BELIZE INFORMATION



Belize has recently been named by International Living Magazine "Top Choice for Retirement Destination" there is no income tax and capital gains tax in Belize.  English is the official language in Belize making it very easy to communicate and do business in Belize.

Getting to Belize:  Belize has air services to Goldson International (located in Belize City) via American Airlines, Continental Air, US Air, Delta and Grupo Taca.  Non-stop flights depart from New York, Charolotte, Miami, Houston, Altanta and Dallas.  A passport is required to enter the Country of Belize. 

Getting to Placencia:  Placencia is most often reached by car or local airplane.  Tropic Air and Maya Island Air offer roundtrip air transfers from Goldson International Airport.  The flight takes approximately 40 minutes and costs $81.00US per person one way. 

Another option is to rent a car. The road is now paved from Belize City to the Placencia cutoff on the Southern highway.  The drive from Belize City via the Hummingbird Highway will take approximately 4 hours. From the Placencia cutoff the road is unpaved and very bumpy so be prepared to have 21 miles of your journey very slow going.  Check before renting a car as to how the road is in heavy rains some of it is impassable.  Try and travel in the daylight hours as the roads in Belize are not well marked.  Saks at Placencia is locted 1/4 mile south of the airstrip.  If you reach the Village of Placencia you have gone too far.  A car is not really needed in Placencia because the village is small and it is easily accessible by bikes or walking.

 A third option is to take a bus, however, this option would only appeal to a more adventurous traveler as the bus has no airconditioning and the road is bumpy.  There are several buses from Belize City to Dangriga via the "Coastal Road" or you can take a longer more scenic route via Belmopan.  In Dangriga you would then change to a Placencia bus.  The entire ride can take up to six hours.

 

PLACENCIA

The Placencia peninsula in southern Belize offers miles of natural beach, numerous coral-encrusted caves, a rich mangrove lagon and road access from the mainland, making the area an ideal base for exploring both the Caribbean Sea and the Belizean jungle.  Placencia is a very layback village, the main street is actually a sidewalk, built over 30 years ago as a means of wheelbarrowing fish.  You can walk for seven miles along a sandy beach without interrruption.  The rich varieties of marine habitats also make Placencia an excellent place for sport fishing.  The mangrove habitat is one of the most important ecosystems in Belize.  Kayaking and canoeing in the Placencia Lagoon is an excellent way to view the tremendous amount of wildlife.  Seeing a manatee and her calf feeding in the grass beds or a lay crocodile on the banks sunning are everyday occurrences.  Diving enthusiastiasts gather in Placencia during the whale shark season - May & June on the full moon.