Placencia, Belize: Adventure And Relaxation

Placencia, Belize is a popular holiday destination for tourists and expats from North America. The village is located on the southern tip of the 16-mile-long narrow Placencia Peninsula, a relaxed, barefoot-friendly community. Placencia has emerged as an increasingly popular eco-destination on the Caribbean. The Stann Creek region offers a host of activities, including hiking through mountainous rainforests, kayaking, deep-sea fishing, diving, and exploring Mayan ruins. The peninsula boasts 16 miles of tranquil beaches, with a lagoon to the west and the Caribbean to the east.

Placencia is known for its beaches, food, and adventure activities. Visitors can enjoy snorkelling, scuba diving, visiting the rainforest, seeing Mayan ruins, and deep-sea fishing. The village has a range of restaurants, bars, and shops, and there are also opportunities to explore the surrounding area, including the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, the first Jaguar Reserve in the world, and the nearby village of Hopkins, a cultural hotspot for learning about the Garifuna people of Belize.

Explore the Placencia Peninsula

Placencia is not the only village on the 16-mile-long Placencia Peninsula. Head north from Placencia Village and you'll find the village of Seine Bight, a Garifuna village, and Maya Beach, which has beautiful beaches.

In Placencia, check out the Placencia Sidewalk, one of the world's narrowest streets, with quirky gift shops, and many excellent restaurants.

For a beach experience, head to the stretch of beach from the Barefoot Beach Bar to Toucan Jacks Tiki Bar, where people gather to socialise.

If you're looking for a pampered experience, stay at a top-rated luxury resort like Chabil Mar, located a few minutes' walk from the village.

For a more authentic experience, wander up and down the public beaches and try some of the best bars and restaurants in the area, including:

• Tipsy Tuna
• Rum Fish
• Barefoot
• La Dolce Vita
• Secret Garden
• Yoli's
• Pickled Parrot
• Purple Space Monkey
• Wendy's
• John The Bakerman
• Art n Soul Gallery
• Lola's Art Gallery
• The Art Affair Gallery

Be sure to spend a day at Maya Beach, the nicest beach on the peninsula, and make an afternoon of it at Maya Beach Bistro. Great food, the best wine list you'll see, and a swim-up pool.

For a unique experience, take a tour with Taste Belize, run by Lyra Spang, who grew up on a cacao farm in Belize and has a PhD in anthropology. You can visit Ixcacao Chocolate and a spice farm in Toledo, and make chocolate from bean to bar.

If you're looking for a place to stay, renting a house through Air BnB is a great option. It's affordable, flexible, and well-kept/furnished.

Enjoy Placencia's food scene

Placencia's food scene is thriving, with restaurants that pair fine dining and hearty meals surprisingly well. One day you might be enjoying a luxurious dinner at an upscale restaurant, and the next, sitting under a shack on the beach, you could be having the best breakfast of your life.

Street Food

For a true taste of Belize, head to the street food stalls, where you'll find recipes and techniques passed down through generations. Here, you can try classic dishes such as rice and beans (simmered in coconut milk), handmade tamales, stewed chicken, and grilled fish (like conch and barracuda). You'll also find fresh fruit juices, with watermelon and guava being local favourites.

Restaurants

If you're looking for a more upscale dining experience, there are plenty of restaurants to choose from. Maya Beach Hotel Bistro is a little way out of Placencia village, but it's worth the trip for world-class food made with local ingredients.

For something a little more central, head to Rick's Cafe, a classy restaurant on Main Street, serving delicious salads, sandwiches, pasta, and pizza, as well as fancy cocktails.

For traditional Belizean home-cooked meals, try The Galley, a small, unassuming local restaurant. They serve delicious seafood dishes and homemade hot sauces.

If you're looking for a laid-back vibe, try The Secret Garden, a Bohemian coffee house that pairs Belizean and international food in an eclectic way.

For a rooftop dining experience, visit Muna Rooftop Restaurant & Bar, the only rooftop restaurant on the Placencia Peninsula. Enjoy incredible views of the Caribbean Sea, the lagoon, and the Maya Mountains, alongside an upscale dining experience.

Chocolate Tours

If you're a foodie or a culture vulture, a chocolate tour is a must. Taste Belize offers tours led by Lyra Spang, who grew up on a cacao farm in the region and has a PhD in anthropology. You can visit Ixcacao Chocolate and make chocolate from bean to bar, as well as taking a spice tour to see native plants such as nutmeg, peppercorns, and cinnamon trees.

Gelato

You'll find the best gelato in Belize at Tutti Frutti Gelateria, owned by two Italian expats who use the freshest local ingredients.

Cooking Classes

If you want to learn how to cook like a Belizean, Taste Belize also offers hands-on cooking classes, where you can learn the secrets of Belizean Garifuna and Kriol home cooking.

