Living off grid in the Toledo District of Belize for the last 5 1/2 years has truly been an adventure. We thought we knew what to expect since we had already been living in Belize 4+ years before moving to Sabal Beach but in reality we didn’t have much of a clue. Fortunately adaptability and optimism count for a lot in life!
The picture above was Sabal Beach in 2007 when we bought the property. This view is looking out to sea from about 150′ back and there was literally nothing here other than ‘da bush’ as it is called in Belize. More than a few of our family and friends thought we had truly lost it when we shared this photo. I admit, it did not look much like a beach at the time.
Having moved to Belize from Washington, DC we had left a very Type A environment and originally planned to build a resort here. These days we both wonder how and why we ever entertained the thought of a resort but assume it was baggage from our former life. That whole idea that one ‘should be working’ to full capacity is very DC but very un-Belizean. Thankfully we came to our senses and realized doing so would transform the natural beauty and seclusion of Sabal Beach into something we did not want.
In the end we settled on building our house and a two-story cabana for friends and family. Thankfully most of those same people who questioned our sanity have come to visit over the years and after experiencing Sabal Beach in person have a better appreciation for our decision.
Even with our personal guests the cabana was sitting idle often so we applied for a hotel license and became the first licensed hotel in Punta Negra in 2011. As we enter our 5th season we can honestly say that we have met some great people at Sabal Beach over the years and are looking forward to our future here.