Shopping in Belize City

Belize City has the most varied shopping in the country, but that's not saying too much. Rather than catering to leisure shoppers, most stores in Belize City cater to the local market and those from other parts of the country who need to stock up on supplies at lumberyards, home-building stores, appliance outlets, and supermarkets. Gift shops and handicraft shops are concentrated in the downtown area in and near the Tourism Village.

About a dozen ships per week call on Belize City, and each time the Tourism Village shops open their doors. Wednesday is usually the biggest day of the week for cruise ships in Belize City, often with three to five in port, and Saturday is another popular day. Rarely is there a ship in port on Sunday. The Web site Cruise Calendar (www.cruisecal.com) lists the days cruise ships visit ports, including Belize City.

Most stores in the downtown area are open Monday-Saturday from around 8 AM to 6 PM. On Sunday, nearly all stores downtown are dark, although some stores in the suburbs are open Sunday afternoon.

In a misguided effort at civic redevelopment, the city did away with the old markets at Swing Bridge in the 1990s, replacing them with a modern, two-story Commercial Center just south of Swing Bridge, with stalls and shops selling food and household items. Although clean, the Commercial Center doesn't have the atmosphere, or the customer base, of the old markets.

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