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Land at Local Prices: Cheap Land in Belize

Land at Local Prices

There are two real estate markets in Belize – the international market for foreigners in tourist areas advertised on real estate websites… and there is the local market for cheap land in Belize.  Most older Belizeans at some point were lucky enough to be granted land under the condition that the land was productive. Others leased land from the government that they could title for a small fee.

Cheap Land in Belize

Find Cheap Land in Belize

Today, Belizeans can still apply for government land and receive it for pennies on the dollar.

Many locals need to sell and will sell cheap land in Belize, at prices far below the international market. Wow Belize has developed relationships with local brokers who can find these bargains and offer them to qualified clients. These deals NEVER MAKE IT TO THE INTERNET– as they are sold immediately.

While some of these lands are in uncharted regions, more due diligence is required, but some of these properties will be sold for PENNIES on the dollar. The best way to find cheap land in Belize, whether its jungle, riverfront, savannah or islands is to contact an agent with these local connections.

As every savvy investor knows, buying undervalued assets is the key to profits. Simply contact us to let us know what type and size acreage you are interested in and we will find it. You can also subscribe to our listing newsletter to see our best deals in your inbox, every week!

View our listings and find cheap land in Belize.

If you are in the market for owning your first property in paradise, then look no further; Browse our website and learn more about Belize, whether you have specific questions, or just want to read more about the Caribbean lifestyle. Our team has also written, photographed, edited and published a relocation guide, which has been featured on several travel websites!

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If you are looking for affordable land in the Caribbean, look no further. Wow Belize Real Estate brings offers local land at affordable prices. Not all deals make it to the internet so let us know exactly what you are looking for!
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10 Ways to stay fit in Belize — Placencia Lifestyle

Placencia Lifestyle

Often we get asked “How do I stay fit in Belize?” by our guests. (and if you just want to lay on the beach, there are PLENTY of people doing that and nothing more.) Here’s what we learned from our past guests about their favorite ways of staying fit while they are in Placencia…1.) Bike riding – Placencia is a 16-mile peninsula, with one road all the way to the “top”- this is a GREAT ride, very interesting for people and sight seeing. There are plenty of places to stop on the way up and get water, have lunch, jump in a pool/the sea. Most people will stop when they get to the “Placencia Hotel,” this is north of Maya Beach in the “Plantation” area of the peninsula. If your hotel doesn’t offer free bikes (many do) you can rent from a place in town.

Stay fit in Belize

Placencia Lifestyle

2.) Kayaking – this is recommend first thing in the morning as it is much calmer in the morning, and gets more rough throughout the day. You can paddle over to Placencia Caye and snorkel, or go along the coast up past Turtle Inn and be nosy! There are a handful of places in town to rent these, and a few hotels that offer these complimentary.

Kayaking

3.) Paddle boarding – kind of the same as above, but you have to stand (obvi) and be a little more coordinated. Side note, you can do all these things complimentary at CBC!

4.) Yoga – there is GREAT yoga in this village. Placencia “runs” on Facebook – and how awesome is this – you can join THIS page to get the latest info on all the classes! Here’s the latest as of this blog post…

ALL YOGA STUDIO SCHEDULES:

EUCALIPTO:
Mon 6:30am Vinyasa
Tues 7:00am Hatha
Wed 6:30am Vinyasa
Thurs 7:00am Hatha
Friday 7:00am Gentle Flow 4:00 kids yoga
********************************************************
PLACENCIA YOGA:
Monday:
6:00am – Ashtanga (half primary led class) with Aaron
9:00am – Basic Flow with Aaron

