• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
FREE REPORT
BEST PLACES TO RETIRE
*No spam: We will NEVER give your email address to anyone else.
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Panama
      • Portugal
      • Colombia
      • Northern Cyprus
      • Belize
      • Spain
      • Mexico
      • France
      • Indonesia
      • Vietnam
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
Live and Invest Overseas
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Panama
      • Portugal
      • Colombia
      • Northern Cyprus
      • Belize
      • Spain
      • Mexico
      • France
      • Indonesia
      • Vietnam
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
No Result
View All Result
Home Countries Belize

Belize’s Cayo District: An Expat’s Best-Kept Secret

This Top Retirement Haven Is All About Diversity

Jaimie Lee Ganger by Jaimie Lee Ganger
Jul 21, 2021
in Belize, In Focus: Belize
0 0
0
Burns Avenue in San Ignacio, Cayo District, Belize.

Alamy/Witold Skrypczak

263
SHARES
3.7k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Belize is a small country (about the size of Massachusetts), but its ethnic makeup is eclectic. Every corner of Belize presents a colorful new canvas of culture and history.

The Cayo District of Belize has long held a kind of mystique… Its long, rich history dates back thousands of years. Maya relics are embedded throughout the vast natural landscape and are an intrinsic part of what is today a burgeoning bohemian community.

Over the past few years, this unique area has organically articulated an open-minded identity that celebrates healthy living, art, agriculture, environmental preservation, and diversity.

Cayo hasn’t been inundated with corporate developers or daiquiri-drinking tourists but has evolved gradually, allowing it an atmosphere that can’t be contrived or created intentionally.

The fastest-growing district in Belize for ecotourism, Cayo is rich with rivers, caves, mountains, Maya ruins, and endless opportunities for healthy living in a laid-back, artsy community.

The people that visit Cayo are adventure seekers, artists, nature lovers, and well-traveled, creative entrepreneurs. More and more, expats are recognizing the down-to-Earth vibe here and are making the migration to simpler living.

Whether you plan to relocate full-time, part-time, rent, buy, start a business, or simply get off the grid and relax a while, Cayo is a great option. It’s an unforgettable destination with a genuine community of unpretentious neighbors.

The Cayo District

Beautiful river in Belize.

Cayo, Belize iStock/TopPhotoImages

Belize is divided into six geopolitical districts. The largest of these is the Cayo District. Cayo, as it’s referred to, is 2,061 square miles with a population of about 90,000.

The region encompasses some of the country’s best opportunities for exploring rivers, caves, mountains, tropical forests, and wide-open spaces, including the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, and an expansive network of tributaries of the Mopan, Macal, and Belize Rivers. It’s a nature lover’s paradise. Expats and locals alike have made concerted efforts to celebrate and preserve the natural beauty of this part of the world.

Demographically, the area is mainly comprised of Mestizo, Maya, Creole, and Mennonite communities. A growing number of expats from North America and Europe have also made the Cayo District home.

The social fabric is diverse and welcoming, and you’ll rarely feel a sense of segregation in any part of Belize. The expats who settle here tend to stay here, and many of them are vested business owners of ecolodges, cafés, and technical services. Every expat has a unique story and most are happy to share it with you.

How I Found Myself In The Cayo

Shortly after graduating college in 2004, I applied and was accepted to the Peace Corps. On a cold January day in Michigan, I received a large manila envelope with the details of my assignment: Belize.

Where the heck is Belize?

I’ll never forget my mom and I spinning the globe in our living room trying to locate this tiny English-speaking country hidden below Mexico, between Guatemala and the Caribbean Sea. I packed my two suitcases and headed off on an adventure that would ultimately shape the rest of my life. Over 15 years later, Belize is still home.

My Peace Corps service was in Belize City. While many people have fears and misconceptions about the city, I know it as a vibrant community with a rich history, national pride, and deep family values.

I spent a lot of time in Belize City. As a single white woman, I always felt safe and never quite understood the anxieties that many expats have about the place. It’s the commercial capital of Belize and, if you live anywhere in the country, you’ll have to go there at some point. Trust me, it’s not as bad as you think.

I’ve also lived in Placencia Village in the Stann Creek District of Belize and have spent time on the islands in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, and Caye Caulker. All this to say that I know the country well and have had the good fortune of being able to experience its many unique microcultures.

Two years ago, I became involved with the off-grid, self-sufficient community of Carmelita Gardens. This initially brought me to the Cayo District, to the little village of Santa Familia, for brief visits several times a month. Long story short, I discovered what a pleasure this part of the country is and decided to make it my full-time home.

As a patriot of Belize, a social worker, and an advocate for cultural preservation and sustainable development, I’m comfortable with how Cayo is growing. Unlike other popular tourist and expat destinations, the area has made concerted efforts to grow in sustainable ways.

No condos or high-rises are found here… The development has been more lateral than in other parts of the country. Within this recent growth period, the community has articulated a shared identity based on nature, art, and cultural preservation.

