My wife and I will be traveling to Belize in September for vacation and retirement planning. Although we will be primarily visiting Abergris, we plan to make a visit to Corozal as well. We are open to and looking for any recommendations regarding our travel, ways to get the best look at the country to determine if it's the answer to our dreams, and possibly an expat group or tour guide to get into the "pineapple pipeline". Thanks in advance for any help or advice. Cheers,
Eric

Hi Eric - You will be coming during a time that can be challenging for a traveler ...... we tend to take September off.
Hotels closed, restaurants closed ..... but the party is ON. Two major holidays that month.
Weather is also uncertain - can range from lovely to very wet.
Please forgive the mosquitoes which will probably be very prominent at that time. Most of the year we have none at all.

Hey Diane,
Thanks for the info! Mosquitoes we can handle after living 10 years in the coastal low country of GA, SC. And weather shouldn't be an issue as we need a mental break more than anything. Now the restaurants being closed... my stomach has an issue with that. They don't close the bars do they!?! I can make a meal out of cherries and limes in the bottom of my glass I guess.
Cheers,
E

What time of the year would be for a first visit? I am an Artist and thinking about staying for six months to get the feel of the land.
thanks, DD44

Come in May ..... Beautiful weather, not too busy end of dry season. Stay through Sept. You'll have a chance for a reasonable rental and get to see our "seasons".

In may ? I think the weather is pretty hot at this moment. But it's a beautifull place with many things to visit. I hope you will enjoy your travel.

May is BEAUTIFUL. my favorite month, but come when you can!!

may is slap in the face hot

Eric,

Corozal is a small town. It does not shut down in September -- hotels & restaurants will be open. In general, businesses on the mainland don't close down like on Ambergris.

Travelling between Corozal & Ambergris can be done by flight with one of the two domestic airlines or water taxi. Here's a website with some transportation info...
https://belizebus.wordpress.com/

Some expats choose to live in town or nearby, but many live at Consejo, about 8 miles north of Corozal Town. There's no public transportation to Consejo (maybe that has changed), so you have to use taxis (BZ$20 each way) or rent a car. Some people hitch. Make a deal with a taxi driver to drive you around for a day.

There is an expat meeting once a month at Corozal. They meet at one of the local restaurants for a lunch/social get-together. I think it's the second Tuesday of each month, but post on the other Belize forum, and someone will confirm that. Or do a search on the forum.
http://www.belizeforum.com/belize/ubbthreads.php?ubb=cfrm

As for getting around the rest of the country, flights are quick & easy. For point-to-point ground travel, transfer services are more comfortable than the buses. For you, a car rental might be best.

Other locations you should look at: Caye Caulker, San Ignacio, Placencia, Hopkins area.

DD44,

June to November is the hurricane/wet season. Weather is HOT. We don't get all-day downpours, nor do we get rain for days on end. When it does rain, it's usually overnight. The wet season is not all that bad here. As for hurricane, September & October are the months of greatest probability. In the 100 or so years of records, there have been only about 4 hurricanes before September.

I like the period from November to April because the days aren't sweltering hot, and the nights are cool enough to sleep without an a/c. At least that used to be the case. In the last couple of years, I've had to use a fan at night in January. But Dec to April is also peak tourist time, so accommodation rates might be higher.

I've always found May to be the hottest month of the year.