Tuesday:
9:00am – Vinyasa Flow with Brice
4:15pm – Sivananda with Jan
5:30pm – Ashtanga (half primary led class) with AaronWednesday:
6:00am – Ashtanga (half primary led class) with Aaron
9:00am – Gentle Flow with JarkaThursday:
9:00am – Ashtanga (half primary led class) with Aaron
5:30pm – Vinyasa Flow with JarkaFriday:
6:00am – Ashtanga (half primary led class) with Aaron
9:00am – Basic Flow with Aaron
********************************************************************
SECRET GARDEN:
No Yoga until August..classes to be announced
*********************************************************************
YOGA 4 LIFE with Pam Bernier Swanick
Tues 10:00am Wild Orchid
Wed 5:30pm Naia
Thurs 10:00am Wild Orchid
Saturday 10:00am Wild Orchid

Paddle boarding
actual class at Eucalipto…yogatrail.com
5.) Crossfit – There are two places to check out for Crossfit – schedules sometimes change, but you can walk to both places in the village and find out their schedules when you are here. First is Evolution Beach – see more below – and you can also check out the Placencia Gym above the ReMax office.
6.) Zumba – Zumba is popular here – Monday fitness classes are at the community center at 4:15, and Tuesday at Silver Leaf Villa at Harbour Place. Thursday is a toning class at Silver Leaf, and Zumba family on Friday nights at Tipsy Tuna at 7pm.
7.) Outdoor Gym – Evolution Beach mentioned above can be reached at 608 1643, and you can walk there right by the cut through road by Sea Spray. They have personal training, boxing, weightlifting, and more. You can also check out Placencia Gym in the evenings.
8.) Volleyball/basketball – There is a super nice volleyball court by Tipsy Tuna. There are often pick up games throughout the week with nice people, who will probably let you join if you ask :). You can also feel free to grab a ball and pepper there, it is a public park. There is a basketball court by the sports fields in the middle of town, and often you can find people playing pick up games there. These games are a great way to stay fit in Belize.
Volleyball/basketball
tripadvisor.com
9.) Swimming – Another wonderful thing about Placencia, is that there are few things to worry about with regards to swimming in the sea. You are not going to run into rocks, there aren’t that many sea creatures near the shore, the water is usually calm enough for a safe swim, and there are few boats or anything like that to worry about. Also I have yet to see a shark.
Swimming
matadornetwork.com
10.) Running/walking the beach or main street – kind of self explanatory – but note that most of the year, it is way too hot to enjoy this in the middle of the day, so running is recommended as early in the morning as you can. One great thing about Placencia is that all beaches are public, so you can walk, and walk, and walk, on the shore until you can’t take anymore….and this is such a fun thing to do on vacation, you can just get right in the water when you get hot! The sand here is a workout to walk on, so your calves will feel it.
***If all else fails, you can just pull up some videos on YouTube and find a spot on the beach!! Also – check out the Placencia Breeze local newspaper, which has listings for all the latest fitness in town 🙂 Staying or getting fit in Belize is also a breeze!

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Dear Tropical Storm Franklin, what can I do if you make it rain on my vacation to Placencia, Belize?

Dear Tropical Storm Franklin
Ugh there is a big tropical storm Franklin headed our way tonight…..which is always a good time to consider what you can do in the rain around here??? Also, what should you pack if it is calling for rain in the forecast when you are here?? Here you go!

Top 15 things to do in Placencia Village in the rain

1.) Jaguar Lanes in Maya Beach – this is indoor bowling fun! Great pizza too, you can get a cab up there. (pic from their facebook page)

Jaguar Lanes

2.) INDOOR DINNER – I’d take this opportunity to visit the new spa called Naia and eat at 1981, where they have a fully enclosed restaurant. It is super cute, and somehow Mayan Modern! (pic from their facebook page)

INDOOR DINNE

3.) Pickled Parrot – this is not right on the sea, so you aren’t going to get the lashing wet sea breeze. This is a huge, dry palapa bar and everyone in there is always fun and cheerful. The crowd favorites are Thursday trivia, the meatloaf (great rain comfort food), and you can play with Mia and Ziggy, the awesome dogs that live there and will play fetch with you for hours (wait till you see Mia’s piercing stare right through your soul.) (pic from their facebook page)

