ATM in Hopkins Village

Get cash before coming to Hopkins! There is no bank in Hopkins.

Ten years ago, there was no ATM machine in Hopkins and hardly anyone (restaurants or hotels) took credit cards. Now, there is one ATM in Hopkins Village and many restaurants and shops that take credit cards. However, some do charge a processing fee, typically around five percent. Others have a minimum to spend, around $25US/$50BZ.

The Hopkins ATM is with the Belize Bank. The maximum it allows is two transactions of $250US/$500BZ. For the most part, the ATM no longer works for international travelers but every once in a while it does. There is no predicting. There are times that the Hopkins ATM runs out of cash, but the bank is typically good at refilling it the next day.

To save money on fees, I recommend getting a credit card with no foreign transaction fees. Finding a credit card with no foreign transaction fees used to be a challenge, but now there are several (Chase, Capital One, Charles Schwab, Fidelity, etc.)

Scotia and Atlantic Banks have had no problems getting cash to those with or without chips and they allow you to get $500US/$1kBZ out in one transaction. These banks are located throughout Belize, just not in Hopkins. You may want to get cash before arriving in the village.

Where to find their locations? The ATM locations for Scotia Bank: http://www.scotiabank.com/bz/en/0,,3019,00.html and for the Atlantic Bank locations: http://www.atlanticibl.com/about-us/branches/

The closest branches—Scotia and Heritage, from Hopkins are in Dangriga. It is 20- minutes from Hopkins. Taxis are $40US/$80BZ one way. Bus fare is $2.50US/$5BZ one way.

As an alternative to making a trip to Dangriga, the Happy, Fi Wi Mart, and Dong Lee Supermarkets--in Hopkins-- allow you to access money but charge an 8%-9% fee.

Now, several restaurants take credit cards, although many prefer cash and some of the more local ones only transact in cash.