Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The prime destination for visitors, the village of
Placencia
itself, dangles at the very
southern tip of the peninsula, a total of 24 miles off the Southern Highway. Still
recognizable as the fishing village it used to be, it's a friendly, laidback place that holds
abundant lodging and dining options for budget travellers. More a
uent visitors,
including increasing numbers of honeymooners, tend to stay in the plusher hotels
further north, which include some of the country's most opulent resorts, but also a
cluster of charming, good-value boutique hotels along the beautiful stretch known as
Maya Beach
, nine miles north of Placencia.
he
Barrier Reef
that lies on average eighteen miles offshore from Placencia is wider
than in the north of Belize, and breaks into several smaller reefs and cayes that create
even more coral canyons and drop-offs. Thanks to the distances involved,
snorkelling
and diving
trips are more expensive here than elsewhere; the upside is that there are
mangrove islands and coral heads closer to the coast, and you can still see a lot of fish
and some coral by snorkelling just offshore.
6
Maya Beach
While the ten-mile stretch of road that runs from the Southern Highway to the sea is
blissfully rural, development starts as soon as you reach the northern end of the
Placencia Peninsula. First you pass the site of the proposed new airport, followed
immediately by the enormous, eyesore
Placencia Hotel
, and successive new condo
blocks, many of which remain unoccupied and incomplete.
This unpromising start belies the genuine charm of
Maya Beach
, immediately beyond,
not so much a village as a string of relaxed, low-key accommodation options and
restaurants, arrayed along a particularly gorgeous section of sandy Caribbean beach. The
peninsula is so narrow at this point that most of the resorts also offer access to Placencia
Lagoon on its western side. As well as arranging fishing and diving trips, many also have
bikes and kayaks for guests, and it's a relatively easy paddle out to False Caye.
Seine Bight
The Garifuna village of
SEINE BIGHT
, two miles south of Maya Beach, is still very much
an authentic community, characterized by often-dilapidated roadside shacks.
Supposedly founded by privateers in 1629, Seine Bight may have been given its present
name by French fishermen deported from Newfoundland after Britain gained control
of Canada. Its present inhabitants are descendants of the Garifuna settlers who arrived
here around 1869.
Placencia
Poised at the very tip of the peninsula, shaded by palm trees and cooled by the sea
breeze,
PLACENCIA
holds some of the most beautiful
beaches
in Belize, and these,
together with the abundant accommodation for all budgets, make it a great
place to relax.
There's no real centre to the village; the main road meanders its way through from
north to south, passing all manner of shops, restaurants and little hotels, before finally
coming to an end at a smart new pier. A short way east, connected by countless
unpaved lanes and footpaths, a slender strip of wooden boardwalk, open only to
pedestrians and known as the
Sidewalk
, runs parallel to the beach. Once listed in the
Guinness Book of Records
as the narrowest street in the world, it connects a string of
somewhat larger hotels, B&Bs and beach bars.
The villagers enjoy the easy life as much as visitors - as you'll find out during
Lobster-Fest
, celebrated over a fun-filled weekend in late June. You could also try to visit
during the
Sidewalk Arts Festival
, held around Valentine's Day in early February. At the
