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PLACENCIA(Stop 15 of 18)
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The Belize Virtual Guide PLACENCIA(Stop 15 of 18) |
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Placencia Village lies on the southern tip of a 16 mile long peninsula. It is located about 100 miles south of Belize City and 51 miles from Dangriga Town. As the gateway to the longest sand beaches in Belize, the village is poised on the pinnacle of discovery. Less than ten years ago, it could only be reached by fishing boat. Now ten years later it has turned into a sleepy seaside resort. The dirt road running 26 miles along the peninsula's spine was only built in 1986, connecting Placencia to the Southern Highway. |
| Placencia must be one of the most laid -back places in Belize. The main street is actually a single concrete sidewalk running through the village, built some 30 years ago as a means of wheel-barrowing fish around without fighting the sand. It still serves as the main artery of life in town. Clapboard houses on stilts are randomly clustered along the sidewalk. The north end of the sidewalk starts at the beach designated for campers and tents. To the south , it ribbons its way past numerous local businesses. Along the sidewalk is one of Placencia's oldest structures, the octagonal Anglican Church. |
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The name Placencia , shared by the village and its peninsula, was given by Huguenots. Members of this strict Protestant sect fled religious persecution in Europe, tried out Nova Scotia in Canada, then immigrated to Belize in 1740. They chose this remote point which the ancient Maya had once used as a fishing camp (as excavated pottery shards and house mounds indicate). The Huguenots were eventually beaten by the tropical heat and diseases from the nearby swamps, abandoning the settlement in 1820. But they did have occasional good times! Dozens of 17th century bottles and clay pipes have been dug up at the appropriately-named Rum Point, a couple of miles north of the village. It is thought that Huguenots went there to smoke and drink out of sight of their womenfolk and away from religious restrictions. Though little concrete evidence exists, local legend has it that buccaneers often used the excellent protection of the Placencia Peninsula as a harbor. |
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Placencia was restarted as a fishing camp in the mid 1800's, and with the wealth of marine life and proximity of the Barrier Reef, prospered. Though many of the fishermen have given up their lines and spearguns for binoculars and dive gear, cashing in on their local knowledge to guide tourists, the village still celebrates June 29 as Fishermen's Day. A Catholic Mass, boat parade and the blessing of the fishing fleet precedes a town-wide party where visitors are welcomed. | ||
| One of the few places in Belize where you can walk for miles along a sandy beach is in Placencia. It is possible to stroll seven miles north of the village without interruption reaching Seine Bight Village. Despite the many upscale resorts lining the coasts, there are still many secluded beaches. | |||
| Swimming is best at points of the land
where sand builds up. Snorkelers will find meadows of grass beds bordering the coastline, dotted by clusters of small coral patch reefs. Snorkeling can offer you more than a glimpse of the wonders of the Belize marine waters. Belizeans have always known that diving is better in the southern half of the country. What makes diving so interesting in Placencia is that here there is a distinct change between the northern and southern structure of the Barrier Reef.
The rich variety of marine habitats also make Placencia an excellent place for sportfishing. Grassy shallows around many of the cayes are home to schools of bonefish, tarpon and permit. Trolling along drop-offs and channels nearly always lands barracuda and jacks, and occasionally the mighty kingfish.The mangrove habitat is one of the most important ecosystems in Belize. |
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| Kayaking and canoeing in the Placencia Lagoon is one way of silently viewing the tremendous amount of wildlife. Though unpredictable, the manatee feed in the extensive grass beds and calve in the secluded bays and river emptying into the lagoon. | |||
 
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