Visit to Corozal

Hi Randy!  When I visited the first time I stayed at The Sea Breeze Hotel. Right on Corozal Bay.  Easy walking to just about everywhere.  It's a budget hotel but I really enjoyed my time there.  I live in Corozal full time now and rented the house two doors fron the hotel.  theseabreezehotel.com/.   Hope to meet you at one of the expat functions.  There are lots of them!  Best!

Cathie

Thanks, Cathie.  Will look at the Sea Breeze Hotel.  Am planning on firming up the dates within the next week or two.  Is there a link to the various expat functions?  Meeting you and others is a priority for me.  Information is priceless, especially from  those in the know.  Am planning on on being there through a weekend.  Will this give me more opportunities for functions?

Hey Randy...   

Good questions about expat functions.  Today, and each Wednesday, lots of us meet at Jam Rock Restaurant for darts.  Actually, I don't throw darts, but love the conversation and food and meeting new folks.  Thursday is the Corozal Womens Forum...  We meet monthly and have guest speakers on various topics.  Every Friday Diana and Dave have Happy Hour at their home. They have a fabulous in ground pool and we all take food for a potluck.  We meet about 2pm and leave about 4:30. Good people and interesting fun. 

The third Saturday of each month is Art in the Park.  It's about five blocks from my house and always interesting.  Local,artists have tables. The local Rotary Club has popcorn. There's usually a clown and always food for,sale.  There is often a musical group performing.  lots of expats attend!  they usuallymhave a table formthe acorozal Sailing Club too.  This Saturday is a full moon so there's a Full Moon concert in front of the Corozal House of Culture....about six blocks from here.  Good times and many of the expats attend. 

The second Tuesday of each month is the Friendship Luncheon at The Purple Toucan.  Lots of us meet there and have fun and good conversation. 

Once you decide on the dates you will be here I'll be happy to send out some emails to see if anything special is happening.  There are often folks who stop in at the Sea Breeze bar.  It's only open from 4-8pm daily. 

You will meet expats all over town for sure.  There are others who live out on "Gringo Lane" who come into town shopping on Fridays or to darts or for other events. 

Are you thinking of renting, buying, building?   

Best!

Cathie

Many people live here comfortably with out a car.  HOWEVER, I do not beieve you can do a proper exploration with out your own car.  Renting a car is expensive---$100 US a day.   I have 2 taxi men I use while waiting for our car to be shipped.  Plz contact me when you arrive and I can give you their numbers and we can go to lunch & I will be happy to share my perspective.

If you want to stay in the center of town, Las Palmas is cheap ad seems clean.  If you are going to stay on Gringo Lane, Almond tree is better than Tony's.  and Coco Banana is less expensive.

Looking forward to meeting you here in Corozal.

Linda and I will be coming to Corozal in March, then returning in June to live permanently. We're considering buying in Colony Estate subdivision We're looking forward to interacting with you and the other expats in the area. We currently live in West Palm Beach, FL.(past 13 years) so we should have no trouble adjusting to the climate. Let's stay in touch. I'm sure I'll have some questions you can help me with as time draws closer.    RICK D.

I forgot to mention that the Almond Tree has a world class chef, if that matters to you.   The Sea Breeze is inexpensive and well located.  best luck.

Thanks, everyone,  for the great information.  Quite a list of expat and town functions.  will definitely post dates when i get plans finalized.  Understand the feeling about renting a car, but it is because of the expense that I am not renting.  the taxi numbers will be handy.  Would enjoy taking a longet trip and exploring more but from what i know at this point in time the Corozal area seems to be a good fit for me.  Will just have to see.  If relocation is in my future it will probably be the second quarter of '14.  As to buy, rent or build, will rent first the go from there.  Would enjoy meeting all and listening to experiences, perspectives and, of coarse asking lots of questions!    Thanks to all.   Randy     Oh, the chef at the Almond Tree is a definite plus.

chefpeppers wrote:

Thanks, everyone,  for the great information.  Quite a list of expat and town functions.  will definitely post dates when i get plans finalized.  Understand the feeling about renting a car, but it is because of the expense that I am not renting.  the taxi numbers will be handy.  Would enjoy taking a longet trip and exploring more but from what i know at this point in time the Corozal area seems to be a good fit for me.  Will just have to see.  If relocation is in my future it will probably be the second quarter of '14.  As to buy, rent or build, will rent first the go from there.  Would enjoy meeting all and listening to experiences, perspectives and, of coarse asking lots of questions!    Thanks to all.   Randy     Oh, the chef at the Almond Tree is a definite plus.

Hi Randy!

Taxi cost to a place I town.  $2.50US.  To a place outside of town. $3.50 US.  Busses here are very inexpensive.  When I do a big shopping, for example, I walk to the store(s), gather my purchases...  Dog food is my last buy...  Heavy and bulky!  Then I call my taxi guy who comes, loads my purchases in the trunk of the car, drives me home, unloads my bags and carries them to my entrance.  Not a bad deal for the price for sure!   

