In my travels next year I was thinking of spending the winter in belize outside of the big citys. Small small place under 1000 people or so. What should I look for? what tips to you great people have about Belize? Anyone ever room and boarded there? if your making your own food etc what might the cost run??
thanks for you help.

The biggest city in Belize is Belize City with about 55,000 people. It`s a ramshackle little place which isn`t of any great interest to me. That`s where most of the crime is concentrated. Aside from that there really aren`t any large cities in the entire country.

Belize is unbeliezable expensive compared to the countries surrounding it. But still a lot cheaper than the USA or Canada ...if you look around a little bit. Fuel is $5 per galon but it is a tiny country and fuel usage shouldn`t be too much of an issue unless all you do is ride.

I have no information on longer term stays since both times I was there it was only for 3 weeks and 3 days, respectively.

If you`re cooking for yourself you can get relatively inexpensive groceries in the Chinese stores and Indian stores.

I would recommend trying out a place like San Ignacio (close to the forests and the Guatemala border) but it`s probably larger than 1000 inhabitants. You can try a place like Hopkins which would definitely be small. There`s a beach and nearby snorkeling and estuaries for wildlife and birding. Based on what you described that would probably be your best bet, but there are even smaller places which you can find on the map.

...good luck and have fun.

thanks .

San Ignacio/ Cayo is a nice place but very tourist oriented , lots of fancier small hotels for the snowbirds, and a number of moderate priced guest houses.
In BZ city you can get rooms in several low cost guest houses for under $25US per day, less if you book in for long stays. e.g North Front street Guest House , Smokin Balaam GH, Seabreeze Guest house on Gabourel St. The town is a bit of a rusticating dump, but can be interesting nonetheless.
If you get into the beach towns prices are somewhat like those in the US as it attracts the snorkeling beach tourists , the reef islands are expensive for the same reason.Even backwater towns can be pricy for the same reason of attracting eco tourists but deals could be found if you ask for basic cheap boarding houses. '
In Dangriga I can recommend Chaleanor Hotel for economy but then you must ask for the ECONOMY rooms which are in a separate wooden structure at the side.

If you go down to Punta Gorda you can get lower cost rooms, under $25 in the small rtow right on the ocean front Hotel Lux, very basic but a deal.Again, a long stay would be cheaper.
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