There are so many things to do in Placencia, Belize, that the hardest part is balancing time lounging on a beautiful beach with perfect seawater against having all the adventures you want. How often do you want to get out of the beach chair but, also, how can you pass up the opportunity to snorkel in some of the best waters?
We were in Placencia on a multi-generational family trip.
And even though I managed to contract a terrible chest cold on the plane ride there, I figure that if one has to be coughing and needing to rest, one should do it with a beach and sunlight! Our entire group fell hard for Belize – even me, as I lay there alone one night trying to convalesce while listening to the breezes kiss the windows.
Belize abuts Guatemala on one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other. Having been to Guatemala, I can tell you it’s very different.
For a very long time, the country was called British Honduras, but that changed in 1981, when granted its independence (which, incidentally, Guatemala originally refused to recognize).
Belize is pretty small and so much of it is protected. I believe the most famous part of Belize is its Barrier Reef, complete with Blue Hole, off the coast. It is rugged and beautiful here, with little to no development. Ironically, this lack of development and the ruggedness make it susceptible to drug smuggling. But regardless, Belize felt incredibly safe for us in all ways.
Why Stay in Placencia, Belize?
Belize is not a very large country. I have been told it’s the size of Massachusetts. It is sparsely populated and, while it doesn’t have any Pacific coastline, it has beautiful beaches, cayes from which to launch a dive to a barrier reef, and also jungle adventures full of Mayan ruins. There are so many things to do in Placencia but also all of Belize!
When visiting, it helps to decide if you want jungle or beach. Ambergis Caye and Caye Caulker are popular places to stay if diving, but also challenging to get to, involving boats or small airplane shuttles.Â
Staying in the interior, in a place like Sleeping Giant or Caves Branch, provides effortless access to the ATM Cave, cave kayaking, and ziplining, but without the small beachy towns Belize boasts.
For us, Placencia seemed a good mixture. It was mainland, so we could do daytrips from Placencia to the jungle excursions if we wanted (it was 2.5 hours one way to get to the Jaguar Paw cave tubing – not quick and easy but completely doable for a day excursion), yet also have access to the beaches and snorkeling.
Many visitors choose to relocate midway through their trip to move from jungle to beach or vice versa. Also, Hopkins has become a popular place for visitors to stay given as it is also mainland Belize, but also on the coast, like Placencia.
We loved Placencia and understand why it is home to so many expats. It was safe, relaxed, beautiful, and inexpensive against our home currency. The food was delicious and the people were friendly.
Placencia is home to both mega-million-dollar vacation homes of the wealthiest foreign investors and modest, typical Central American neighborhoods and homes. It contains both experiences in jarring contrast.
How to Get to Placencia, Belize
We flew a direct flight in and out of BWI to Belize City on Southwest. It was easy and quick.
Once in Belize City, we had a private shuttle service arranged by our lodging (for an additional fee) to and from Placencia. It was a drive that was almost 3 hours, with a stop for facilities and snacks. It was an easy one though, straight and smooth.
There are small airplanes that service Placencia since there is a landing strip and small airport in town so you could opt to do that, too.
Important Things to Know to Visit Placencia, Belize
Placencia is a beach town, located on the tip of a long peninsula. There are golf carts for rent and many tourists use these to make their way along the long road down the peninsula to the downtown area and other restaurants. (This was our primary mode of travel. We never rented a car.)
When navigating Placencia, it is worth knowing there are over 20 speed bumps on the road, many unmarked. (Belize is known for its extravagant use of speed bumps to control traffic – the locals call them “sleeping policemen.”) So pay attention when you are driving and understand that it takes extra time to drive anywhere!
We stayed pretty far north on the peninsula, above Seine Bight, in a gorgeous home we rented for the week – it had a pool and beach access. But we were a bit far from the downtown area (about a 25-30 minute golf cart ride). We agreed it would have been better to have quicker access to the town. But we also agreed that the home we were staying in was gorgeous and worth it.
Have cash with you for tips. While vendors and stores take credit cards, it is customary to tip drivers and guides. We were told that US dollars were fine, as well, that there was no need to convert.
