it this time as such. (As soon I get a new password and gain access I shall move back to my previous nick.)

When I was in Toledo last time I was on an urgent assignment and spent 10-12 hours a day working, good thing I am a workoholic - and weekends playing elsewhere.

There was no time for me to go about establishing a private contact network for food supply. I am glad it is there, but... should not fresh food be accessible in stores? So that turists and newcomers can also find them - not only locals and gringo experts? Without everybody having to order food through informal networks? 

I found fresh fruit and veggies at the market and wrote about their availability using a few examples of typical produce. Did not negate their availability to all - tourists included. I also did not deny that restaurants offered good  - or at lest decent food - I was just unhappy having to eat in restaurants all the time...

Anyway, since during this stay ( 6 months!) I shall be as busy as during the last one,I made an important step towards surviving PG:  decided to hire asap a local household help/mentor, who can do all food purchasing etc. etc. for me. Yippi!  So I can be free to do something else with my time without having to "enjoy supermarkets" or their PG equivalent ...or wasting time establishing supply networks. (I am not a restaurateur, so establishing food supply network is not part of my expertise - be it professional or personal - I am just a single person, who needs to eat a few times a day - and watch her diet.)

So for now I stand by my previous opinion: infrastructure in PG is still horrible! And I would not choose it for my leisure destination.

P.S. I do have kindle - but it should not be a requirement, either. People need to read, whether they have the latest gadgets with them or not.

(moderated: no free ads please)

BasiaAim or Marie just doesn't like Belize but thinks Belize needs her. If you are old, out of shape and sick I agree PG is not for you. The Infrastructure or lack of it is much the same as the rest of the Country. You can get anything in PG that you can get in Placencia and at a better price in most cases. I live halfway between the two, Punta Negra as mentioned by Tony boat access only when I go for supplies I go to PG.

BasiaAlm, try Mel's Mart in PG.