Corozal, Belize

Hi RedEagle,
Just would like to point you towards the Life in Belize Guide where you might find some useful information and to the active discussions here on the forum.
Cheers
Arlette

Hi Redeagle
My Wife and I are currently building a home in Consejo Shores which is 7 miles from Corozal. We have vacationed there for several years and have been all over the country. I can answer most of your questions if you like.

Thank you for responding.  My wife and I are from Las Vegas, Nevada.  I am a retired Military.  I will get back to you and ask you some question later..right now I just want to thank you for responding.

Hi
We are from Carson City, Nevada Small world. There are three other couples moving to Belize from here, but I don't know there names I just heard from other people. Small town
Tom & Rose Gardner
My e-mail is *** if you would like to e-mail me

thank you, I will be e-mailing you.  Thank you for giving it to me.  I may not tonight...work was kind of tiring today...But, I will get back to you soon...

If you have any specific questions please feel free to e-mail me.  Will do my best to answer them.  ***

Redeagle.... I relocated to corozal  from "74006" in early 2006 and love it although its not for everbody some love it and some hate it,
we started looking in the area in 1999 and bought land 2001, and built 2005.   I sent you a PM so if I can help let me know

My husband and I are seriously looking at retiring in Belize and have been researching.  Can you give me some examples of what some people hate about living in Belize?  I have been looking for some negatives about Belize but so far I haven't really found any to amount to much.

Thanks,
ChandlerB

Where in Belize would you like to go?  Corozal, The Caye, PG, or San Ignacio.  If you have not been here you should come and rent a car and have a months vacation.  That way you can visit and see for yourself if you like it or what part you would like to live.  If you like it then look for a place to rent as I would never advise anyone to buy right away.  Plus it gives you time to decide what to do. We now live in Corozal but plan a move next year to San Ignacio.  My e-mail address is:  hummingbirdhideaway@yahoo.com  Ruby and Gary Wood

… we just bought a house in Corozal Town. We love the area. We decided on this town because it is quiet and has a large expat community. It is also close to Chetumal in Mexico for conveniences.
One thing I can say is that lawyers want a crazy amount of money here to handle the property closing. We ended up hiring a paralegal for about the same as it would cost in Canada and it worked out fine.
Todd

Very sad report. My condolences to family and friends.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/mis … d=47144071

We are taking a last minute shirt vacatuon (AA cheapie flight) to Belize.

It’s our first trip and we will only have time to check one or two areas. We are Canadians looking to retire outside Canada.

Considering staying in the Corozal area; Feb 12-16 is our trip including flying from Toronto.

Any suggestions on reasonably priced (less than 75/n US max) accommodations in the Corozal area?

Your best bet is looking on www booking com.
2nd best is www Airbnb com.

I use them both with great results all the time. with the online reviews for both to guide your selection and booking does not usually require paying up front.

Thank you Will.  We have decided to rent a car from the airport and venture about. We will use the sites you suggested, they look very good.

Why to some people hate it in that area?

I find all the districts in Belize to be different. While I really like Corozal District we checked out every district before moving. Some of the negatives (I’ve heard from others) about Corozal is that it is boring. It really isn’t touristy so there are fewer restaurants, bars or entertainment options. But its a short hop across the border to Mexico or to San Pedro.

My husband and I are thinking about retiring in Consejo Shores and one of the draws to the Corozal area is the proximity to Chetumal (Sam's Club, etc.).  I have been reading a lot about transportation options between Corozal Town and Chetumal but it's mainly info about buses and taxis, and longer term stays in Mexico.  I am trying to understand the process for driving your own car across the border for an hour at Sam's Club and then back.  Do you know what that looks like at the border?

Thanks,
Gillian

It’s a fairly simple border crossing. If you are QRP you don’t have to pay the $40bze exit fee. You stop in the Belize side get checked out then drive to the Mexican custom office, fill out a form and then drive through an inspection point, then pay a few pesos to get your car sprayed with “magic water” and you’re through. You should get Mexican car insurance before going. You can do this in advance at a Corozal insurance office for just the duration of your trip. If you plan to go frequently you can get an annual policy for fairly little cost.

I am surprised you say there s no exit fee charged for QRP as that did not used to be the case as the GOB still consider QRP as tourists. Good to know that things have changed.

terrific wrote:

I am surprised you say there s no exit fee charged for QRP as that did not used to be the case as the GOB still consider QRP as tourists. Good to know that things have changed.

That surprised me also.
I wonder if the "no exit fee" comes into effect only after the QRP person has qualified/received residency?

Here in Placencia, I know, or casually chat with many non-Belizeans (outside of short term tourist).
Most are part-time/seasonal, those that have obtained residency/working on residency, or business owners.  I can only recall 3 people that were full QRP.  Several of the now residence folks dropped out of QRP early.

I wonder if that low QRP trend also exists in the Northern/Western parts of Belize?

That is why I questioned it somewhat as the QRP is not considered "residency" for exit purposes and in most literature ( about 2 years old) I have stipulates QRP have to pay the exit fee. Could it be concesion for living in proximity to the border. I know living within just a couple of miles of the Guatemala border in the west can allow you to apply for a special ( I do not know if it is a licence/permit or simple proof of address) piece of paper that has your ID details of  Name address and passport number but no photo that means you do not have to get your passport stamped every time. Mainly used by Belize and Guatemalan workers and farmers needing to cross each day.
But I know one expat that has one,  He arrives every September from US and stays till March, and has for the last  20 years Not QRP but now gets 2 months Immigration stamps from Belmopan office.

Will The Old wrote:

I can only recall 3 people that were full QRP.  Several of the now residence folks dropped out of QRP early.

Do you happen to know what led to them dropping out of the program? I am a 49 year old, fully retired, former Canadian soldier and QRP seemed to us like the way to go when we move down there in the next year.

The QRP program does have its benefits, but some of the challenges are that it’s usually difficult to establish a Belize bank account. Paperwork, what’s needed and the time it takes to process can also be cumbersome. If you don't need the break on duties or are just going to be a snow bird or have any future aspirations of having a business in Belize it may make more sense to go a different route.

On a side note, I recently went to Chetumal with a number of folks in QRP and they didn’t have to pay the exit fee. I can’t say if that is a new or current policy as it seems that every time I deal with immigration the rules or interpretation is different. My suggestion is always expect to pay and be pleasantly surprised if you don’t 

Good to know. We are coming down to Corozal mid Nov to spend a few weeks and look at some homes etc. We would love to meet up for a meal, a beer, or coffee with any of the expats who are willing to let us pick their brains for a few.

Toby

There are a number of places where you can meet up with expats in Corozal district. Not sure if you want to be in town or are interested in seeing different parts of the district. But here’s a list of spots you might check out.

1) Martineja’s in Sarteneja village. This is one of the most remote villages in the district but a great little fishing village. And this restaurant is run by a couple expats. They make excellent pizza among other things.

2) Orchid Bay between Copper Bank and Chunox. There’s a restaurant called Tradewinds and there’s casitas and condos available to rent. If you go on Monday evening they have an “all you can eat” soup night and most of the residents of OB attend.

3)Cerros Sands near Copper Bank. Wednesday and Saturday are darts days at Blackbeard restaurant. Starts around noon and popular with expats.

4) Tortuga Grill, Jam Rock, Scotty’s are all popular expat spots in Corozal town. Cielo’s at Tony’s Inn also has a nice Sunday brunch that usually draws in expats.

5) Consejo village. I think about 150 expats live in Consejo. There are a couple restaurants, a small community golf course and park areas.