The primary language spoken in Belize is English, with Creole dominant in some locations.
We did not drink the tap water in Placencia, although there were conflicting reports as to whether it was safe. (After Mr. Family Trip was sick in Costa Rica from something that went into his body, we’ve been very cautious.)
All excursions we booked included transportation to and from the start point of the excursion. This meant that we didn’t need a car. In fact, it was easier to just let them drive us as part of the tour than try to negotiate a tour price where we didn’t get picked up.
Best things to do in Placencia, Belize
List of Best Things to Do in Placencia
Snorkel (and/or Dive)
Given its location, Placencia has access to the famous waters of Belize – where wildlife teems and reefs sparkle.
We used Captain Jak’s out of Placencia and did a family excursion to Laughing Bird Caye for the day.
The following day, the certified divers in our group took a Captain Jak’s dive excursion to Silk Caye.
Unlike Grand Cayman, there wasn’t much snorkeling or diving to be had right off the coast. Both of these excursions involved intense boat rides.
We chose Laughing Bird Caye as our family excursion, with the kids, since we read it was a shorter boat ride. Afterwards, and even after the divers went out to Silk Caye, we all agreed this was absolutely the right choice.
To get to Laughing Bird Caye was a rough, fast, wind-whipping flying boat ride for 30 minutes. To get to Silk Caye, it was the same route, but much longer at almost an hour. (Those in our group prone to motion sickness were sick after the Silk Caye boat ride.)
But holy cow, was it worth it!
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Laughing Bird Caye itself is an island protected by Belize as a national park. There are some rangers who live in a small house on stilts, but other than that, it’s just white sand beaches and perfect blue water.
The snorkeling was easy (a walk in from the beach, with warm water and very little waves or current), yet we saw amazing things. In the water, we saw a lemon shark, nurse shark, and whale shark as well as barracuda, giant lobsters and crabs, and fish of all colors.
Enjoy Downtown Placencia, and the Tipsy Tuna!
We loved the area of Roatan we stayed in because it had such a casual expat-meets-local-culture vibe we adore. Placencia felt like this, too. There is a small sidewalk area off the beach packed with vendors and shops. People sit on porches with friends in the coastal breezes and while away the time.
On the beach, there are a few beach bars and restaurants that offer beautiful views and cold beverages. The most iconic is Tipsy Tuna. These spots also turn into party spots for locals getting off work as well as late-night dance parties with DJs.
Monkey River Tour
This is the top tour in Belize, according to the Internet.
Honestly, I am hesitant to recommend it since our experience was a once-in-a-lifetime situation of travel magic (which you all know I notice and cherish when it happens). If we hadn’t had the fortuitous and unique experience we had, I am not sure this would have been worth it?
That said, it was very family friendly and also the easiest excursion we did for anyone with mobility concerns.
We once again used Captain Jak’s for the Monkey River and Manatee Watch tour, and took four kids ranging from 7 years old to 15 years old.
We had another blistering boat ride to the entrance of Monkey Village. Once we arrived in the village, a local guide hopped on the boat (complete with his machete), and we started a lovely, calm boat ride through the rivers, looking for wildlife.
The boat pulled up to a bank, and we all jumped off and did a quick guided tour through the jungle. It was a flat loop under 1 mile long. It was hot and buggy, but we heard the howler monkeys going CRAZY, and eventually got close enough to two baby howler monkeys we could have touched them.
We were also lucky to see a manatee on the way to the Monkey River, but none were out on our return trip.
Cave Kayaking (or Tubing)
This was the thing we almost didn’t do that I absolutely loved. This and snorkeling were the highlights of the trip for me. (Apparently part of this cave area was famously photographed by National Geographic.)
Belize is home to rivers that cut through caves. It is rare and beautiful. To see these cave rivers, you must go with a guide or an outfitter (required by law).
We shopped around and decided to go with a company called Jaguar Paw. The entire area where the cave entrances are located is called Jaguar Paw due to a resort by that name which used to be there. The private company we were with just happened to have snatched up the famous name when it became available. But there are plenty of tours that will take you here.
