Placencia: beaches, whale sharks and the southern coast

Why go

Where Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye have narrow beaches, the Placencia peninsula has long stretches of soft sand. The reef is further out here, so trips take a little longer, but the southern reef and cayes are less crowded and very beautiful. The village is friendly and small, and the peninsula has everything from simple cabanas to boutique resorts.

The peninsula, explained

• **Placencia Village**, at the tip, is the heart, with the Sidewalk, a narrow footpath that runs through the village among guesthouses, cafés and bars, plus the main dock and lagoon side.
• **Maya Beach** and **Seine Bight**, further north, have quieter resorts and holiday homes. Seine Bight is a Garifuna village with its own history.
• **The lagoon side** faces calm water and mangroves, where you may see manatees.
• **Riversdale**, near the start of the peninsula, has a few remote resorts and long empty beaches.

What to do

The big draw is the sea. Day trips go to **Laughing Bird Caye National Park**, a UNESCO-listed caye with clear water and good snorkelling, and to the **Silk Cayes** for snorkelling with turtles and rays. Divers explore the southern reef and walls. In the spring, around the full moons from roughly March to June, boats go out to **Gladden Spit** to see **whale sharks**, which gather to feed on fish spawn. Sailing trips, fly fishing and kayaking round out the water options.

Inland, **Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary**, the world's first jaguar reserve, has jungle trails, waterfalls and river tubing. Seeing a jaguar is rare, but tracks are common. Visit the Maya ruins of **Nim Li Punit** and **Lubaantun** further south, and spend time in **Hopkins**, a Garifuna village known for drumming and food. River trips up the **Monkey River** offer howler monkeys, crocodiles and birds.

Placencia's **Lobsterfest** in late June and the **Sidewalk Arts Festival** around Valentine's Day are good fun, and **Garifuna Settlement Day** on 19 November is celebrated across the south.

What and where to eat

Seafood dominates: lobster in season, grilled fish, conch fritters and ceviche. Garifuna dishes such as hudut, fish cooked in coconut broth with mashed plantain, and sere are worth seeking out, as are Creole stew chicken and coconut rice. Try Tutti Frutti for Italian gelato on the main road, Rumfish y Vino for seafood and wine, and look for local cookshops on the Sidewalk.

Where to stay

Stay in the village if you want to walk to restaurants and the dock. Choose Maya Beach or the resort strip for quiet beaches, pools and space, accepting that you will need a bike, taxi or golf cart. There are budget cabanas near the Sidewalk and boutique resorts along the sand.

Getting there and around

Short domestic flights land at the Placencia airstrip from Belize City. By road it is around three hours, via the scenic Hummingbird Highway and the Southern Highway. Buses run to the nearby town of Dangriga and Independence, with a water taxi from Mango Creek across the lagoon. In the village, walk or cycle.

Staying safe

Placencia is generally calm. Take normal care: lock your room, use the safe, do not walk alone on dark roads at night and use licensed tour operators. Sandflies can be fierce at dusk, so bring repellent.