Placencia Peninsula, Belize

Placencia Peninsula, Belize

View of the Placencia Village Cove. One of the best swimming beaches is all of Belize.

Middle Silk CayeThe Placencia Peninsula in Belize is a spectacular 16 miles stretch of white sandy beach on the Caribbean coastline located about 100 miles south of Belize City. Carefree, scenic and very laid-back, this popular destination is picture-postcard perfect. Vacationers of all ages will find this glorious stretch of sugary beach a perfect spot for both relaxation and adventure. It is said to be the prettiest beach in all of Belize, and beyond. If you’re looking for fun and excitement, the continuous expanse of beach opens to a spectacular world of water sports, including diving, fishing, snorkeling, sailing, swimming, cruising and kayaking. Boat tours are also available for manatee watching in the Placencia Lagoon.

Nearby cayes and the southern expanse of the famed barrier reef are superb for scuba diving, snorkeling and fishing. Laughing Bird Caye lies a few miles offshore to the southeast. This is another boat trip that leads you to excellent swimming, snorkeling and a great place to picnic. Laced with sugar-white beaches, the caye is roughly 35 feet wide by 350 feet long. Sitting at the southernmost end of the Inner Channel, the surrounding area is’ a marine park. Farther offshore are the beautiful Silk Cayes triplets, and marine reserve one of the prettiest in Belize.

The most popular diving event in Placencia Belize is during the annual migration of whale sharks to the Gladden Split and Marine Reserve located about 26 miles offshore, only a 50 minutes boat ride away. The sharks migrate to the area around the full moon to ten days after during the months of April, May and June and divers from all over the world come to Placencia to get a change for an up-close and personal encounter with the gentle giants. Whale sharks are harmless to human beings; they are the biggest fish in the sea and feed a microscopic sea life such as planktons.

Inland Tours

Jaguar in BelizeA variety of exciting inland tours are also available from Placencia. Everyday can be a new adventure with exciting things to do for everyone. Popular inland tours located near by includes Monkey River known for the large troop of Howler Monkey’s that lives in the lush jungles along it’s banks and even the sacred animal of the Maya is nearby – the jaguar. The great jaguar preserve at the Cockscomb Basin Sanctuary is only an hour drive from Placencia. More renowned inland Belize tours such as cave tubing & zip line, the great Xunantunich Mayan pyramid and the Belize ATM Cave are located further north in Western Belize but are also available from Placencia on full day trips.

This cozy peninsula is also a perfect place if you are looking to experience the rich, diverse culture in Belize and a little night life. As the sun sets, more fun can be found at the local watering holes and bars at several resorts. Nightlife is casual like everything else. There’s never a bad time to have a drink; bars seem to be busy from opening to closing. Favorite watering holes include Miller’s Landing, Pickled Parrot and the Lagoon Saloon.

Map of Placencia | Accommodations