What are the expats like in Cayo, Belize, including San Ignacio and Belmopan?
John M. Burgos - Belize Tourism Industry Association
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The expats I have the opportunity to meet with and share a conversation here in Cayo are certainly very happy about the change of coming to retire in Belize and they have been able to adapt and mingle with the local population as well. They haven’t seen that great a difficulty in transitioning to the Belizean lifestyle. They become extended family here. That’s how Belizeans welcome expats. They are seen as extended family and expats are welcome...
The expats I have the opportunity to meet with and share a conversation here in Cayo are certainly very happy about the change of coming to retire in Belize and they have been able to adapt and mingle with the local population as well. They haven’t seen that great a difficulty in transitioning to the Belizean lifestyle. They become extended family here. That’s how Belizeans welcome expats. They are seen as extended family and expats are welcome into the homes of Belizeans and they become lifetime friends.
The main reason why the expats in Cayo are able to blend with the local population, community, and lifestyle in Belize and welcomed with open arms, is how often the expats share their expertise in a particular area and want to contribute to any festival, event, or any program that has been implemented in the community for development and capacity building at some level. When this happens (which is a lot), the expats are always welcome and they’re always given the opportunity. A lot of expats in Cayo take advantage of that. As an example, we have several of members of the Belize Tourism Association as great contributors to our efforts in the tourism Industry.
(Peter Tonti, a former Peace Corps volunteer was the CEO of Cahal Pech Village Resort and former 2nd Vice President of the Belize Tourism Industry Association, pictured.)
Posted September 2, 2015
John Acott
The expats in Cayo are very easy going. You have to have a certain mentality to come and live in Belize; it’s different. Very, very few don’t fit in with the locals. Locals are very friendly. The Cayo people are the friendliest in the whole country of Belize. Everyone remarks how friendly they are. There’s no hassle. They stop and talk to you in the streets, and they’re going to joke with you, and invite you to their homes – they...
The expats in Cayo are very easy going. You have to have a certain mentality to come and live in Belize; it’s different. Very, very few don’t fit in with the locals. Locals are very friendly. The Cayo people are the friendliest in the whole country of Belize. Everyone remarks how friendly they are. There’s no hassle. They stop and talk to you in the streets, and they’re going to joke with you, and invite you to their homes – they are very nice people.
Of all the expats I know only a very few go home. If they do go home it’s because of medical or family problems. Very few go home saying they don’t like it here.
A lot of my clients are American telling me America is going down so quickly that they want to get out. I hear a lot of that these days. Most of them come for a nicer climate, especially the Canadians, saying that the Canadian market is really bad this year because their dollars have decreased in purchasing power (the exchange rate for the Belize dollar is fixed to the US dollar.)
Most expats come for the weather and the easy lifestyle, which is slow. You ask someone what’s it like in Belize, and they’ll tell you “It’s slow.” There’s no rush, no pressure on you. It’s easy going, good living. I’ve been here for 30 years and I don’t want to live anywhere else. I traveled the world with the air force and been everywhere, I like it here. It’s friendly, slow, nice and warm.
(Converting arid cattle land into acres of tropical gardens, Ken and Judy duPlooy of Belize Botanical Gardens, Cayo District, Belize, pictured.)
Posted September 3, 2015
Wilana Oldham - Hot Mama's Belize Limited
It’s very interesting because the majority of the expats in the Cayo District are retirees but many want to do something. Some of them are doing a little farming, animal husbandry, and some do absolutely nothing. They like the idea of going to San Ignacio and going to little restaurants or cafes, hanging out and having coffee, socializing, and visiting people.Every expat here in the Cayo District has their own thing going on. They do whatever it is that they want...
It’s very interesting because the majority of the expats in the Cayo District are retirees but many want to do something. Some of them are doing a little farming, animal husbandry, and some do absolutely nothing. They like the idea of going to San Ignacio and going to little restaurants or cafes, hanging out and having coffee, socializing, and visiting people.Every expat here in the Cayo District has their own thing going on. They do whatever it is that they want to do. Every now and then we will meet up and have a little get together and have a potluck or celebrate a birthday party.
There was one girl here from the US, who has a special needs child. She has a little ranch and makes candles and sells them in stores and gift shops. There are other people who are into holistic healing. Everybody has their own thing and if we find that it’s something that sparks our interest, then we see each other and start sharing with each and then you start getting to know them. Then they will start knowing your friends as well.
To live in the Cayo District, you don’t really have to be a special type of person. You would only struggle living here if you are the type of person who needs to have all the conveniences and amenities at arm’s reach because we don’t have that here.
