Placencia Village is a beautiful peninsula south of Belize. Learn more about the best places and things to see and do in this Placencia Village travel guide.
You can find several tours Placencia
A gorgeous emerald peninsula in Southern Belize,
Placencia Village offers 16 miles of
sandy beaches with the Caribbean Sea to the east and thePlacencia lagoon to the west. Placencia is divided into two parts: north and south of the airstrip. The entirety of the village can easily be covered with one beach cruiser ride. The busy part is on the south where visitors can find a good selection of local restaurants, guesthouses, bistros, coffee shops and banks. There are also hte taxi and bus station, and the harbor. The northern portion, on the other hand, the northern part of Placencia has the Garifuna Villge, but it is less popular compared to the south. Also, there are more expensive Placencia Village hotels here, as a little distance is the famous Belize Barrier Reef, so it has a real surf. The water is clean and clear, with gentle and cool trade winds. You can find several sights that are relaxing, like the Belizean sunset on a peninsula beach.
Placencia Village and Its Beaches
The beaches along Placencia Village are dotted with small resorts that can arrange dive and snorkel trips to the reef, which is about 17 miles away. You can arrange trips to many small cayes like Laughing Bird Caye, a mini atoll that offers protected snorkeling and swimming, cooling palm trees and a white sand beach. Laughing Bird Caye is also a popular camping site for reef kayakers who hold expeditions in the village. you can get a hotel to arrange day sailing on a catamaran, or deep sea or reef fishing trips. Placencia has many places to stay in, from resorts to lodging. Snorkeling is fairly accessible from almost any point on the beach. The waters and clean and shallow so you should find a great snorkel spot a few steps from your hotel room.
Placencia Village Things to Do
Placencia Village now is one of the main tourist attractions in Belize, especially for those stopping over on their Caribbean cruise south of Belize. It is also visited by Belizeans from across the country during the holidays. Placencia is home to several restaurants, some of which are set in private home paties along the path between the beach and lagoon. There is never a shortage of things to see and do on Placencia. Here are some of the most popular ones.
1. Visit the Laughing Bird Caye National Park
The diving and snorkeling in this narrow island is no laughing matter. This is a protected area, this World Heritage site has waters surrounding it that is teeming with colorful marine life. Because it is only 11 miles from Placencia Village, this is a popular tourist destination.
2. Swim with the Whale Sharks
From April to July, specimens of the biggest fish in the sea are easy to spot a short distance from the Gladden Spit. You can swim with these gentle giants for a calming experience. Inquire about special dive packages with the whale sharks that are offered by resorts and hotels in the area.
3. Sail Monohulls and Catamarans
Several Placencia tourism operators have all the conveniences of a resort or hotel while sailing catamarans or monohulls. Visitors can enjoy stunning sunrises and breathtaking sunsets as their guides go through white sand island and sand mangroves. Visitors can take their pick between a personal crew or a barefoot charter.
4. Fish and Eat Seafood
You can spend a day trolling for Kingfish and Wahoo, or drop fishing for snappers in some of the best fishing areas in Belize. As an added bonus, you can also take part in beach barbecues in most of these tours. You can take the freshest seafood that are cooked just minutes after they are pulled out of the water.
5. Go on a Monkey River Tour
The tour starts with a boat ride to the mouth of a jungle river. You can see mangroves that are home to iguanas and birds, with roots that shelter turtles, fish and young marine life. While the boat is at the bank, you can take a natural trail to spot Howler Monkeys, which is how the nearby Monkey River Village got its name.
The beautiful village of Placencia is a mere 2-hour drive from the Belize capital, which is Belmopan. Once with a bumpy road, you will not pass through one that is now completely paved. Remember, though, that you will encounter many speed bumps, so make sure that you stick to a low speed, especially if it is your first time to travel here. There is a modern airstrip in the entrance of the Placencia Peninsula, for convenient travels. With this Placencia Village travel guide, you should not be all geared up for your next Belizean adventure.