Placencia Village[1] is at the southern tip of the resort peninsula of Placencia in Belize.
Get in
Flying from Belize City with Tropic or Maya Island Air is easiest. You can also ride a school bus into Placencia from Belize City; 4-6 hours. The road from Southern Highway to the village is rough and dusty - alternately take the bus past Placencia road to Independence and Mango Creek in Stann Creek and then the Hokey Pokey water taxi across to Placencia.
Get around
The Sidewalk
Just wear comfortable shoes. There are taxis, but you shouldn't need them except perhaps to/from the airstrip, which is only 10 minutes from town. "The Sidewalk" is a concrete pedestrian-only path that runs most of the length of the village, ending at the seashore. It is interesting to walk up and down and there are many businesses of all types along the way.
See
Rent a kayak and snoop around the lagoon. Manatees, crocodiles, dolphins and birds.
Do
Chill out on the beach.
Take a sailing trip with Nextwave Sailing, or one of the other sailing charters in town. Go fly fishing. Take an eco-tour and go snorkeling with D-tourz or Nite Wind.
For Scuba Diving or snorkeling check out Splash Dive, near the end of the Sidewalk [[2]].
universal energy dome, Main Street, Harbour Place (behind Michelo), ☎ 523 3519, [3]. 8am-6pm. yoga, meditation, meditation + healing techniquesfree.
Buy
Buy from the locals. Maya women and girls typically line the sidewalk from the early morning hours.
Eat
The best seafood is at Lost In Paradise Beach Shop & Pirates Grill, located on the sidewalk in Placencia. Great baja fish tacos, ceviche, shrimp cocktails, nachos, burritos, tapas and philly cheese steak subs, vegetarian meals. Great affordable meals, small location, great food on the go. Breakfast, Coffee and Wifi available.
Actually, you can find quite a bit of good food and a few places for great food. A few suggestions would be Barefoot Beach Bar for burgers, smoked fish, smoked chicken and cold beer. French Connection offers limited seating and astonishingly good food. Tratoria offers good italian, theres another italian place above Wallens Market, that's also quite nice. If you want to spend a lot of money you could visit one of the resorts, though it's not the best way to spend your money.
De Tatch is the best place for local food. Seafood, chicken and daily specials reasonable.
Danube, Austrian Restaurant, Main Road, Seine Bight (South End of Seine Bight, 2.5 miles from Airpor), ☎ (501) 610 0132, [4]. 4.30-10.30pm. Viennese Schnitzel, Goulash, Dumplings, Apple Strudel, Sacher Cake and other Austrian Specialties. Candle light, AC indoors, lounge area outdoor. Cuban and Mexican Cigars for saleUS$4-25. (16.5633,88.3652)
Belgian Cafe, Main Street, Harbour Place (north end sidewalk), ☎ 523 3519, [5]. 8am to 2.30pm. different breakfast and lunch made with love and passion, (espresso, latte, eggs, toasted sandwiches, salads, waffles, crepes, cream puffs), free WiFi internet for patrons, speak english, spanish, german, french, dutch
Drink
Belikin Beer (they also make a decent stout), or One Barrel rum, both products of Belize.
The local coconut rum is surprisingly good, and happy hour at the Barefoot Beach Bar (6-7pm) is the best place to be. They also have an excellent band on a Sunday evening, Inner Vibrations.
The very good artesian water from the tap.
Boson's Chair Internet Cafe (Launromat), Placencia Sidewalk (South end sidewalk near Ice House), ☎ 523-4063. 7 AM to 6 PM. Drip Coffee, Latte, Mocha, Belikin or add a Coco rum to your Latte Sit and chill watching the boats or check your e-mail while you wait for your Laundry(16.32,88.3)
Sleep
Accommodation ranges from huts with shared "bathroom" to cabanas on the beach to guest houses to resorts. The resorts are north of the airstrip in Seine Bight and Maya Beach, and not really part of the village.
Sunset Pointe, ☎ 001-352-394-0952, [8]. Private condo unit on the Carribean$200 US.
Paradise Resort, (On the waterfront, west of town). Small hotel resort owned by American Alan Stamm and run by locals. Very clean and comfortable. Free use of bicycles, kayaks, fishing gear and more. Dive shop, fishing boats, tour guides and great information about the area.$50-70.
Colibri House, Harbour Place Placencia Village, ☎ 00501 6050586 (colibrihouse@gmail.com), [9]. In a peaceful area steps away from the Caribbean Sea. An octagonal cottage. It is built from hardwood with windows on all sides, and fully furnished with handmade hardwood furniture. The upstairs apartment sleeps 2-3 and includes bathroom with hot and cold water, fully equipped living/dining/kitchen area, fan, dining table, TV with cable, DVD player, CD player, and a cell phone. There are two beachfront verandah overlooking the water. The downstairs studio apartment offers windows on all sides. It accommodates 2-3 people. It is fully furnished. Amenities include hot and cold water, stove/oven, cookware, full-size refrigerator, coffee maker, blender, toaster, TV with cable, radio with CD player, fans and a cell phone.$45-95.
Michelo Suites, Main Street, Harbour Place, ☎ 523 3519, [10]. checkin: 4pm; checkout: 10am. central location for diving on coral reef, fishing, sailing and excursions to rainforest and Maya temples, virtually bug free super protected villa steps away from the beach from Placencia with 4 elegant hygienic suites with porch for 2 to 4 people to rent with equipped kitchen, AC, TV, Wi-Fi internet, on 500m from bars, restaurants and supermarkets, free sailing trip with snorkeling for sympathetic guests.$65-100. (16.521160,-88.371280)
Stay safe
You can drink the water; it's plumbed in from an artesian well on the mainland.
Get out
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Preserve. Its back on the mainland in Stann Creek and well worth the effort to get there. Try D-Tourz [Doyle Gardiner] for informative and organized "adventure of a lifetime".
Monkey River Town. Several outfits can hook you up with a boat trip south for manatee and howler monkey watching.
This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!