You can live very well here on limited income as long as you choose wisely and set priorities!   There are many folks who have done it for years!

I will be spending time in Belize the first of January.  Will be visiting Corozal town and would like any info on a startup business.  Will want to rent first till I get to know folks then see if my business ideas are valid.  Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Your posts are very informative.  Would like to meet you and other expats in January.

chefpeppers, Corozal is a very nice town, with a lot of nice expats.  The advice you've been given is great. I'd add one thing as well.  Almond Tree is a beautiful place, Lynn the owner treats you more like a good friend than a guest, she is a wonderful lady. My wife and I were the first every guests, while our house was being completed. If you are looking for a less expensive but nice and just up the street is Coco Banana copabanana.bz A very nice place, Connie keeps it spotless and in perfect condition.  They even supply bikes so you can ride around town on your own. They also own  Belize North Real Estate http://www.belizenorthrealestate.bz/about.htm  Gregg, could take you out to show the places you are interested in.  Hope you find the place of your dreams and become part of the Corozal expat group.

Thank you, Dave.   looked at the link when you posted it earlier.  Am planning on contacting them then visiting when I am in Corozal.  Appreciate the info on accommodations, I need to make a decision soon.  Just an FYI for others, especially in the DFW area, the air fares, to me, are very reasonable, around $640 RT.  Thanks, again.

Well the trip is finally booked.  Arrive 9/17 and depart 9/24.  Hope I planned the dated correctly to catch the Saturday in the park festivities.  Also hoping for the opportunity to meet members of the forum, make some contacts, ask questions and listen.  If all goes as planned (we all know how this works) am looking at relocating second quarter of next year.  Thanks to everyone for their input.  To all, please feel free to send a private message.

looking forward to the exploration
Randy

good to hear that you are looking at Corozal , great little town with lots of character.
there are many good hotels to stay at while there , I personally chose the Sea Breeze and enjoy the conversations with manager/owner Gwyn.
best of luck finding what you want for a home base.

Rodger

Art in the Park is Sept 14 this year...    Here's a Corozal calendar.  http://www. corozal.com/home

Safe trip!

Hi Chefpeppers,
I can only report what I know to be true at the time at was staying at Tony's. We were on a Orchid bay weekend tour and they used Tony's for us to stay.  That was 2011 in Nov.  Things have changed at Orchid Bay, but I am not sure about Tony's.  The place has a wonderful little restaurant and bar, but that is where it stops.
The rooms looked like something left over from the (2) hour rentals you see behind bars.  If you get what I mean.  We found 3 inch. roaches in the bathroom and asked for a room change.  They said I was in the Caribbean and should expect that.  Finally after some complaining, they assigned us another room without a view in the far corner of the hotel.  The shower was pulled away from the wall and leaked.  Still could use it, but the bathroom sink was made out of old pressboard that had seen better days.

We had originally booked it for 6 days.  3 with Orchid Bay and 3 on our own to explore.  We left as soon as the tour was over and flew to Ambergris Caye. 

I would check with others and reviews, but unless someone else owned it since, I would not stay there.   Locals said that the wife had been running it after husband died, and she is running it into the ground.  Also, we heard from others that the area is (not) on Belize's list of areas that will receive funding from government.  The town looked nice and the views in town are great.

It is sad but true, Tony's is showing the signs of age.  I first started staying there in 1998 and it was the nicest place in town.  Over the years I got to know the owners very well.  Tony and his wife Dalia owned it.  Tony died about 7 or 8 years ago.  The place is clean, but needs updating.  The daughters pretty much run it now and don't seem to want to spend the money needed.
The palapa bar restaurant, is still very nice, but very expensive for Corozal.  The food is great, but you have to over pay for it.  It is called the Y not Bar and Grill...Tony spelled backwards.

thanks to everyone for all the useful information.  Disappointed that I will miss Art in the Park, oh well.  Going to be staying at the Copa Banana.  This was sort of a compromise.  Do you need to bring any crawling, flying, biting insect repellant?  If so, any brand recommendations.

Seven or so weeks and counting!

Have a great trip....the 7 weeks will fly by. Yes, do bring some mosquito repellent and sun screen and you're good to go.  You've chosen well, Connie will take good care of you at Copa Banana

They sell Off in all the Chinese markets here.

corozal dave wrote:

Have a great trip....the 7 weeks will fly by. Yes, do bring some mosquito repellent and sun screen and you're good to go.  You've chosen well, Connie will take good care of you at Copa Banana

I heard you are back in Canada...is that true?

Yes,I've been here since the end of Feb.  Had to use the free medical system in Canada. Had radiation therapy and surgery, then home nursing and physio now I'm just fine.  Flying home one week from today. So August 1st, we're home in Belize again.

Cathy, we certainly enjoy your postings, and I appreciate all the useful information you provide. Linda and I will be coming to Corozal in March to finalize plans on our house at Colony Estates. Then we'll return in June "for good", and look forward to attending many of the functions you mentioned. I also appreciate the insights provided by Corozal Dave and Hawk. Hopefully, we'll have many good times together. RICK AND LINDA...aka dodgerday.