Pickled Parrot

4.) Rent a car – right in the village you can rent a car from a couple places who will bring it right to you Barefoot Car Rental – this is a great opportunity to explore the 16 mile peninsula, and what is weird is you may find it sunny up in Maya Beach when it is raining in the village, and vice versa! Below are some ideas that may get you out of the rain in the village….(pic from their facebook page)

Rent a car

5.) Hiking at Bocawina

6.) “Secret” waterfalls (not that secret) and visit a bamboo forest…

Hiking at Bocawina
Hiking at Bocawina

7.) Hiking or an excursion at Cockscomb

8.) Go inland even farther – you can go to Ian Anderson’s for the day, and do a cave tubing (about 2 hours, probably not at all the same weather there unless we are dealing with a monster storm)

9.) Head to San Ignacio for the day – this is a pretty drive, and from there you can do the ATM Cave Tour, Xunantunich, and many Cave Tours. We like Trip N Travel.

10.) Tipsy Tuna – put on your lil poncho and head out, because there is plenty of dry space and it is always fun to people watch. People will always be there! And Tipsy has an indoor part with a sandy floor and a pool table! (really hard to find a pic of this. From Pinterest.)

Tipsy Tuna

11.) Sit at ChaChi’s and people watch – you can eat pizza and gelato right under a pretty substantial “tunnel” – and you are in the heart of main street with lots of good people watching. They have a bar under there too 🙂

12.) If all else fails – get food from Ian Anderson’s new deli or EnE Chinese and watch TV – if you are prone to boredom in the rain, make sure you stay somewhere with cozy indoor space, good movie channels, and good wifi. You are probably tired anyway so use it as an excuse to Netflix and …..go to bed early – and now you can get up and watch the sunrise at 5am since you are so well rested! Actual pic from Hacienda veranda.

If all else fails

****Packing tips (pretty basic here) – it doesn’t hurt to throw in a poncho and some water shoes. Check with your hotel if they provide umbrellas – we do! These can also be found pretty cheaply at the local stores. A long sleeve dry wicking shirt also helps. It also doesn’t hurt to ask about the hotel’s TV and wifi opportunities, and whether there is any outdoor covered space so you can still enjoy yourself and not get cabin fever (we do have all). Also – bring a couple ziplock bags for your phone and cameras, and a nylon or waterproof string bag. This should cover it!!

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The BEST cheap eats in Placencia Village!! (with guest writer Dave)

My husband Dave offered to write a blog post today, as he was eating a street food burrito, that he said deserves its own blog post…. So, here it is, with some “editor’s notes” at the bottom…
_________________________________________________________________________________
Much of travel surrounds eating. Meals out, new experiences, delicious exotic dishes – travel and food go together like rice and beans.And while Placencia has a number of restaurants that I think can go toe to toe with any international travel destination’s finest dining options (Ricks, Rumfish, Maya Beach Bistro) wherever I am, I gravitate to the cheap eats. No doubt, my favorite part of travel. Below is a quick sampling of my favorite cheap eats, and how to do it like a local!

Breakfast burritos….

A can’t miss! Look, if you’re headed out on a tour, getting ready to spend the morning kayaking beautiful waters, or want a great, quick, cheap meal for the next leg of your journey, breakfast burritos are the best. Stop at any street stand by the police station and make your order. They prepare it right in front of you, fresh, tasty and cheap. Burritos are $5 BZD. They are prepared with a large homemade-in-front-of-you flour tortilla, and include eggs, ham, onions, and sometimes the following – coleslaw, peppers, chicken, and Marie Sharps. So delicious! You’ll need to approach the counter and order – don’t expect a menu or any chit-chat. The staff is at work and they’ll probably make 150 burritos that morning – so keep it brief. Just order a breakfast burrito, with everything – they’ll put it together for you, wrap it in foil, and you walk away with it. Cash only, USD is fine if you have it, and you can eat there.

