Where is Belize?

Belize - The Best Place to Retire?

Many times we have compared and contrasted the Best Places to Retire in relation to cost of living. Now more than ever those approaching retirement or recently retired are concerned about if or when their financial resources may run out. The ups and downs of the stock marketed combined with advances in health and longevity make this a real concern. So it's important for retirees to consider cheap places to live abroad in retirement. Places where they know their savings and retirement nest egg will last.

Latin American countries have been the darlings of the media and many retirees for the past decade. It started with Costa Rica in the '80's and '90's and then spread across the central American map as more and more of these places developed infrastructure and services specifically targeted at the retiring American Baby Boomers. For five years in a row Panama ranked number one in lists of the top retirement places while countries like Nicaragua, Honduras, Roatan and Belize often made the top 10 lists.

Recently we have been writing about retiring in Belize as one such place where the pace of life is slow and easy and the cost of living more than reasonable for most. I've been getting some feedback and questions about Belize and it makes sense the first and most popular question is...

Where is Belize Located?

That's a pretty important question! After all ow will you get there if you don't know where Belize is? Seriously though, when it comes to retiring abroad one of the most important issues is location - how close will I be to my children? My grand children? My home country? Other countries and places I may want to visit?  It's not atypical for a retiree living abroad to make numerous trips back to their homeland so moving relatively close and with easy access is of paramount concern. Thuis is probably one of the biggest reasons Latin America has become so popular for a seasonal or full time retirement home and Belize is located smack dab on the middle.

Belize is found on the Caribbean Coast of Central America with Mexico to the north and Guatemala to the west.

It is easy to get to from the United States with flights of less than two hours from Miami, Houston and  Dallas. You can also fly a little long from Atlanta, Newark, and Charlotte.

More about Belize

Formerly Belize was a British Colony so the official and common language is English. This makes it quite easy for retirees from North America to communicate and quickly feel at home. The 'Retire Belize Program' was modelled after other successful retiree incentive programs in countries like Panama. The incentives offerred to people who wish to live but not work make for a very attractive lifestyle by cutting the cost of living even further. The population is estimated at 300,000 persons residing in eight urban areas. Over 30% of the people live in Belize City. Belize is quite small at just 8,867 square miles but it is still one of the lowest densely populated countries in the Americas.

Weather in Belize

The Belize climate is subtropical, with an average annual temperature around 80°F. Highs can reach over 90°F while night time lows at cetain times of the year may fall as low as 60°F.   Belize is also an attractive destination for suba divers as it is home to the longest living Barrier Reef in the world which stretches along the entire Eastern Coast of the country.

Belize boasts large areas of unspoiled jungles and national parks, amazing rivers, waterfalls, wildlife, caves, and even archaeological ruins. Living in Belize as an American you will immediately notice the vibrant blend of cultures, including Mayan, Hispanic, Garifuna, East Indian, and Creole.