adminAfter much debate over possible honeymoon destinations, my wife and I decided that Belize was a perfect choice. It hosts the perfect combination of breathtaking scenery, miles of sandy shoreline and countless excursions to explore and take in what this truly beautiful country has to offer. Once we had made our decision to make the trip to Belize, the next question was, where in Belize? I have to admit, I had some preconceived notions about Belize that stemmed from a cruise trip I had taken years prior. Belize was the first stop on the cruise destination itinerary and we were informed that Belize was currently in the middle of serious social conflict, making it more dangerous for tourists. They suggested not leaving the ship to explore on your own, only recommending sticking with a guided excursion. As i had not planned an excursion at this stop of the cruise, my first experience with Belize would be staring longingly from a distant ship. I certainly did not want any sort of repeat experience, where we would be confined to safe constraints within the country, and while this probably would not be the case if we visited Belize City, it was certainly a concern that i’d rather eliminate all together. That being said, these preconceived notions about Belize were eventually shattered immediately when we discovered one of Belize’s most popular destinations, Placencia.
Overview
Placencia is a charming fishing village located at the southern tip of the Placencia Peninsula in southeastern Belize. Bordered on one side by a lagoon and the other by the Caribbean Sea, some of the most beautiful beaches in the country make it easy to confuse the peninsula with a lost majestic island. With a population of under 3,500 people, Placencia has a small village feel, with the luxury travel accommodations people dream of. The Placencia Peninsula measures approximately 19 miles from north to south but is just half a mile wide. Getting around and navigating is super easy, as there is essentially one main road that runs North and South, and one that runs East and West on the southside of the peninsula. There is also a 4,000 foot long “main street” that is a pedestrian-only sidewalk. This is a fantastic perk because it allows you to travel around and navigate really easily, with no previous knowledge of the area. It’s ideal for biking up to the store for groceries or to a seas-side restaurant for dinner. You can even take a load off by motoring around on an electric golf cart if that’s more your style.
Placencia is just one of three villages located on the peninsula but has lovely shops, charming cafes, seafood restaurants, a small medical clinic, and an airfield. We stayed in the Maya Beach area, which is primarily where you will find the luxury resorts and condominiums. Even though we did not stay within close walking distance of the village, it was a quick shuttle or cab ride when we wanted to take advantage of the great food and shopping in town.
Perhaps the most surprising trait of Placencia is how it manages to maintain it’s small town old-world feel among the luxurious resorts and tourism spots that tend to over shadow these small town values. Nevertheless, the locals where all very friendly and inviting, as if to ensure you have a great visit. Such a beautiful destination with so much to offer feels like it should be flooded with tourists but I still managed to feel like some kind of elite, exclusive member of some private peace of heaven the entire trip.
Where I Stayed
While i was eager to head off on our first excursion and immerse myself if this incredible place, it was important to both my wife and I that our “home base”, where we would start and end our days, provided the luxury resort accommodations you strive for when you just want to have a tropical drink and relax on the beach. Let me just start by saying I feel conflicting even mentioning the resort we stayed at, simply for selfish reasons of wanting to keep this gem as my own secret paradise. But I feel i owe it to the incredible staff that runs Belize Ocean Club, to recommend them to absolutely anyone thinking of visiting here. From our arrival to our sad departure, the Belize Ocean Club exceeded our expectations and made for a stress-free and relaxing stay.
The Belize Ocean Club championed our vision of adventure meets relaxation. Every room here is a suite and the Caribbean sea is just steps away. Belize Ocean Club spans the entire Placencia peninsula, offering you views of the Caribbean sea and the Maya mountains and lagoon. You can choose a room with a lagoon or seaside view. We stayed on the lagoon side, which is also where the front desk and main restaurant is located.
On the Caribbean Sea side of the resort, you can take advantage of the luxurious pool and spa where you can float right over to the swim-up bar or dine at one of the two restaurants (which coincidentally has the best chicken nachos I’ve ever had in my life but i digress). As a guest, you can enjoy the exclusive use of the clubs kayaks, paddle boards, and other non-motorized water toys at no extra charge. Explore the surrounding waters, relax in a hammock or bask in the sun, it’s all included! The concierge is very helpful and can help you book any excursions that may interest you, or even a massage on the lagoon if you rather just chill. The Belize Ocean Club also has the option where you can spend a day and/or night on their private island, Ranguana Caye.