 And here are two tips:
1. Place your order and then walk to the small grocery store that is close and get a coconut water while you wait. It will take about 10 minutes to prepare your burrito. And tell the cook you’re going. They won’t respond, but be sure – they heard you.
 2. Get a few extra. Keep them in your hotel room fridge – they reheat wonderfully! Perfect for a late night snack!

Here’s my favorite place:
The BEST cheap eats in Placencia
And here is the burrito that inspired this post…the breakfast one…
the breakfast
Chicken rice and beans ….Every dining blog and article about Belize food talks about this dish. I won’t be another that goes on and on. But, Mim’s on the road is my favorite. It also happens to be right near our place. But really, they’re all great and all around $10 BZD.

So, if you’re going to have lunch at a roadside stand that has this DELICIOUS dish, here are two tips: 1. Show up early. Lunch is served 11 to 1 and if you get there at 12:45, they’ll be out of everything you were hoping to have. Get there about 11:30 and you can ensure you’ll get your pick of what’s on the menu.
 2. You can ask for extra chicken for a price. Staff will normally oblige and it’s worth it!
It will be some iteration of this…
DELICIOUS dish
Tamales….This one is buyer beware. There are a number of vendors walking with 5 gallon buckets of fresh, hot, just made tamales – $3 BZD. When I first saw this three years ago, I couldn’t have been more excited. Daily hot tamales to my doorstep – what more could a boy want? Here’s what…………… Belizean tamales are cooked with all the classic ingredients – masa, corn husks, spices and seasonings – and the meat is chicken. Sounds delicious right? The problem is that the chicken is “bone-in” as-in – don’t bite directly into that sucker or you’ll lose a tooth! And even if you want to eat the chicken, you’ll need to dig out the bone with your hand as it’s packed inside the masa. So, buyer beware – tamales are cheap and tasty, but too much work for this guy!

Chabilmarvillas.com
Chabilmarvillas
These are my favs, and I hit them all (except the tamales) several times a week. But actually, I do sneak in a tamale in every now and then – only when I know no one is watching 🙂
_________________________________________________________________________________
Editor’s Note – we have a lot of enthusiasm in this family; as he was writing I was shouting out other things that are cheap that he eats all the time, and it was exhausting for him, so I’ll finish this. SO, to add a few more cheap eats that while he did not write, he does agree with…
-$.50usd plantain chips in the little baggies at all the grocery stores. These are awesome, just the right size that you don’t feel cheated/pretty full, he eats them about once a day.
belizeadventure.com
plantain chips
-farmer’s markets all through the village – go get a couple tomatoes, onion, lime, jalapeno, and cilantro, chop it all up, and get a bag of local tortilla chips at the grocery store. You can do this for like $6usd and have a ton of fresh salsa, and the chips here are all amazing.
belizeadventure.ca
farmer's markets
cute farmer’s markets everywhere
cute farmer's markets
-coke out of a real glass bottle…..it just tastes different here, you have to try it…
alamy.com
coke out of a real glass bottle
-“Squash” – this is concentrated fruit juice sold at the grocery store, for some reason it is amazing and makes a TON of juice or rum punch
belizeadventure.com
Squash
-quick, cheap meal – ground chicken, shredded cheese & taco seasoning from the grocery store (maybe plain yogurt or sour cream, block olives), plus lettuce, onion, green pepper, maybe an avocado and the above salsa…makes a spectacular taco salad that we eat at least once a week.
-if you see someone walking around with a bin on their shoulder, stop them! Especially if it is Justin with his little bakery things or the Mayan lady with donuts, they are cheap and awesome.
These are enough tips to eat cheaply for a week and not get sick of it….and then for dinner, you can eat at Omar’s, Dawn’s, or Wende’s, J-Dees,, the Galley, etc…..nice local sit down places, and get the special, you can eat dinner for about $5-8usd!
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What low season? Belize breaks records, Lobsterfest, & the newest pics around the village!