I met a woman once who didn’t like Belize. She complained all the time. She kept talking about how the eggs in the US are all white and here in Belize, the eggs are brown. She didn’t want to eat Belizean eggs because the shells are brown. She was very unhappy. So we told her, “I think you should go back to the US because this is not for you.”
You do need to make some adjustments while you are here in Belize because it is not what you are used to in the US. If you can make those adjustments then you will be fine. You need to have a lot of patience and you need to have some tolerance and understand that things are going to be a bit slower, but if you can get used to those things then you can come here. Just think of it as being a pioneering type of country.
Howard and I run all the time and we think of what good businesses could be done here. Anybody who moves to Belize realizes that there is business opportunity here. They say, “Oh, that would be a good business here…” The foreigners coming to live here see the potential long before the Belizeans do. Sometimes expats see a need and they do something to cater to that need.
(Wilana and Howard Oldham selling "hot legs" with their Hot Moma's sauce at a fair in Belize, pictured.)
Posted November 6, 2015
Roberto Harrison - Chaa Creek
Most of the expats in Cayo are between their 40s and 70s. Most of them are very laid back and they just came to Belize to retire and have a good time. There are other expats who come to Belize with plans of retiring but I guess sometimes you just can’t keep still or stay home and just relax so they open some businesses or they join different investments. Some expats partner with Belizeans who have local knowledge and the expats provide the capital to back it up. ...
Most of the expats in Cayo are between their 40s and 70s. Most of them are very laid back and they just came to Belize to retire and have a good time. There are other expats who come to Belize with plans of retiring but I guess sometimes you just can’t keep still or stay home and just relax so they open some businesses or they join different investments. Some expats partner with Belizeans who have local knowledge and the expats provide the capital to back it up. The expats in Cayo are very amicable and very nice. They try to blend in with the community as well. The expats here in Cayo are a mix of Americans and Canadians. I have not seen a lot of Europeans or South Americans here but the Belize Tourism Board is working towards those markets at the moment. We will probably see an influx of them coming in to Belize in the next 10 years or so.
(Ivanka Trump's Instagram picture of her recent stay in Belize, piictured.)
Posted December 28, 2015
Franklin Syrowatka - Better Homes Belize
The expats in Cayo are a mixed crowd, mostly middle-class people. Most of the expats, about 80% of them, are Americans. There is a considerable number of Canadians, and very few coming from other countries. They are usually retirees who are 60 years old and over with some kind of pension. There are few young expats here because it’s not easy to earn a living in Cayo. You are only on the safe side if you bring your pension here. The expats here in Cayo come from very...The expats in Cayo are a mixed crowd, mostly middle-class people. Most of the expats, about 80% of them, are Americans. There is a considerable number of Canadians, and very few coming from other countries. They are usually retirees who are 60 years old and over with some kind of pension. There are few young expats here because it’s not easy to earn a living in Cayo. You are only on the safe side if you bring your pension here. The expats here in Cayo come from very different realms of life. They are usually couples. Since most of the expats here are retired, they have lots of time. Usually, they have big properties with gardens, which they tend to. Some of them even have big acreage or businesses.
If you come here and you say, “Man, how superior am I…” or “How superior the American society or culture is…” then you should stay at home because you will hurt people and they will avoid you. The key to success in your new life is to adapt to a certain degree. If you come here looking for exactly what you had back home then you will fail. You need to be open-minded and explore new things and new aspects of life. Human relationships are more important here because people depend on them. In other words, your general attitude is most important. You need to be open-minded and flexible because Cayo is very different from what you know, no matter where you are from.
Living here is like living in a small village in the countryside. If you are from the countryside, you will find that most things are pretty similar here in Cayo but if you come from Silicon Valley then you probably won’t be happy down here unless if you were unhappy in Silicon Valley.
This is a good test for people who want to move to Cayo. If you move into an environment that is totally different from the one you were used to your whole life, it is probably hard to adapt but if you come from a similar environment as the one here in Cayo, or if you really want a change in your life, then it will become a really attractive alternative. Do not expect the same blessings that you get in a First World country and don’t blame Belize for being a developing country. It won't help you. This is a mistake that some expats make. They come here and start complaining about what they cannot get. They also complain about the attitude of the locals. Yes, people act differently because their standard of living is much lower but if you accept and embrace it, you will have a rewarding experience. You will get it back thousand fold.
(Expat Frank Syrowatka and his wife win the Booking dot com 2015 award for Vanilla Hills Lodge in Cayo Belize, pictured.)
Posted January 14, 2016