Tour Monkey River

The Monkey River Tour is a popular activity in Placencia, Belize, and is especially enjoyable for families with children and eighth-grade students. This eco-friendly tour offers a delightful combination of a boat ride, a jungle hike, and wildlife spotting. While sightings of Howler monkeys, after whom the river and town are named, are not guaranteed, the tour offers a high chance of spotting them, along with manatees, dolphins, tarantulas, iguanas, turtles, and various bird species.

The tour begins with an early morning boat ride through a narrow mangrove path, with the trade winds blowing through your hair and the calm, sparkling waters setting the tone for the day. As you arrive at the beautiful Monkey River Village, you'll feel like you're in a dream. The village, once a bustling centre for the banana trade, is now home to a small population of Creole Belizeans and showcases the resilience of the community in the face of challenges like Hurricane Iris.

During the jungle hike, your knowledgeable local guide will lead you through the tropical rainforest, pointing out interesting features and searching for the elusive Howler monkeys. These small but loud creatures can be heard from miles away, and if you're lucky, you'll get to see a few of them up close. The guide will eagerly share information about the surrounding nature, making the tour educational and enriching.

The tour includes a delicious Belizean rice and beans lunch special, along with water, sodas, or juice to keep you refreshed. After lunch, you can engage with the friendly villagers and learn about their culture. On the return journey, keep an eye out for the shy West Indian Manatees, which often emerge to take a look around.

The Monkey River Tour is a must-do when staying in Placencia and the surrounding areas, including Hopkins. It offers an exciting, educational, and eco-friendly adventure that showcases the beauty of southern Belize.

Visit famous Maya temples

Belize was once the centre of Mayan civilisation, and the country is now home to a treasure trove of sacred caves, beautiful palaces and ball courts. Here are some famous Maya temples you can visit from Placencia:

Xunantunich

Xunantunich means “Stone Woman” or “Maiden of the Rock” in the Maya dialect. This archaeological site is an impressive and magnificent Maya temple located outside San Ignacio in the Cayo District. During the Classic period (300-900 AD), Xunantunich was a major ceremonial centre and home to 25 temples and palaces. The largest structure is El Castillo, which rises 130 feet from the Plaza floor and provides a breathtaking panorama of the Macal, Mopan and Belize River Valley.

Ancient Maya City of Caracol

Caracol is the largest Maya City in Belize and is located on the western edge of the Maya Mountains deep within the Chiquibul Forest Reserve. The site was discovered in 1938 by loggers and holds the tallest man-made structure in Belize, “Canaa” or “Sky Place”, which stands at 140 feet. Archaeologists estimate that at its peak, Caracol was home to 150,000 people.

Cahal Pech

Cahal Pech means “place of the ticks” and is located outside of San Ignacio Town. It sits on the crest of a steep hill on the west bank of the Macal River and was first settled around 1200 B.C. before being abandoned around 800 -900 A.D. Cahal Pech is made up of 34 structures with the tallest being about 25 meters in height, and it is one of the oldest sites in western Belize.

Altun Ha

Altun Ha, meaning “rock stone water”, was an ancient Maya city that dates back to 200 B.C. At its peak, over 10,000 people inhabited the area with around 3000 individuals living in the central core of the city. Altun Ha is comprised of two main plazas and 13 structures, including the Temple of the Sun God.

Lamanai

Lamanai, meaning “submerged crocodile” in Yucatec Maya, was occupied as early as the 16th century BC and is located in the Orange Walk District of Belize. The archaeological site is surrounded by dense rainforest overlooking the New River Lagoon and its temples are known for their elegant architecture.

Tikal

Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, Tikal is located just a few miles across Belize’s western border with Guatemala. Tikal and its towering temples have been featured in many popular movies, including Star Wars (Episode IV, A New Hope), Moonraker, and the New Adventures of Tarzan. Tikal was first built more than 3,000 years ago and rose to become one of the most dominant and powerful Maya cities in the ancient world. It is estimated that, during the height of the Maya Classic Period, Tikal was home to more than 100,000 people. Today, Tikal is located in the middle of Tikal National Park, and top attractions include the Plaza of the Seven Temples, the Mundo Perdido Complex, vast ball courts, and elaborate carvings.

Dive or snorkel

Belize is home to the largest Barrier Reef in the western hemisphere, so it's no surprise that Placencia is a great place to dive or snorkel. The mainland pulls away from the Barrier Reef in Placencia, creating an inner lagoon with hundreds of small islands (cayes), coral reefs, and miniature atolls.

The Barrier Reef is easily accessible from Placencia, offering some of the best wall and canyon dives in the country. There are also three atolls in Belize, which are accessible from Placencia: Glover's Reef Atoll, Lighthouse Reef Atoll, and the Great Blue Hole.

If you're a beginner, there are courses in Placencia that will get you certified or help you discover scuba diving.

There are plenty of spots to dive or snorkel in Placencia, including:

• Silk Cayes and Moho Caye
• Laughing Bird Caye National Park
• Pompion Caye
• Mesoamerican Barrier Reef
• Gladden Split Marine Reserve

You can also go lionfish hunting as part of conservation efforts.

Frequently asked questions