Who are the residents of Ambergris Caye? Who lives in Ambergris Caye?

The expats who live in Ambergris Caye are mostly Canadians and Americans. Most of them are snow birds. They come over during the winter months, which is from December to around May or June. We also have Belizeans, and a lot of mestizo and people with Mayan descent as well. We also have Mennonites in Ambergris Caye. I actually buy fresh produce every Tuesday from the Mennonites who come here to sell the their goods. (Pictured: boiled vegetables for Belize national dish.) There is a...

The expats who live in Ambergris Caye are mostly Canadians and Americans. Most of them are snow birds. They come over during the winter months, which is from December to around May or June. We also have Belizeans, and a lot of mestizo and people with Mayan descent as well. We also have Mennonites in Ambergris Caye. I actually buy fresh produce every Tuesday from the Mennonites who come here to sell the their goods. (Pictured: boiled vegetables for Belize national dish.) There is a real mix of different cultures here.

In Ambergris Caye, you have locals and you have people who come to work here and become locals. San Pedro (the main town of Ambergris Caye has become not only a tourist spot but also an opportunity for people from the mainland. People from the mainland come here to work to provide for their families. That’s a big thing here in San Pedro that people are coming here to find jobs since tourism is a huge industry here.  

 

In Ambergris Caye, you have locals and you have people who come to work here and become locals. San Pedro (the main town of Ambergris Caye has become not only a tourist spot but also an opportunity for people from the mainland. People from the mainland come here to work to provide for their families. That’s a big thing here in San Pedro that people are coming here to find jobs since tourism is a huge industry here.  

 

About 40% of the people here are what you could consider transients. They are here from the mainland or other parts of Belize to work. Expats here are about 10 to 12% of the population. Ambergris Caye is also now becoming a retirement destination and not just a tourist spot. The rest would be locals who would have been here for generations. Most of them are involved in the tourism and hospitality industry.  

 

We have a town council meeting every two months where locals and people from outside attend. We have accepted the fact that Ambergris Caye are a tourism-based island and we need to invest our time and encourage everything to work out well.  

 

(An expat on the beach at Robles Point, Ambergris Caye, Belize, pictured.)