WE NEED ADVICE ABOUT COROZOL

Hi THE SABOLS,

Welcome to Expat.com!

Hi there.  Both December and January are great times to do what you're planning.  These are among the dryest months and passed the hurrican season. I envy you!
My husband and I are planning to move to Belize, probably early next year.  We have made one trip and are planning another trip in November to zero in on one area.  We have visited both the Cayo and Corozal Districts.  Both have goods and bads.  Corozal is slightly cooler and has the least rain of anywhere in Belize (much more rain as you go South).  Corozal is quite quiet, with lots of friendly locals and small houses.  If you are a nightlifer, this might not be the place for you...but the surroundings are absolutely gorgeous.  Corozal Bay waters are beautiful, but they do change colors during the rainy season (June, July), when things get churned up and the waters are more tan colored.  There are numerous planned communities with expats -- Chetamal Estates, Progresso Heights, and most famously -- Consejo Shores -- with some truly gorgeous waterside houses, many with boat docks.  The big advantage this community has is that it's a very short trip across the border to Mexico.  We did it often in about 20 minutes from the center of Corozal town.  Once over the border, you're literally near a Walmarts and one US-type mall with upscale shopping.  There are also a lot of upscale "fern bars" with modern designs.  But back in Corozal, things move slowly.  If you are a quiet type, this may be the place. 

The Cayo District is inland with more mountains.  This is the eco-tourism center with many Mayan ruins about.  You'll meet a lot of interesting tourists, many from academia searching the ruins.  The hills, covered with palm trees are unrivaled in beauty.  I was surprised to find a number of absolutely first-rate spas and resorts around.  Next to the island (Ambergris Caye), this is probably the busiest area, with San Ignacio being the main town -- lots of small stores and restaurants.  Even though I'm a big city girl, I'm not much of a San Ignacio fan: too busy and crowded which distinctly third-world.  However, living just outside of the town is absolutely fantastic.  There are nearby farmlands -- owned by the interesting Mennonite community.  They sell perfect produce and meats and they also produce some very interesting houses for sale -- kind of pre-fab...very popular, but hard to describe.  If you want some of the most beautiful rainforest and mountainside areas, this may be for you.  The biggest downside here is that shopping for durable goods and some household products must be strategized a little more than in Corozal.There have been rumors of some sort of Home Depot going in there, but not so far.  So, if you move here, you should definitely research buying your large items and having them shipped down...not as awful as it sounds...but needs some thought. It rains more in the Cayo District, but there are less bugs than on the shore, as you can imagine.  I think picking where to live requires good knowledge of your lifestyle: fast vs. slow; secluded vs towny.  Weve had a lot of help and are still at it.  Good luck...Belize is worth it!!

Greetings Pica 1,

We were so happy to receive a reply to our message!

We have decided that Corozol sounds lovely.  It is also a coastal area, which is necessary for our 38' sailboat, since we can't trailer and haul it around.  We would like to rent a house for a while, so we would like to have someone in Corozol to contact periodically while we're sailing.

We're coming in the first part of January. Should we fly into Belize City?  Can we rent a car, or is the bus better? We welcome any suggestions you have.

Thanks again,
THE SABOLS

Fly in to Belize City and drive there--it isn't a long drive at all and the roads are as good as the US. We are going back to Corozal to check things out again in March and staying for 3 weeks.  LOVE it.

It depends how much you want to spend, Sabols.  A rental car is about $50-65 usd a day, not including fuel, which is $10.50-11.00 bze a gallon, depending.  A bus is about $5 bze ($2.50 usd) one way. You\'ll get there quicker with the car but cheaper with the bus.

Either way, I would definitely fly into Belize City. All the rental cars are right there, and you can catch a bus around there as well.  Good luck! Sharon Hiebing

My wife and I are going to Belize Oct.31 and plan to stay for 10 days. We are planning to move to Belize starting in March. We have been looking at houses but have decided to rent first.
We have been looking at the Corozol area as we want to stay close to the water.
Can anyone give us any advise as what to look for. Also, when we buy a house we will need an attorny, any advise on how to pick an honest one.
Any other advise will be great.
Hopefully we can meet some expats while we are there.

