Placencia Travel

Placencia Belize: One of the most popular destinations in Belize, Placencia is a charming, low-key fishing village located at the southern tip of the Placencia Peninsula in southeastern Belize. Bordered on one side by a lovely mangrove-lined lagoon and on the other by the Caribbean Sea, Placencia is renowned for having some of the most beautiful beaches in the country.

The Placencia Peninsula measures approximately 19 miles from north to south but is just half a mile wide. With the look and feel of an island, it’s no surprise that Placencia is often described as the “caye (island) you can drive to.” But despite its popularity as a tourist destination, the main activities in Placencia are strolling the beach or motoring around on an electric golf cart.

The southeastern coast of Belize is famous for its natural beauty. Although luxury resorts and condominium developments have sprung up, Placencia has successfully managed to retain its old-world charm. Locals still head out to sea every morning in small boats to bring in the daily catch, and visitors can meander along the village’s 4,000-foot long “main street” that is a pedestrian-only sidewalk adorned with colorful murals and artwork.

Placencia Belize Real Estate

Placencia is a gorgeous emerald peninsula in southern Belize with 16 miles of sandy beaches. The Caribbean Sea is to the east and the charming Placencia lagoon lies to the west looking towards the Maya Mountains on the mainland. Placencia is essentially divided into two parts: south of the airstrip and north of the airstrip. The entire peninsula can be easily navigated on a beach cruiser bike. The busy part of Placencia lies in the south where the visitor will find a greater concentration of coffee shops, bistros, internet cafes, the harbor, guest houses, taxi and bus stations, banks, and local restaurants.

The northern portion of Placencia includes the Garifuna village of Seine Bight, which is less densely populated and has many of the more expensive resorts. Because of its distance from the reef, it also has “real’ though not very high surf. The water is clean and clear; the trade winds gentle and cooling. There are few sights more calming to the spirit than a Belizean sunset on a deserted Placencia beach. A visitor on her first visit to Belize had this to say about Placencia.

Placencia Belize Realestate

“All the fears of going to Belize were unfounded. I had friends tell me I was crazy for going to an obscure Central American country that they had never heard of! They envisioned rebel infested jungles at every turn. And the thought of me being susceptible to snakes, crocodiles, scorpions, and a various array of insects sent them into an incoherent and somewhat amusing frenzy, I am so glad I did not heed their unwarranted objections.

“What I found in Placencia was simply, Paradise. A warm and caring people and an unsurpassed tropical haven. I have traveled to several tropical destinations and I have never found such beauty.

I chose Placencia because of its proximity to the Reefs and The Rainforest and my limited amount of time, only 6 days. I was not disappointed. I have never been to a place as lovely as Placencia. The people of the village are caring, gracious, and insightful people. They care for each other and their beautiful surroundings.”

The Spaniards that traveled the southern coast of Belize gave Placencia its name. It was once named Punta Placencia (Spanish) or Point Pleasant (English).

In colonial times Placencia was primarily a fishing village but it is now a major tourism and resort area offering many attractions and entertainment ranging from kayaking, snorkeling, diving, saltwater fly fishing, whale shark watching during the full moons between April and July of each year, light tackle saltwater fishing, and an annual Lobster Fest. Some images here courtesy of the Inn At Roberts Grove.

Placencia Belize Resorts

1. Placencia Village sits at the very tip of the narrow 16 miles Belizeans Peninsula in Southern Belize.
2. Chabil Mar is located in Belizeans Village. While other resorts along the Peninsula regularly advertise their location as Belizeans Village, they are on the Placencia Peninsula as much as 12 miles north of the Village, in the communities of Seine Bight and Maya Beach, for instance.
3. To a lot of people, the Belizeans Peninsula feels like an Island but it is not. Less than 2000 people live in Belizeans Village.
4. The Placencia Peninsula is also home to two other communities: Seine Bight and Maya Beach.
5. The name “Belizeans ” is actually a distortion of Punta Belizeans, the name the Spaniards gave to the peninsula in the 1800s.
6. In English, it means Point Pleasant.
7. Main Street in Belizeans Village is just a sidewalk! In fact, the “Guinness Book of World Records” recognizes it as the narrowest main street in the world.
8. Many people visit Belizeans during the months of April, May, and June to swim, dive or snorkel with giant whale sharks at the Gladden Spit Marine Reserve.
9. Belizeans Lobsterfest is the village’s most famous festival and is held in June of every year. In 2013, the Belizeans Lobsterfest won an award from the Belize Tourism Board as the Festival of the Year!
10. An Arts Festival is held in February each year, which brings artists from all over Belize to showcase their art along the 4071 foot (3/4 mile), 4 foot wide Belizeans Sidewalk.
11. Placencia was once a sleepy fishing village.
12. The Placencia Peninsula boasts 16 miles of tranquil beaches.
13. Many travelers who vacation in Placencia do the Monkey River and the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary Tours.

Hotels In Placencia Belize

The beaches along the Belizeans Peninsula are dotted with small resorts that can arrange dive and snorkel trips to the reef, which is about 17 miles away. They can also arrange day trips to many small, idyllic cases, such as Laughing Bird Caye, a mini-atoll that offers protected snorkeling and swimming, a white sand beach, and many cooling palm trees for beach girls to cool off (it even has hammocks!).

There are many places to stay in Belizeans – from low-cost lodging to all-inclusive resorts and others. Snorkeling is easily accessible from virtually any point from the beach. The waters are clear and shallow – often just a few steps from your hotel room to find an excellent snorkel spot. Laughing Bird Caye is also a favorite camping site for reef kayakers who base their expeditions. A hotel can also arrange deep sea or reef fishing trips, or day sailing on a 36-foot catamaran.

Flights From Belize City To Placencia

now one of the country’s main tourist destinations, especially for those stopping over on their Caribbean cruise in the southern part of the country, and it is also well visited by Belizeans from across the country on local holidays. The peninsula has a wide range of restaurants, some of which are set up in the patios of private homes along the path between the beach and the lagoon. You can get a delicious plate heaped with stewed chicken and rice and beans for about US $5.

There are several small gift shops, a post office, and some nightlife. Nearby Mango Creek-Independence Village has a nightclub and weekend activity for the adventurous wishing to get out of Placencia, as well as a big football field that is home to one of Belize’s top football clubs. A trip to nearby Seine Bight, a traditional Garifuna village a few miles north of the peninsula, provides a chance to sample Garifuna cooking and music (including drumming and modern Punta Rock). The Maya ruins of Nim Li Punit and Lubantuum, as well as the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Preserve, are a day trip from Placencia.