To reach Placencia from Belize City you have several options: Drive to Placencia – rent a car from one of the rental agencies located in the parking lot of the Belize National Airport. Ask for directions and hit the road. The quickest way to get from Belize City to Placencia is via the Hummingbird and Souther Highways. These roads are paved and the signage is pretty consistent….
The culture of Placencia is a mixture of the many groups of people that have inhabited Belize throughout its history. The country considers itself part of both Central America and the Caribbean, so influences from both regions are strong here. Placencia, for many years, was a small fishing village isolated from the rest of the country. The population consisted of mostly Creoles (with both African…
Named after the troops of black howler monkeys that make their home in the jungle that line the banks of the Monkey River, the Monkey River drains the Bladen and Swasey watersheds of southern Belize. Undisturbed populations of crocodiles, iguanas, gibnuts, hawksbill turtles, brocket and white-tailed deer and armadillos also reside along the river corridor and observe you as you glide by. Paddlers generally kayak…
The Caribbean Sea caresses miles of secluded beach on the Placencia Peninsula. When the warm brown sugar-like sand gets between your toes, it feels like nature’s own spa treatment. Thirty years ago, Placencia was a quiet fishing village with a narrow meandering sidewalk that served as its main—and only—street. Today this burgeoning destination retains its traditional charm (and sidewalk) while offering first class amenities and…
By Kirsten Hubbard Placencia Village, known more simply as Placencia, sits at the very tip of the narrow Placencia Peninsula in southern Belize. As a result, it feels more like an island. It’s just a few minutes walk from the lagoon side to the open Caribbean. Less than 500 people are lucky enough to be considered permanent residents of Placencia, Belize’s tranquil community. The majority are…
A feature attraction of diving in Belize, Especially for divers with an appreciation of geographical phenomena, is the opportunity to explore the famed Blue Hole. Part of the Lighthouse Reef System, it lies approximately 60 miles off the mainland out of Belize City. It is one of the most astounding dive sites to be found anywhere on earth, right in the center of Lighthouse Reef…
Planning a wedding that’s perfect for you is easy when you have options. And a Belizean wedding offers all kinds of choices that will reflect your unique bond. You and your hubby-to-be may want to consider a ceremony that best suits your personalities, such as a formal or informal affair? Do you both crave a little adventure? Or would you prefer to be one with…
Nov 10, 2011 (Caribbean News Now – McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) — The Garifuna people are one of the few remaining African ethnic groups in the entire Caribbean and Latin America who still maintain their culture. Some historians believe that these people were from the Mende ethnic group and migrated from West Africa to the Americas centuries before the other native people arrived in…
The name Nim Li Punit is derived from a carving on one of the site’s twenty six stelae, which depicts a figure wearing a large headdress. In the Maya Kekchi language, Nim li Punit means “the big hat.” The monument on which this carving appears is the longest stela in Belize, originally located in an area called Plaza of the Stelae. Nim Li Punit is…
WHAT TO SEE Offering a bit of a respite from the hotter lowlands, Mountain Pine Ridge is one of the most heavily visited reserves. It’s a landscape of rolling pine forest spread over smooth granite hillsides, a slightly bizarre area with battalions of uniform pine sporadically dissected by fire breaks and broadleaf gallery forest. Established in 1944, the reserve has been logged on a carefully…