Placencia
Placencia features the best beach in Belize. Carefree, scenic and very laid-back, this popular destination is picture-postcard perfect. A spectacular peninsula, located along the sun-kissed beaches in southern Belize its a all-time favorite. Placencia has something for everyone, visitors can do something new everyday: Diving, snorkeling, fishing, jungle & river safaris, manatee watching, sun-bathing, sailing, fishing even the sacred animal of the Maya is nearby - the jaguar. Explore the peninsula for orchids, bromeliads, shore birds and a good assortment of land birds. Both the beach and the road may be used for walking. Bikes, Sunfish, available for rental.
Numerous attractions are available from these sandy shores including some of the most virgin and spectacular dive sites in Belize. Featuring four hundred square miles of virgin reef and over 50 cayes, divers from all over the world are only now discovering the spectacular diving to be had in Southern Belize. Outside the reef there are unbelievable caves and wall diving starting from 45 feet, while inside the reef there are endless flats and pristine cayes each with their own unique coral formations. |
Sports Fishing: Placencia is known as "the permit capital of the world. Actually the area is also a haven for tarpon, snook, barracuda, king mackerel, grouper, snappers, tuna, blue marlins, jacks and more. Natural habitats includes everything from lagoons, rivers, cayes flats and the main barrier reef. Whether you are in for some fly fishing, light-tackle, heavy tackle (trolling) or drop line, there is something for everyone.
Jaguar Preserve: The world's only Jaguar Preserve is only 1 hours drive from Placencia, also known as the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Preserve, it covers an area of approximately 150 square miles. Jaguars are nocturnal animals, however, sightings during the day do sometimes occur and night tours are available as well. Besides the Jaguar, Cockscomb Basin is also home to such other cats as the puma, ocelot and jaguarundi and many other animals including the Baird's tapir the national animal of Belize, also known as the "mountain cow." Also, more than 290 species of birds.
Monkey River: Travel up the Monkey River Reserve. Located 30 minutes by boat south of Placencia, monkey river is famous for the abundance of howler monkeys that live in the dense jungles along it's bank. Birds, iguanas, manatees and alligators are also common up the river.
The waters in it's vicinity of Placencia offers World-class diving. With over four hundred square miles of virgin reef and over 50 cayes Placencia still have some virgin territory to explore. Divers can have an unforgettable experience by exploring these spectacular waters with a local and experience dive guide. One of the most exciting dive attractions in Placencia is to dive with the Whale Sharks during their annual migration to the area in March, April, May and June. March & April is the best time to see the sharks. Whale Shark Packages
Besides the whale shark program Placencia also offers excellent Wall, Canyon & Faro diving. Wall dives start at about 35ft with the drop off plunging into the abyss of 3000ft. Canyon diving is also ocean diving. Canyons are large heads of Lettuce, Stag Horn, and Elk Horn coral that form at right angles to the drop off. Valleys of white coral sands that separate these huge mounds of coral form ideal resting places for Nurse Shark and Rays. Placencia Packages