Cave tubing here (combined with nearby ziplining) is an incredibly popular excursion for those coming to Belize on cruise ships. We used our trick we employed in Grand Cayman to time our excursion on a day when the cruise ship activity was less. So when we showed up, we were some of the first to arrive. (By the time we were leaving, folks were pouring in by the dozens and the parking lot was full.)
Cave tubing vs. cave kayaking: we made the decision to focus on cave kayaking (which meant no time for ziplining, which we did in Costa Rica anyhow, so we were OK with this). Kayaking meant that our excursion in the water at Jaguar Paw was longer. But we were so happy with our decision in the end.
To do either the cave tubing or the cave kayaking, there is a bit of a walk through the jungle to the mouth of the cave system. But by kayaking, we got in boats and went upriver first, going through three extra caves that tubers don’t see. We were the only visitors in these caves.Â
At one point, we beached our kayaks in a break between the caves and stepped out to have spider monkeys rattling the trees above us and dropping things on our heads. It was awesome.
Once we made it back to the mouth of the cave and joined up with the cave tubers, it was busy. To have the opportunity to explore the caves in quiet and silence was great.
Note I never felt claustrophobic (even after my little bout in Cappadocia). There was plenty of space inside the caves; they are big, and there were breaks from underground. Most of the time, we could see sunlight or an exit.
Cocoa Harvesting + Chocolate Tasting
When we were in Guatemala, we visited the chocolate museum and were led through a class on how chocolate is made, complete with tastings and a make-your-own chocolate bar. But our experience in Belize was far more informative and delicious!
We went with a company called Taste Belize and were impressed. Since we had a large group and a private residence, we worked with them beforehand to arrange a special presentation based on our group’s diverse age range (and attention span), but they offer a lot of wonderful tours and packages for those interested in food and taste.
The woman who led us through the cocoa and chocolate tasting – from farm to table – owns a family-run cocoa farm in Belize. She was knowledgable and engaging.
Where we Ate in Placencia
Chicken stewed in tomatoes and spices served with rice and beans and other various sides (such as slaws and fried plantains) is THE dish in Belize. We ate this a lot. Every single excursion that included lunch served a variation of this classic meal. For the record – I thought it was delicious so I have no complaints.
Also, I pretty much never drink soda, but Fanta hits just right in Belize.
Places we ate in Belize:
- 1981
- Inky’s 19th Hole Bar & Restaurant
- Barefoot Beach Bar
- Blue Lagoon Restaurant
- Chillpoint (for ice cream)
- Tutti Frutti (for gelato)
Other Great Belize Activities + Adventures
- Rent kayaks and/or paddleboards: www.placenciaawesomewatersports.com
- Take a cooking class: tastebelize.com
- Explore the ATM Cave: belizing.com/ATM-Cave-Belize
- Visit the Mayan Ruins: captainjaks.com/tours/xunantunich-cave-tubing
- Go zipling: www.mayanskybelize.com
- Go fishing: placenciafishingcharters.com
- Hike to a waterfall: www.travelbelize.org/blog/7-waterfalls-belize-worth-chasing
- Visit the Jaguar Preserve and hike: ambergriscaye.com/pages/town/parkcockscomb
- Tour a spice farm: belizespicefarm.com
- Sunset boat ride: captainjaks.com/tours/placencia-lagoon-sunset-sail
- Minigolf: inkysbelize.com
Belize reminded me of the feelings I had and experienced the very first time I went to Costa Rica nearly 20 years ago.
It felt safe yet also undiscovered and still authentic. Belize certainly has a tourist culture, and adventure tourism specifically fuels a lot of its economy. Yet it hasn’t become unnavigable or overwhelming, yet. I was constantly blown away by how relaxing the country was. As we were in the van driving to Jaguar Paw, I was hit by how much untouched, raw, untamed jungle is all around. Places felt remote and far from the daily demands of life in the United States. It felt like I could disappear here and forget all my worries.
Who doesn’t want a vacation like that?
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