Belize
Placencia / Maya Beach
6 days Placencia
4 days Maya Beach
February 2023
Think chill quiet vibe. Wonderful consistent ocean breeze, sometimes wind, throughout the day. Hammocks everywhere. A quiet village (even in high season) that you can check out in 1 day. No one is in a hurry. Many good small restaurants, food made to order … worth the wait. No pressures, from shop sales to getting a table at a restaurant (note: we do eat early)
Simple living. Small stilted wood houses on beach front. Colorfully painted. Saw only one high rise (4 floors- hotel). Safe for swimming, but a long boat ride to get to snorkeling. Can walk barefoot on the beach, although there is trash / seaweed washed up on beach. They say the current carries it from Guatemala. Most areas of the peninsula are only a short walk across from beach side (sunrise) to lagoon side (sunset).
Very friendly locals and tourists. Feels safe. Lots of expats who seem to day drink and hang out together.
Love the sidewalk that is parallel to the main road through the village that has many small shops, bars, restaurants, and housing along it.
So far, no bug bites. Maybe applying baby oil in evenings is working
Favorites
🍴Meals
Lunch: Shak Cafe (sit down and relax) or Carmines Kitchen (quick, cheap meal)
Belize food: Secret Garden
Italian (or for a big salad): Rick’s Cafe
🍸Bar:
🏩 Stay:
Bit of a splurge Caribbean Beach Cabanas it is a wonderful oasis walking distance from restaurants. If that is out of your budget… given there is not a lot to do in Placencia would recommend you stay somewhere (Airbnb, etc) that provides a balcony / deck that you can sit on and comfortably hang out at Beach Cabanas
Activity: we did not go on any tours as we will do them when we are staying closer to those areas. We enjoyed kayaking. Paddle boarding, swimming in the ocean and bike riding. Bike ride to or past the airport. No road shoulder, but can run, walk or bike 20+ miles on road. . If your hotel doesn’t provide the equipment above next to Tipsy Tuna you can rent water toys
Must Try: Fry Jack, Ginger My Lime (white rum, organic ginger, blue curaçao and lime juice)
Don’t miss: slowing down, seeing the sunrise
Tips:
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Pack lightly - laundry readily available $10 for a load. Super quick turn around
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Talk to everyone you run into for ideas on where to eat, what to do, etc
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Bring a light blouse / sweater, as there can be a cool breeze
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Given there is not a lot to do in Placencia, would recommend you stay somewhere that provides a balcony / deck to comfortably hang out, or plan slow days walking the sidewalk and relaxing in open bars and restaurants
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Appears Certain hotels busier and need to make reservations far in advance If planning to do stay inland or in Ambergris Caye may want to hold off on tours and do them when you have less driving to get to the activities
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Can drink the water
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Join the Facebook group:ThePacencuaBreeze
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Resource for live free events: https://realliferecess.com/events-calendar-placencia-belize/
Getting there
Need to add information about the little plane
Restaurants
$ amounts below include tips (American prices)
Omar’s 👌- limited menu. On the main road. Good people watching. Food is tasty. Open air. $78 - 1 glass of wine, beer, vege stir fry, coconut curry chicken.
Rick’s Cafe 👍 - $80 - shared small salad, 2 pastas, bottle of wine. Went another day for lunch - pizza (thin crust) and large salad - $35
Secret Garden 👍- food very good. Portions not that big. Don’t bother with wine - expensive and not that good. Nice courtyard. $80 - 2 entrees (shrimp curry, fish special) and bottle of wine.