If you couldn’t tell already, i couldn’t say enough good things about the Belize Ocean Club. We started every morning waking up to rainbow skys over the lagoon, while we enjoyed the fantastic breakfast from the restaurant downstairs, often on the dock of the lagoon. Most of the time, we ate our lunches and dinners at the various establishments Placencia has to offer but when we did eat at the resort, the food was fantastic. If you don’t take advantage of the fresh fish prepared here, you are missing out. In between excursions, we relaxed in hammocks on the beach with a delicious drink in our hands. Whenever i felt the need to move, I took a dip in the sea and tried my hand at paddle boarding and kayaking. Whatever it is you are looking for in a vacation, this place has it. While the relaxing side of Placencia is all too obvious, the adventures you can have here will be sure to make your visit an experience you will never forget.
Adventures & Excursions
As one of the most beautiful spots in the country, Placencia offers adventures on both land and sea. On the mainland, nearby attractions include touring ancient Maya ruins such as Nim Li Punit and Lubantuum, hiking through the vast Cockscomb Basin Nature Reserve (home to some of Central America’s last surviving jaguars), or learning about native wildlife and plants on a boat trip up the aptly named Monkey River. While there is plenty to do on dry land, Placencia also serves as the gateway to the southern reef, a mecca for maritime activities such as snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, and sailing.
This was potentially the only downside of the trip. How could these amazing adventures possibly be a downside you ask? Because there is too much to do with not enough time! If you are like me and all of this sounds amazing, you will unfortunately have to compromise and prioritize which adventures you want to take. On this trip, our excursions were mostly land based, with just a splash of aquatic fun to top it off. That being said, I have already decided that this will not be my only trip to Placencia, as I must return at some point to experience the epic cave tubing and scuba diving available. In total, we went on 3 excursions over 3 days, all with there own memorable experience.
Day 1 – Cockscomb Jaguar Preserve Hiking and River Tubing
If you love nature, then you can’t miss the opportunity to enjoy a day at the super famous Cockscomb Jaguar Preserve in Hopkins. It was about a 30 minute drive by car from the resort. I highly recommend this hike through the jungle as it’s a great way to familiarize yourself with some of the native plants and wildlife in Belize.
Cockscomb Jaguar Preserve has the largest concentration of Jaguars in the world. The government has set aside 150 square miles of rainforest in the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Preserve, which currently provides a protected environment for around 200 jaguars. It’s recognized internationally as the first jaguar preserve in the world. I know what you’re thinking..”Awesome we get to check out some Jaguars!” That was my thought at least so i wanted to save you the trouble of getting disappointed. It’s actually highly unlikely that an actual Jaguar sighting will occur. As these big cats are some of the sneakiest, you most likely won’t catch a glimpse, although they probably will spot you at some point. Our guides did mention that some people go out hiking at night, where you are much more likely to find a Jaguar. Though for me…the cost of coming face to face with one of these majestic killing machines outweighs the benefits.
But Jaguars aren’t the only wildlife you’ll find here. This preserve also has high population density of Pumas, Ocelot, Jaguarundi, Margay, Paca, Howler Monkey, Coatimundi, Brocket Deer. Always keep your eyes open and you might spot one of these jungle creatures. We even spotted a species of Tapir on the drive into the Preserve.
So after driving a short way up a dirt road into the jungle to the entrance of the Preserve, the tour started with a little history of the preserve and the Jaguars themselves. We started off on our hike into the jungle where we were shown the site of the small plane wreck of Alan Rabinowitz, who studied and to tracked jaguars in this area. We learned more about Alan and his contributions among many other things as we continued our hike. At one point, our guide showed us an active termite nest on a tree and explained how termites can be eaten and actually taste minty due to the trees they consume. The guide offered this termite delicacy to anyone who volunteered. Naturally, i jumped at the chance to try something new and crazy, as did a few other guys in the tour. We also learned the ways of life for many Mayans, including fun tips like which leaves make the best impromptu toilet paper. The guide also showed a particular tree whose leaves were smoked by the Mayans during rituals, as they produced a psychedelic effect. To which most of the guys in the group jokingly volunteered for the termite-style demonstration.
After the first part of the hike, we returned to our starting point to have lunch before embarking on the next part of the excursion, river tubing. After changing into a swim suit and grabbing a tube, we continued on a pleasant hike through the jungle and onto the river. This is the point in the trip where I’m glad we were already on the way to getting wet, as it started raining pretty hard on our hike to the river. And somehow it just seemed to add to the experience. A short hike through some trails takes you to the river bank where the river tubing begins. The views from the river on the tube are incredible. I’m still kicking myself for not capturing more of it’s beauty in video or photographs. It truly feels like you are at the heart of the jungle, as the trees immerse from the sides, and several bends in the river giving you a great view of the jungle scenery. And keep your eyes out for wildlife too. I spotted a Toucan bird soar right over us.