Dear Tropical Storm Franklin

No surprise to read THIS article – Belize has broken its overnight tourism records – smashed them in fact! In April the overnight percentage went up 24% compared to last year!!!!!You can tell in the village, the energy and buzz is much higher than in past years during low season – mid July feels more like late November as far as the people. It is still NOT crowded – you can go into any restaurant and not have a wait, and you can have the beach to yourself most days, which is one of the draws of this village (paradise without overcrowding!). But, the amount of tourists in the village can be seen in far more filled up seats at the bars and restaurants.

The village recently enjoyed Lobsterfest, so lobster is back on the menus, yay! Here is a montage of village images from the last couple weeks – even if you are enjoying your own summer across North America, the exotic and rustic look of this place can make you want to come back…

Lobsterfest:
Gotta get a pic with the lobster…..

Belize breaks records

Get your face in this board….

Get your face

CBC’s own Carlos Vasquez won the Amateur Rum Punch Contest with his “famous” racecar rum punch!!!

Rum Punch ContestRum Punch Contest

Lobster pizza, lobster rolls, lobster omelettes, lobster bisque, lobster fritters…..

Lobster pizza
Here are some images on Main Street from the last week….
Love the Central American-style grocery stores….you never know what you will find!
Main Street from the last week
Pretty painted fences down Main Street…
Pretty painted fences down
 Street art can be found throughout the village
 Street art
 Charming, tranquil, exotic are some of the words that come to mind, everywhere you look
Charming, tranquil
Charming, tranquil
 Belizean “fast food” – love her burritos!
 Belizean "fast food"
 Belizean "fast food"
 Bicycles are a sight you will see everywhere throughout the village, always a pretty picture:)
pretty picture
 A visit to Pickled Parrot is a high point of a vacation here!
Pickled Parrot is a high point
 The newest restaurant in the village – The Vineyard!
The village - The Vineyard
 And everyone’s old favorite…..Rumfish 🙂 (never get sick of seeing this in new pictures!)
never get sick of seeing
 One of my favorite souvenir shops!
 One of my favorite souvenir shops
 More cute storefronts
More cute storefronts
 Reclaimed nautical signs 🙂
 More cute storefronts
 Local favorite Dawn’s grill
Local favorite Dawn's grill
 Secret Garden is hidden behind this rustic wood building…
 Secret Garden
 Pretty shops tucked off to the side of Main Street
Pretty shops
Pretty shops
 Great Asian soup and stir fry here, with great people watching!
 Great Asian soup
 Never get sick of these tropical colors!
Never get sick
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What guests say they wish they knew before they came to Belize…26 tips from past guests!

What guests say they wish
We like to revisit this topic periodically – facts change over time, and we aim to keep our guests as well informed as possible so you can fully enjoy and relax during your time with us! Here is some recent feedback, right from our past guests, about what they wish they’d known before they got to Belize/Placencia:

