Why Every Day Feels Special in Belize
Our correspondent shares what a normal day looks like in Belize—sunrise coffees, seaside walks, and rooftop cocktails.
Waking before sunrise in Placencia, I do my stretching routine, then open the curtains just as the light begins to brighten the sky. Upstairs, I make an espresso, and my husband pours himself a brewed coffee. Then we head to the rooftop, coffees, journals, and books in hand, to enjoy the sea breeze, hear the birds, and watch the fishermen head out to sea.
The Kiskadee bird screeches “good morning,” as the Caribbean Mockingbirds dance in the sand, their wings spread wide, facing each other. Are they mating? Fighting? No matter, they are lovely. Then one of the lobster boats putters down the canal, piled high with canoes, fishermen, and drying clothes on the ropes, they will head out to the reef, where they will each tie themselves to a canoe, and dive for lobster, bringing their haul back to sell at the pier.
The sea breeze on our rooftop tells what the day will hold. If it’s already warm, if we can’t see the mountains, we know the air will be thick with humidity. If it is cool and the mountains are visible, the moisture will be less.
My husband, Steve, is a runner, and I love to walk. By 7 a.m., we are crossing our canal and heading out to the village’s main road, which, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is actually the narrowest road in the world—what most would call a sidewalk. This heads right through the village, passing shops, still closed, small hotels, and coffee shops. Sometimes, I slip a few dollars in my pocket and stop for a coffee along the way, because why not? Another possibility is the guy selling Johnny cakes. If he has bean and cheese, I’m in.
Once home, we both do whatever work we need to do, then it’s back off to the village for shopping.
Steve rows us across the canal, we hop into the golf cart, and we’re on our way. First stop, our favorite coffee shop, Chillpoint, to meet up with friends for a chat. One of our friends just bought a cabinet shop and brought samples to show us of a Mayan king cut into a square, which will eventually become the pattern on a door. Lots of people meet up here and spend the morning chatting or working. It’s become a morning hub of the village for both expats and locals. Including the writer’s group I started, which meets twice a month.
Next, we head to one of the grocery stores to buy a few cabinet staples. Since almost everything in the grocery store is imported, the prices are higher than in the States, but that’s the price of living in paradise, so we really don’t mind.
Now it’s time to think about lunch. Bohemian for pizza or fish sandwiches, or Ricks for a Greek salad. Then again, we might choose one of the mom-and-pop places for salbutes or burritos. What will it be today? Lots of choices here in Placencia.
After lunch, we head to one of the veggie stands to stock up for the next several days. My husband and I eat primarily plant-based, so the majority of our shopping happens at one of the stands. There I find dried beans, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, squash, onions, and so much more.
Fruit is abundant, including even apples, imported from Mexico, but nice to have in addition to the papaya, pineapple, and bananas that grow abundantly in Belize. Like other fruits, mangoes, dragon fruit, passion fruit, and mangosteen also appear in the markets during their respective seasons. Mangosteen is my favorite fruit of all time. The mangosteen arrives around the first of August and is gone by the end of the month, but they are delicious and well worth the wait.
After an afternoon lie down, because let’s face it, there’s nothing better than a slow afternoon, we head to the pool in our row of townhouses, and float for a while. When the neighbors are in residence, the pool is the meet-up place for a leisurely afternoon. As the sun sinks behind the buildings, we head inside for cleanup and cocktail hour on the rooftop—a great way to start the evening. But just as likely, we head to the village for a cocktail at Agave, or the beach bar at Turtle Inn. Both have beautiful views of the sea.
Last, we head to dinner, maybe at the quintessential beach bar, Barefoot, or to a fancier meal at Rum Fish, where the coffee rubbed fish is out of this world—because I do occasionally indulge in a locally caught fish dish. But I’m just as likely to order the vegetable curry, or the vegetable tostones. The one thing our visitors always tell us before they leave is how much they have loved the food they’ve had in Belize. The meal completed, we drive home, settle in, and call it a great day.
This can be your kind of day too. It’s waiting for you, right here in Belize. Cheers.
—Jane Thompson Hassenmueller, IL Belize Correspondent
Editor’s Note: Discover how Jane and her husband built a peaceful, affordable life in Placencia, Belize—where ocean views, vibrant community, and a laid-back lifestyle start at just $1,300 a month. Read her full story here.
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