At the end of the river tubing when i thought it couldn’t get any better, our guide asked if we wanted to leave the tubes and hike a little ways more to a hidden waterfall in the middle of the mountain where we could swim in the natural pool and reward ourselves for an already rewarding hike through the jungle. This hidden spot did not disappoint, and instantly became my new happy place. It was so calming and peaceful to behold, and standing under the waterfall sure relieved any muscle soreness. All in all, this was a great experience to immerse yourself in the nature of Belize and learn more about the native history, as well as the wildlife hidden within the dense jungle brush.
Day 2 – Horseback Riding at Outback Trails
For our second adventure of the trip, we decided to experience the jungle trails from a different perspective, on horseback! Let me just start by stating that i am by no means an experience rider. Up until that point I had maybe only been on a horse a couple times in my life. You can’t ride? Rest assured, you don’t have to be an accomplished rider to enjoy your unique riding experience. Their horses have been well schooled and selected to make even the most timid of riders look and feel like a professional, as my horse Akumal did for me. This was a great experience to not only connect with nature but to also connect with an animal at the same time. I’ve always been a big animal lover so it was awesome to take the opportunity to improve my riding skills in a great environment.
The Outback Trails wranglers are very attentive and helpful for all skill levels. At one point i dropped my phone. Although i had control of the horse, i didn’t feel i had the skills to dismount to grab my phone but it was no problem for one of the wranglers to assist me. They know most riders are inexperienced so they are available to put on lead ropes for novices and young children. It makes the whole experience stress free.
The wranglers will give you an interesting and entertaining commentary along the trail, highlighting on Belize’s beauty, culture and history. One wrangler who rode at the rear of the convoy behind me was great conversation throughout the ride. The adventure begins with a quick training session at the stable, and then its off to the trail – passing through a citrus orchid and then wondering into the lush Tropical Rain Forest. Eventually, we reached the cool waters or the Sittee River, which arrived just on time to cool me off after some trailblazing. It was a great experience that i know both myself and my wife would do again in a heartbeat. Everything from the way Akumal and Cherokee (my wife’s horse) interacted with each other, to the stretches of trail where I could ride Akumal with some speed through the jungle trees, was incredible. The whole experience has inspired me to look into future trail rides by horseback.
Day 3 – Bocawina Zip Lining and Waterfall Rappel
On day 3 we a drive to the Belize Bocawina National Park, where they offer several onsite adventures. One of the main attractions being Bocawina’s zip lining course. Additionally, you can pair your zip lining experience with rappelling down a waterfall! They offer a more intense rappel down a large waterfall or a rappel down a smaller waterfall that is a much shorter hiking alternative. This excursion was a great blend of easy fun and adventure that would be sure to satisfy my adrenaline needs. Since this was our last excursion and we were already zip lining, we opted for the shorter waterfall rather than miss out on the opportunity all together.
Once we arrived, we were fitted with harnesses and safety equipment. I was relieved to find out that their helmets are specifically designed to fit GoPro cameras. I had planned on taking videos regardless but this made it so much easier and care-free. We were guided over a small suspension bridge to eight different zip lining platforms, all varying in height from several feet to over 50ft. The zip lines also vary in length from 500 feet, to the longest zip line in the country at over 2,200 feet. Zipping through the jungle canopy and the view the rain forest was amazing, and allowed for a view of the jungle from whole new perspective. Some of the zip lines were short and sweet, while others are long and had me picking up high speeds in a hurry. We were part of a group that included a family with a terrified mom and a terrified child. While i wondered why they agreed to go in the first place, i commended their spirit to give it a go, and they made it through just fine.
After the zip line, my wife and I were the only two of the group to continue on to rappel the waterfall. I was actually thankful for this because it provided a more intimate yet guided adventure that felt like it was just for the two of us. It was our honeymoon after all! We explored the Flora & Fauna in the region as we hiked for about 20 minutes to Bocawina Falls. Rappel 100 feet down Bocawina Falls to the pool below was a challenging but rewarding experience. I have very limited experience rappelling from indoor rock climbing but the rappel was certainly doable. Though i will admit to loosing my footing a couple of times. It was a blast the whole way down. Getting to relax and swim in the waterfall pool before heading back down the trail was just the refreshing moment we needed to end our last excursion on a truly unforgettable trip.
So there you have it. In my experience, Placencia, Belize is a true gem of Central America. A destination that is the total package, offering everything you could ask for in a vacation for both the adventurer and the pampered. While i feel i experienced so much in my short time in Belize, i also feel like there is so much left that I have yet to experience. I joke that a piece of my heart was left in Belize, and that i’ll eventually have to go back to find it. I say this part in jest, but part of me already knows that i have not seen the last of this beautiful paradise and one day my heart will call out to me, from those majestic white sandy shorelines.