I wish I’d known that…

  1. I didn’t need to pack so much – no need to haul things like sunscreen, SPF, etc, as these were available readily in the village. No fancy clothes/shoes/jewelry needed!!
  2. Nowhere would really take American Express – Visa and MC were ok. Also call your cc companies/bank and let them know you are traveling so your card is not declined here.
  3. More of an fyi for future guests – if you like the all inclusive resort style, this will not be for you. Exploring the village and beyond is what Belize is about.
  4. Sea grass – it comes in pretty frequently, especially in late afternoon. You want to stay somewhere that keeps it raked. There is no telling when it is coming, but it doesn’t need to ruin your trip. Belize is known to have seagrass from time to time because they are close to the reef. There are always beaches around that won’t have it, or stay somewhere with a pool.
  5. Belikins are strong – but they are also only about 8-10 oz. However there is no calorie, carb count online, or alcohol content – and it is very easy to overdo it. Also, you can just order a “beer” at the bar as that is the same thing as ordering Belikin. The napkin on the beer is to wipe it off because they recycle these bottles and the caps can rust a little from the metal caps with salt air.
  6. Barefoot makes STRONG drinks – they aren’t kidding. One drink is the equivalent to 2-3 in a US bar.
  7. I should have worn a shirt and stronger spf while snorkeling – didn’t realize how bad my butt would get burned on the water.
  8. Sand fleas – forgot that they come out after a rain and at night/when there is no breeze- if you are around mangroves make sure you wear baby oil on your legs.
  9. I didn’t need to stress so much over the forecast – it says rain almost every day in Belize, but it isn’t rain like in North America – it usually means a short shower or rain at night.
  10. I should have taken the snorkel excursion when the sea was calm – the sea can get wavy and crazy within a day and it is uncomfortable to be on the water when it is rough.
  11. The very best time to kayak and paddleboard is FIRST thing in the morning – the water is usually at its calmest and prettiest, and gets a little more wavy throughout the day.
  12. It is really important to stay where there is A/C at your hotel.
  13. I should have bought tickets for Belize when they were around $400 – under $500 is still a pretty good price and it includes your exit fee of about $50 (usually).
  14. I should have packed way less clothes – but more swimsuits, less dressy stuff!
  15. I should have brought a change of clothes and shoes for my excursions.
  16. I should have taken an extra second to buy a bottle of liquor for my room at the arrival duty free – very cheap there and nice to have once you are settled in.
  17. I should have taken one extra excursion – it is one of the things I remembered most about my trip. They are all so unique, even if they are expensive and a lot of work, it is worth it!
  18. I wish I would have gotten up to see the sunrise. (sun rises about 5:30 – very worth it!)
  19. I should have stayed longer – 3-5 days is not enough. 7-10 days would have been perfect.
  20. I wish I would have had the following on me – hand sanitizer and toilet paper on excursions, and a wet cloth in a baggie sometimes when walking around in the heat of the day.
  21. Lobsterfest, Sidewalk Art Festival, etc are really fun times to come, I’ll check the dates next time.
  22. On Easter, Good Friday – a lot of things shut down and liquor isn’t sold that day. Also, Easter Monday, the village is recovering and a lot of things are shut down. Easter weekend is really crazy and busy in the village.
  23. Belize time means not to rush around with urgency – if you are supposed to be picked up at 8am, 8:15 is normal.
  24. Water and power outages can happen unexpectedly – and this can happen when you are expecting to be able to get ready for your flight – it is a developing country and you have to be willing to be flexible sometimes (baby wipes!)
  25. I would want to have brought more cash – sometimes you are at a restaurant and they will tell you their credit card machine is down, and then sometimes the atm can be not working, so I would have felt more comfortable with more cash as a back up.
  26. I should have waited to book my excursions until I got there. The tour guides don’t book until week of unless it is a specialty tour, and I changed my mind a lot when I was here about what I wanted to do.
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Placencia Carnival, Hopkins Mango Festival, and some gorgeous pics in the village!

Placencia Carnival
So Placencia had a super charming, old-fashioned (and I mean old – like the rides and games you’d see in a movie from the 50’s-70’s – some might even call it reminiscent of a horror movie…..anyway…) we were thrilled to have it and I wish we had this permanently. Here’s some pics to take you back to old school carnival days (thanks Sue for the great pics!!)…..

Placencia had a super charming
Placencia had a super charming
 This look super complicated and mystical.
look super complicated
 I’ve definitely seen this in a horror movie.
horror movie
horror movie
horror movie
Who doesn’t love old school carnival games???
old school carnival games
 Looks totally gorgeous…..
Looks totally gorgeous
 However – I bet we’d all be making this face, getting on a Ferris wheel from around 1950….
Looks totally gorgeous
And more cotton candy…

Also this week was Mango Festival in Hopkins….this is pretty self explanatory. If you are headed here, you MUST get a local mango from the farmer’s markets scattered all through the village, they are truly one of the greatest things I’ve eaten here…..

