Placencia Belize

Slow Pace in Placencia Belize

Placencia Belize is a leisurely Creole fishing village on a long, narrow peninsula that parallels the mainland coastline. Pick a spot on the 15 miles of white-sand beaches. You won't hear planes, cars, or trains, just the waves from the Caribbean, and the sonorous Creole language of the locals.

If you feel the need to move, you can indulge yourself in diving, snorkeling, fishing, and sea kayaking. Belize trips on land include the Cockscomb Jaguar Preserve, which is the world's only jaguar preserve. The aptly-named Monkey River wends its way through tropical rain forests; take a boat down the river and then trek through the jungle on your vacation in Belize.

Water Sports Galore

Take a boat to Laughing Bird Caye where you can snorkel and lie in the sun on the boat to your heart's content. Named for the laughing gulls that originally inhabited the caye, these birds are almost gone from their rookery because of the intrusion of people. The government is now protecting this unique isle, and snorkelers and divers must observe the birds from offshore. Laughing Bird Caye is 13 miles southeast of Placencia Belize, and is one of the designated World Heritage Sites, which protects it from any damage by visitors.

The dive shops on the road to Placencia have trips to the Inner Reef or Outer Reef of the Belize Barrier Reef, one of the world's prime underwater locations. Kayaking and canoeing in Placencia Lagoon is another relaxing activity that let's you look at the wildlife at a leisurely pace. The highlight would have to be spotting a gentle, rotund manatee feeding in the grassbeds!