Reasonable priced and is . Carmen’s Kitchen 👍 - super cheap fast food. Had Fry Jack (vege and chicken) and 4 chicken tacos - delicious $8
De Tatch👎- wouldn’t eat here again. Others seem to love it so maybe our timing and what we ordered was off. Friendly servers. Incredibly slow. Processed cheese gross nachos. Vege burrito - lettuce with black bean smear and a few shreds of cold cheese on top. 2 smoothies were the highlights in a dim showing. $27
Shak Beach Cafe 👍- extensive menu. Breakfast all day. Great smoothies. Food is made fresh (and seems healthy) need to allow time for them to prepare it …. but worth it. Harbor view. Open air. Nice breeze. $25 - 2 smoothies, breakfast burrito, 4 small fish jerk tacos
Wendy’s 👍- pleasant sitting on wrap around porch, but no real view. Friendly service. Food was decent but they ran out of the traditional Belize dish of stewed chicken, rice and beans (highly recommended and why we came). $50 - 2 entrees, 2 cocktails, 1 milk shake
Bars
Barefoot bar 👍- right on the beach, colorful, large outdoor space, huge menu, large portions, drinks food reasonably priced. Good vibes. DJ every night at 7:30pm
Big Becks Harbor View - 👌roof top bar semi obstructed view overlooking harbor on one side other part of view Main Street. Nice breeze flowing through. Not the place to get a glass of wine. Shitty pour
Pickled Parrot - 👌if you want to hang out with expats
Tocan - 👍 small tiki hut on beach. Has 3 small couches to sit on
Yoli’s - 👍on the lagoon, bit of a walk from town. Trivia on Sundays around 3pm or 4pm. Come early to get a spot.
Stays
Airbnb right on beach 👍loved the outdoor deck with hammock and high top. Recently put up a fence which on one hand makes you feel safe but on the other hand compromises the view slightly. Inside simple, sparkling clean but because you are on the beach at night you may see in the kitchen area or bathroom some small bugs. Bed comfortable, TV, coffee, refrigerator, kitchen tools to cook if you choose, shower pressure fine. Property owners very nice, super communicative, they live on the same property.
Carribean Beach Cabanas -Cabanas- Pur hotel 👍Wonderful narrow little oasis from the sidewalk to the beach. Located just towards the end of the sidewalk so close enough to walk into town but felt like u were toward outskirts. Wonderful staff. Lots of complimentary add ons - bikes, kayaks, paddle boards, welcome drink, coffee in room, continental breakfast, plunge pool, hammocks and lounge chairs on beach. They list the names of the other 10 people staying there, which helps create a friendly, chatty atmosphere at the small pool and poolside bar.
Entrance to our villa had a wrap around deck with 2 comfy chairs and a hammock. Good size room with kitchenette. Comfortable bed.
Rooftop deck over our villa had lounge chairs and a high top.
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Sea View Suites 👌Well located. Large clean room. Great shower pressure and hot water. Bed is comfortable. No balcony or patio off of room. There is a rooftop deck but no shade. Wold not stay there again.
Maya Beach
We transferred about 30 minutes north of Placencia to Maya Beach for 4 nights. We wanted to try a different area, and we also got a great deal from Travel Zoo.
Overall
Quiet isolated area for relaxation. Nearest restaurant to our hotel is 1.5 miles. No shops or grocery stores within 2 miles.
Stay
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Rooms are in a crescent shape around a very large pool, nice beach front area with lounge chairs under pompadour. Didn’t have to reserve chair early although as the day goes on pool chairs get snapped up but not taken all day. Never felt crowded - even though they said they were sold out. 55 rooms with some time shares as well. Complimentary access to paddle boards and kayaks.
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Room - May have been ours and others are better (definitely some multi-bedrooms with kitchen/dining area)… loud air conditioning, no deck to sit on, refrigerator didn’t keep drinks cold. On positive side - shower good water pressure and unlimited hot water, comfortable bed, TV with some American channels, coffee maker with coffee
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2 restaurants + pool side bar/restaurant on site all serving the same menu. One of them only open Thursday-Sunday - review below
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Complimentary shuttle that will take you to/from Placencia (30 minutes) or near by restaurants. Need to arrange in advance
Restaurants
Laguna 👍 - hidden gem. Great ambiance- beautiful sunset. Excellent service. Very flavorful food. Request table outside or on the inside railing. Chef comp us squash soup $121 - 1 appetizer, 2 entrees, bottle of wine. Note: tacked on a resort fee
Maya bistro 👍 - very good. Covered out door tables on the beach. Request table along the railing to enjoy the view of the beach/ocean. $103 - bottle of wine, 1 salad, 2 entrees and 1 dessert (peanut brittle ice cream cake - must get).
Hotel restaurant- food is fine. Pricey resort food. Seafood platter for 2 was the best deal for $50 - good size portions of lobster, conch, grilled/coconut fish, shrimp, baked potato and scoop of veggies and rice. Loved the location walk out to an over the water open air restaurant.
All in all. We got a good deal so based on price we paid …. no regrets. Would not pay full price and would stay 1 less day - 4 days a bit long particularly given 2 days of bad weather