February 8, 2011 (Leaving Tobacco Caye for Placencia: Part 2)

It is hot and humid all year long in Placencia, but along the beach the Caribbean breeze generally keeps you quite comfortable. The beaches here are not the best for swimming or walking, and for snorkeling and diving you will need to take a boat from 10 to 20 miles out to a nearby reef or caye. The beachside views and the white sand, however, are the best Belize has to offer. During my visit there were a multitude of boats in the harbor, and the area offers world class fishing and boating as well. Once a sleepy and underpopulated fishing village, Placencia Village has become a thriving tourist center. Many visitors believe that Placencia offers the finest beaches on the mainland of Belize, and a more laid back alternative to the hustle and bustle of Ambergris Caye.

One of the Awesome Boats I Saw in Placencia Village

One of the Many Beautiful Views in Placencia Village

At present, the peninsula has a population of only about 3,000, mostly in two small villages (Placencia Village at the southern tip of the peninsula and Seine Bight, a Garifuna village about five miles north of the tip). Another large concentration of housing and development is at Maya Beach-- about nine miles north of Placencia Village. Most of the shops, restaurants and bars are located near the southern tip of the peninsula, but a number of large and expensive private developments are in a variety of locations all over the peninsula. A "land rush" of sorts occurred in Placencia and a considerable amount of venture capital was pumped into the area shortly before the "great recession" his America, so at present a great deal of Placencia looks either unfinished or at the planning stage. Near the small air strip a large marina has been laid out with nary a single home built or under construction as of the present date.