Mango Festival in Hopkins
Mango Festival in Hopkins
Mango Festival in Hopkins
Mango Festival in Hopkins
Mango Festival in Hopkins

And finally, here are some gratuitous pics from around the village, too charming not to share!

gratuitous pics
gratuitous pics
gratuitous pics
gratuitous pics
gratuitous pics
gratuitous pics
FYI – If you like to follow pics from around the village/Belize – you can follow us on Instagram here! https://www.instagram.com/caribbeanbeachcabanas/
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How to use your cell phone in Belize – 9 tips on staying connected while you are here!

Belize – 9 tips on staying connected
A very common question I get from guests is how their cell phones will work in Belize, and what options they have when they are here, for wifi, calling/texting back home, and staying connected via their data. Here are our latest recommendations!
1.) The most obvious and easy way to stay connected is to simply connect to the wifi available at almost every hotel, restaurant, bar, the airport, and even some shuttles. If it is your first time out of the country, it seems scary to have your phone looking like its roaming, or getting messages that your data is on, and hearing stories about outrageous fees people have paid because the settings on their phone were not right. You just have to make sure that your data is turned off when you arrive.
wifi available at almost every hotel
Make sure that green is switched to gray (off) 🙂
2.) If you are just using wifi – and don’t need a local phone number, or the ability to have local calls come in, you can use several methods for staying in contact with people at home. The most popular way is through Facebook messaging, which is free, and allows you to call, text, and send pictures. You can download this app to your phone.
you are just using wifi
Facebook Messager app icon
3.) I also recommend the Skype app – this is not just video calling. Skype allows you to call anywhere in the world, you just download the app, and I put about $25 a YEAR on it and never use it up. It is very cheap and you just open the app and call like a regular phone, you just have to be on wifi to use it. It can be annoying if your connection is not strong. This opens you up to be able to call all over the world, not just people on Facebook messenger.
Skype
Skype app icon
4.) If you have an iphone, you can call or facetime anyone in the world who has an iphone as well.
Facetime
Facetime app icon
5.) Most US carriers offer service in Belize if you sign up for it. It’s pricey, and this is not necessary for most people. This will enable you to call and receive calls the same as you would in the US.
6.) Some hotels will give you a local cell – check before you arrive if you think you will want to be able to call locally. This can be good piece of mind to have in an emergency.
7.) If you’re staying longer than a vacation, you can get a SIM card for your phone from a local company – BTL. They’ll need ID and probably a passport, but you can get a local #. You can do this in Placencia with Eric from Office Supply – just hand over your phone and he’ll fit the local SIM card to your device. Then you can get data. Almost everyone is pre-paid, not post paid plans like in the US. Data plans are also available on pre-paid plans. This allows you to stay connected to the internet even when you don’t have wifi.
8.) If you are doing a local cell, here’s what to know. ‘Top-up’ is Belize speak for adding credit, or adding value, adding minutes, etc. Then there’s the ‘double up’. About twice a month you can get 2x the value of your ‘top-up’. You can download the app eCredit Belize to top up whenever you need to, or go into most grocery stores in the village and at the counter, just give them your cell number and how much you want to add, and they will do it there.
Top-up
If you see this on the side of the store, they sell minutes there.
9.) A note about security – I highly recommend you put a code lock on your phone, especially on vacation. I also recommend downloading a “find my android/iphone” app, which is free, and if your phone gets lost or stolen, it will locate it for you.
Andriod App Icon
Find my Android app icon
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10 new restaurants, activities, and fun things to do in Placencia, Belize this season!

