Placencia Peninsula
Sixteen mile long Placencia Peninsula is home to
3 communities: Maya Beach, Seine Bight, and at the southern
tip, Placencia Village, with a claim to the best beaches
on the mainland. You can arrive in Placencia by air, a 35-minute flight from Belize City, or by road. If you come by road, no matter which direction
you travel from, driving is interesting and scenic. Aerial View
Placencia Village
Placencia Village is located at the tip of a long, narrow peninsula separating the Caribbean Sea and the mangrove-fringed Placencia Lagoon. The road into Placencia Village parallels the lagoon and terminates at the end of the Peninsula. Nearby is where the boat dock,
dive shops and a number of tour guide services can be found.
Close by are the service station, bus stop, post
office, and grocery stores. The village has a population of just over 1,000; 10 percent are North Americans who live here full time.
Locals boast Placencia Village to be one of the oldest
continually inhabited communities in Belize. Reportedly,
it was founded by English buccaneers in the early 1600's.
Before tourism arrived, Placencia was primarily a fishing village. Today many of the fishermen have given up their lines and spear guns for binoculars and dive gear, using their local knowledge to guide tourists.
Placencia is well known for it's very
laid-back, no-shoes ambience where locals go out of their
way to make sure you enjoy your visit.
A one mile concrete sidewalk serves as the main
street for Placencia Village, around which wooden houses built on stilts rest underneath palms. Constructed over 30 years ago as a means of wheel-barrowing fish around without fighting the sand, Placencia's walkway now has the distinction of
being the narrowest street in the world, according to the "Guinness
Book of World Records." A number of village accommodations,
restaurants/bars, and gift shops are located along the walkway.
From Placencia many Nature Attractions include exploring the
Monkey River, traveling inland to the
Cockscomb Basin, or visiting Maya
Ruins. You can Kayak nearby Mangroves or paddle out to one of the many nearby Cayes.
Placencia is world-renowned for offshore Fishing and of course a trip to Placencia wouldn't be complete without a boat ride out to the Cayes for some Diving or Snorkeling off Belize's pristine and un crowded Barrier Reef.... or just stretch out and relax in a hammock on a white sandy beach. The hardest thing to do might be to choose your next activity.
Placencia Peninsula - Things to do
- Placencia Village, creole fishing village with swimming beaches, bars, restaurants.
- Seine Bight, a traditional Garifuna village a few miles north of Placencia, provides a chance to sample Garifuna cooking and music.
- Scuba - Experience
the walls and canyons found in 60-80 feet of water.
Instruction and resort courses
offered.
- Snorkel - Laughing
Bird or Silk Caye & Reef or rent
a kayak and snorkel nearby Placencia Caye on your own.
- Sport Fishing - Inside or outside the reef. Placencia
is well known for it's Salt water fly fishing.
- Sailing - Catamarans with or without crews and private sailboats for day sailing or overnights.
- Kayak - Placencia Lagoon or nearby Placencia
Caye
and beyond.
- Biking - Experience the peninsula and nearby
communities between Maya Beach and Placencia.
- Birding - On the peninsula, where over 54 species have
been recorded.
- Walk for miles along un crowded palm-lined beaches. It is possible to stroll north seven miles from Placencia Village to Seine Bight Village without interruption.
Where to Stay in Placencia
 Green
Parrot Beach Houses
A private beachfront resort on Maya
Beach... with beautiful Placencia Lagoon nearby. An
oasis for the traveler....Whether couples seeking a romantic
space or groups in search of a base location for birding
or an adventure in water sports.
 Laru Beya Resort & Villas
An exclusive, midsize resort located on seven acres
of lush gardens and beach front featuring the amenities of a large scale resort with the service and attention to detail of an exclusive villa.
Stay at Green Parrot
Beach Houses or Laru Beya Resort & Villas
as part of a Rainforest, Ruins & Reef Vacation Package
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