Greetings all - we are still torn between Corozal and the Cayo District, but intend to make a decision when we go there on Nov. 13th through the 25th.We currently are investigating names of goood attorneys.  Should we have any, we will happily pass them along.  You might also contact Sharon at "Wealthships" on this blog.  She is very well connected on the Cayo district and Ambergris.  She may be able to help you.  I really recommend that you take her up on her "subscription," where you purchase access to her information...kinda of like having an attorney on retainer.  Good luck to you all!

good day
tomorrow we leaving Canada for Belize.. We are moving to Corozal.
We are making this adventure in our trusted RV which will make the trip to Belize even more exciting.
We purchased 22 acres in the village of Chan Chen near Corozal Town. we plan oon building a smal home on the land and farming our own food. Our plan is to be off the grid. We have spend a lot of time in Corozal and find the area to be very suitable. If you make it to corozal- please email me and let me know, I would love to provide you with more info and resources. Enjoy Belize!

Caprice

Wow!  Good luck to you.  We'll be coming down for a second visit in November, but I'm sure you'll be up to your armpits in work!  If we don't catch you then, we will keep in touch.  Exciting, yes?

Toni and John Sandler

Just browsing found your post. From my experience it really depends on what your looking for. if you want a life like home , stay home. if you want all the expats that you would meet at home?
If you want peace of mind and quiet living as your sailboat provides then Corozal is for you. You can have what ever life you want, Consejo shores with the expats, the cayes with the expensive rip off artists or an comfortable home at a reasonable price.
It is what you make it.

Thanks much.  We are passing on Belize and re-assessing what exactly we do want!  Seems simple, but it's not always apparent until you see it first-hand.  We initially chose Belize because of the language ease, type of government and prices.  But, having been there twice, we had to conclude that the infrastructure isn't enough for us.  Boy, it sure is gorgeous though!  We did meet a fair amount of ex-pats, mostly Canadians, who were happy; they were also mostly farmers and people who appreciated rural life more than we do.  Although we haven't yet found our "dreamhome" yet, this first experience has been terrific and has helped us a lot to focus on what we 1)need, 2)want, and 3)don't want in our lifestyle.  I am thankful that we've had the resouces to take two nice vacations to check out this wonderful country.   I really encourage anybody looking for a place to live to take their time to do this first.  Thanks to all!

Toni

Hey Toni! Well while I\'m sorry we won\'t be neighbors after all, what you and John did was so smart. I see so many people jumping in head first, moving to Belize sight unseen; or worse, buying property without having lived here first. Then when they realize that it\'s not for them, they\'re stuck for quite a while, or they\'ve wasted a lot of time or money.

Those two \"vacations\" were money well spent research trips, which are mandatory, in my opinion. I do hope you guys find your \"dreamhome,\" wherever in the world that may be. Good luck to you, and I hope we remain in touch. Sharon

Hey Sabols. I spent 3 months anchored off San Pedro Town a couple of years ago. I was on a Hardin 45 with a 5.5 ft draft anchored in 7 feet until tropical storm  'ART' hit. Don't know what you draw, but I found the surounding water shallow. I'm now considering Corozal. Do you have any info on water depths from the south of Ambergris Caye up to Corozal? Planning a trip early March to check out the area and maybe I can find a local that can give me the info. Fair winds and following seas. Cal

eldukedeplas
i am in corozal.. if you waant to hang out a bit and find out  more info.. contact me when you arrive. would be happen to share our exp. happy sailing

Wondering about transportation in and around Corozal. Car rentals available? Would like to explore the area.

there are two car rental places in corozal.. corozal rentals and vip care rental (south end), I would suggest that you contat Henry at VIP website; belizevipautorental.com  email: [email protected] the rate is 80.00 us per day.. cars rental are not cheap here- but Henry does give discount for multiple days and his price is all in.

you dont need an attorny to buy land/house just get a realestate agent like you would in the states, much easier than finding a trustworthy attorney

agreed billem

Is there a website devoted to Corozal rental properties?

not really

This is the best one I've found:

corozal.com/realestate/price/rental

As you can see, pretty weak. Word of mouth in Corozal is how most people find their rentals.

Hi. I'm Matt.
I've just read your message on the post, are you still in Corozal now? Could you tell me a little about the place if you don't mind?  I'm currently in Houston but looking at some land to build on just outside of Corozal,  serenity rd? I can't visit before I "jump in to this" and I'm just looking for any help or advice I can get really.
Anything you can say, however small, will be greatly appreciated
Thanks in advance
Matt.