Good to hear we'll have some new folks moving into Corozal :-)  We have some good friends who live in Progresso on the lagoon. Their names are also Rick and Linda :-)  Looking forward to meeting you both. Colony Estates is not far from us, maybe 1 mile.  I'm the one who brought in the power to the area about 10 years ago.

WOW...glad to hear you are well again...looking forward to meeting you. have a safe trip

Hey, just one of those things out of the blue, say one of life's speed bumps. All is well, just have to continue to work on getting my knee bending again.  Please do give me a call, we can talk over a beer or two.  I'll PM my Belize phone number.

Dave:
We'll actually be renting the house directly across the street from where we're having ours built. We'll be there March 6-10 then spending a few days in Cancun before coming back to south FL. Feel free to drop in anytime. Stay in touch. RICK.

dodgerday wrote:

Cathy, we certainly enjoy your postings, and I appreciate all the useful information you provide. Linda and I will be coming to Corozal in March to finalize plans on our house at Colony Estates. Then we'll return in June "for good", and look forward to attending many of the functions you mentioned. I also appreciate the insights provided by Corozal Dave and Hawk. Hopefully, we'll have many good times together. RICK AND LINDA...aka dodgerday.

Dave has his finger on the pulse of what's happening in this area as well as others.

But if you want to know where the party's at I'm your guy lol.

Glad to be of some help, looking forward to meeting you. I had the pleasure of meeting 2 people from the blog yesterday. Plus a new Lady who just moved to town 2 days ago.

There was only one house across the street from there when I left for Canada, so you must be renting Brian and Beth's Mennonite home?  So we'll have no problem finding you guys in March :-)

Thanks, John, for your hospitality and support. I did have one general question (actually a 2-parter): Are there any fitness centers in or near Corozal? What about golf courses?   RICK

Yes, there are a couple of nice gyms in town.  As for golf, there is sort of a 9 hole course up in Consejo Shores.  I did play on a pretty nice one up near Belmopan a few years ago.  They have a fun tournament once a year as well.

No, house is owned by Christena and her husband. They are from Texas (near Dallas....Frisco, TX). There are rarely there. My house will be on left side (past pool and guard house) one short block from entrance. I will be directly across from Chistena's house. Builder is George Morales.    RICK

Oh, I see.  I know exactly where you're house will be built.  I thought you meant you were staying across the street from the development. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Thanks for info re gym and golf. I probably will need to "stay local" re golf.....don't want to embarrass myself too much----lucky to break 100!!  LOL!! Retiring in May will be an adjustment for me....been in the field of mental health-addiction, nursing homes, disabilities, etc. for 30+ years, so I'll need to channel my energies in a different direction. Info you provided will be an immense help, thank you.    RICK

Hi everyone...I'm a newbie to this forum and really enjoyed reading all the posts here. Lots of good info, questions I was going ask, but others asked first. I've been in Belize City for 6 days, now heading to Corazol. I'm renting an apartment for 1 month at Maya Hotel...they have apartments and hotel rooms. I read from 1 of the members here, Hawk, that it was a good place too. I'm a single retiree......and also looking for the gym and golf and tennis places on occasion. I look forward to meeting a bunch of people while I'm there. As soon as I get to Corazol, I plan on getting a SIM card for my unlocked cell phone. Does anyone know a good place to get, plus prepaid minutes?

George2121 wrote:

Hi everyone...I'm a newbie to this forum and really enjoyed reading all the posts here. Lots of good info, questions I was going ask, but others asked first. I've been in Belize City for 6 days, now heading to Corazol. I'm renting an apartment for 1 month at Maya Hotel...they have apartments and hotel rooms. I read from 1 of the members here, Hawk, that it was a good place too. I'm a single retiree......and also looking for the gym and golf and tennis places on occasion. I look forward to meeting a bunch of people while I'm there. As soon as I get to Corazol, I plan on getting a SIM card for my unlocked cell phone. Does anyone know a good place to get, plus prepaid minutes?

George I hope you rented an apartment for the month at Maya. It will save you quite a bit of money.

I live right behind the Maya, and could walk over and give you a few tips, on where to go, and who to meet.

Hey...yes,  I did rent an apartment with Rosita for 1 month...starting today. She will pick me up or have someone pick me up at 12noon today at the international airport...so I should be there by 3 or 4pm today. its been raining like crazy all night and most of this morning...I hope that doesn't interfere with the driving. thanks for the info...I hope to see you later.

email.....Hawksrealm94063@gmail.com George send me an e-mail when you get settled in.

Its been storming quite a bit here also, welcome to the tropics:)

Cathiekl wrote:

Hey Randy...   

   Every Friday Diana and Dave have Happy Hour at their home.
Cathie

Hey Cathie!  Are Diana and Dave in Corozal?  I just checked your list of regular activities and this seems to be the only one that i will be able to attend in November.  Just there for the second weekend.  And do you happen to know the cost of a taxi from Consejo in to Corozal?  Very excited to finally meet you.  Hope you will be around that weekend.