10 new restaurants
There are some activities and excursions here in Placencia that you can count on being around, indefinitely. The wonderful tours and excursions, the local, authentic, great food, and of course the unspoiled, rustic, funky atmosphere of the heart of the village. Some new businesses come and go, and so it is always a new experience for guests! Some of the new businesses we are sad to see close for a season or for good, but then there is always something new to be excited about. In the next year, as It’zana comes to completion, along with a few other surprises on the peninsula, there will be even more to look forward to, and the Ellysian Hotel has also now opened in the village, which provides a Miami-Beach style hotel experience. Here are some of the changes of the last few seasons, and some new stuff to try when you get here!!1.) Farmhouse Deli – Ian Anderson of Cave’s Branch is known throughout the country for awesome organic food, meat, and cheese….our recent guest said she bought brie from there, that was the best she has ever had. The pictures and reviews coming out about the food there, speak for themselves. There is a new store/deli/restaurant right in the heart of town – open 7am-8pm! Thanks Lee Nyhus for the delicious pic….

heart of the village
Check out this amazing, exotic dining area….
exotic dining area
And come see Lisa, who is super nice and let us sample ALL the amazing cheeses!!
the amazing cheeses

2.) Cha Chi’s Indian food/Live music venue: Cha Chi’s has awesome pizza downstairs….and now, upstairs, you can enjoy amazing Indian food and live music on the weekends! Seriously…..I had chicken curry there last week that was one of the best I have ever had. I can’t recommend this highly enough! They also do takeout 🙂 One of our recent guests took these pictures…thanks Sarah!

Cha Chi's Indian food
India food
And here is a pic from their Facebook page….gorgeous!
Facebook page

3.) Aerial yoga at Naia – Naia Yoga is a beautiful place to visit, about 20 minutes north of the village. They have an amazing yoga room – the view is breathtaking, and you can arrange for your group to have an aerial yoga class with Stephanie, of Eucalipto! Here is an image from a recent class we took….if you like yoga, you will love the unique stretches that you can’t do in a regular yoga class! (Also, there is a new upscale restaurant on site called 1981 that is worth the trip up!)

Aerial yoga at Naia

4.) BB Yoga Flow is now Placencia Yoga – with two great new teachers! There is a huge yoga vibe in Placencia and classes can be found all over the place.

5.) L & A Placencia Takeout – Placencia’s version of “fast food”! This is getting great reviews for local food, fast….this pic is from their Facebook page so you can find it!

BB Yoga Flow

6.) For vegetarians and vegans….I am stealing the following description from from the Placencia- What’s Happening Page! “A place with HEALTHY vegan/vegetarian food has opened in Placencia Village called Lil’ Bites, on the main road between Charo’s and Omar Creole Grub. Fish and chicken delights as well as yummy pastries are also on the menu. It’s delicious, inexpensive and served fast. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Try it…you will not be disappointed.” Here’s some pics so you can find it, right off the post:

BB Yoga Flow
BB Yoga Flow

7.) King Lewey’s Island Resort Excursion: Several people have said they have had a blast on this new private island excursion….here’s some info from their page…
“King Lewey’s Island Resort is now OPEN FOR BUSINESS. It has been under construction for over one year. Everything is made fresh at our restaurant, barbecue and bar. Even the bread is baked fresh on the island! Amazing King Lewey Burgers; made with 1/2 pound steak patties. Our island has a fun Pirate theme. We offer paddleboards, kayaks, and snorkeling. We will have two additional boats up and running within two weeks.” Here is a pic from their Facebook page…

King Lewey's Island Resort

8.) The Flying Pig (TFP) – just a couple miles from the village, there is now All-you-can-eat spaghetti and movie night, every Thursday at 6! From their page…

The Flying Pig

9.) The Vineyard Restaurant and Bar – this is a new upscale restaurant in Brisa Oceana, right on Main Street, near Rumfish….looks amazing!!!!

10.) Citrus Sensations: They are right in the heart of the village, they have all kinds of great takeout food, fruit, pizza, and local food! This pic is from their Facebook page…

Citrus Sensations

So what has closed/changed? Right now, Fusion is closed except for private events, but there is talk that perhaps this will reopen – no word yet. Tranquilo closed for the season and no word on whether this will reopen this season yet or not. Tiger Restaurant, which had amazing Indian food, has changed cuisine to more Mexican style? I haven’t been there yet to check it out so this is word of mouth. All the favorite stuff in the village is still here and waiting for your next visit!!