There is little segregation of social groups. Everyone shops at the same market and recreates in the same parks. The community has evolved gradually on common and unspoken values that transcend nationality or ethnicity. We all want a simple and peaceful life, respect, and to enjoy the gift of nature, evident everywhere you look in Cayo.

While there are smaller villages and neighborhoods that comprise Cayo, each with their own unique characteristics, the town of San Ignacio is the nucleus. For anyone looking to explore the Cayo District, this is the place to begin. From here, you can easily travel to surrounding communities.

Could The Cayo Be For You?

Belize has many nooks and crannies to explore. The area you choose to invest in depends on your lifestyle and intentions. The Cayo District has a bright and sustainable future. We like to think of it as our own little secret…

However, we understand that growth is inevitable and recognize that we’re part of the path of progress. With a growing appreciation of the arts, emphasis on environmental conservation, and a steady stream of visitors, Cayo is ideal for both commercial and lifestyle investments.

It’s also the ideal place to start that café or bed-and-breakfast you always dreamed of or to homestead on a lot of acreage while being a part of a salt-of-the-Earth community.

Cayo is a welcoming place. It’s easy to integrate into and a bit like stepping back in time, while also being on the verge of conscientious growth.

Who’s In?

Don’t come to Cayo if:

  • You want mega-developments and large amounts of short-term tourist traffic;
  • You want a high-rise condo;
  • You prefer highly structured environments.

Do come to Cayo if:

  • You love the outdoors and getting to know your neighbors;
  • You want to live like a local and be a part of a growing community;
  • You like rivers, hills, and country drives;
  • You are a creative entrepreneur.

Jamie Lee Ganger
Belize Insider

Tags: 'Belize''Cayo'Cayo DistrictExpats in Belizelive in BelizeMove to Belize
Share106Tweet66
Jaimie Lee Ganger

Jaimie Lee Ganger

Jamie Lee Ganger is a former Peace Corps volunteer (Belize, 2004 to 2006) living in Santa Familia Village in the Cayo District of Belize. She currently consults for the off-grid community of Carmelita Gardens and is an advocate for culturally sustainable development in Belize. She is a licensed clinical social worker and the founder of Global Wellness Center, an online counseling service for expats, humanitarians, and nomads.

Related Posts

Beautiful Caribbean sight with turquoise water in Caye Caulker, Belize.
Belize

Why You Shouldn’t Get The QRP Visa Of Belize

by Carolyn Casey
February 22, 2023
0

Belize’s Qualified Retirement Program (QRP) gets a lot of press. It’s one of the most user-friendly retirement visa programs in...

Read more
A beautiful red house in Carmelita Gardens, Belize

How I Ended Up In Carmelita Gardens

February 8, 2023
Cyprus: Better Than Your Neighbor’s Retirement To Florida

Why So Many Expats Are Moving To Belize

January 25, 2023
Placencia, Belize

A Placencia, Belize, Primer: Communities, Costs, And More

January 18, 2023
Aerial Drone view of South Water Caye tropical island in Belize

The Belize Conference: Your Fast Pass To Launch Your Dream Life

January 15, 2023
Paradise beach on island caye Carrie Bow Cay Field Station, Belize

The Greatest Advantage Of Moving To Belize

January 4, 2023
Underwater image of boy snorkeling through coral reef near Ambergris Caye, Belize

The Top Reasons Why Belize Is The Ultimate Adventure Destination

December 28, 2022

Start Your New Life Today, Overseas ...

A world full of fun, adventure, and profit awaits! Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we'll send you a FREE report on the 10 Best Places To Retire In Style Overseas Today.

Get ​Your Free ​Belize Report Today!
 

​Simply enter your email address below and we'll send you our ​FREE REPORT – ​​Discover Belize: Reef, Ruins, Rivers, And Rain Forest… Plus Easy Residency And Tax-Free Living
 

LIOS Resources


  • New To LIOS
  • Ask An Expert
  • Media Center
  • Contact Us
  • FAQs

Quick Links


  • Best Places To Live
  • Best Places To Retire
  • Finding A Job Overseas
  • Real Estate

Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and get your FREE report: The 10 Best Places To Retire Overseas In 2023

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe

© 2008-2023 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Countries
  • Budgets
  • Archives
  • News
  • Events
  • Bookstore
  • Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Members Area
  • Contact Us

© 2008-2023 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Download your FREE report on

The Best Places To Retire In 2023

New Year, New You, New Life Overseas

Sign up for FREE and learn how to live the good life on a modest budget, find bargain property, and more. Plus, check out our free report on the 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE.

RETIRE OVERSEAS AND LIVE LIKE ROYALTY

Get Your Free ​​Belize Report Today!
 

​​Learn more about ​​BELIZE and other countries in our free, daily Overseas Opportunity Letter​​, as well as our ​In Focus: Belize ​newsletter​​​​​​. Simply enter your email address below and we’ll send you our FREE REPORT – ​​Discover Belize: Reef, Ruins, Rivers, And Rain Forest… Plus Easy Residency And Tax-Free Living