Ambergris Caye is the largest island in Belize and is known for its beaches and a wide array of marine adventures like snorkeling, scuba diving and fishing. However, lately  many travelers are discovering the Placencia Peninsula, a superb destination in southern Belize that is not overcrowded and offers amazing snorkeling, scuba diving, land adventures and is known for having the best white sandy beaches in the country.

The gorgeous Placencia Peninsula is a beautiful 16-mile stretch of land that features sandy mangrove-lined lagoons on one side and the sparkling waters of the Caribbean on the other. At the southern tip of the peninsula is the village of Placencia. Once a small community of fishermen, the village has recently expanded to accommodate visitors with lovely cafes, restaurants featuring fresh seafood, and dive shops that have all the gear necessary to enjoy snorkeling, fishing, and diving at the nearby Belize Barrier Reef.

Placencia Peninsula is also ideally situated for mainland adventures. Located in the southeastern part of Belize, Placencia is close to Monkey River Village where tourists can ride a boat upstream to witness a spectacular variety of flora and fauna in its natural habitat, including the howler monkeys that gave the river its name. Also nearby is the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, home to the last native jaguars in Central America as well as hundreds of species of birds and exotic plants.

Many visitors come to Placencia because they prefer the beaches to those found on Ambergris Caye. With miles of pristine sand and transparent waters, the peninsula is an ideal place to enjoy snorkeling, work on your tan, or simply drink in a beautiful sunrise or sunset. Just a few miles offshore is Gladden Spit, a marine reserve that allows divers to explore a wide variety of marine life, including migrating whale sharks that visit the area once a year.

Placencia is also near the region that is home to the Garifuna people who began emigrating to Belize over a century ago, bringing their special blend of music, dancing, and food with them. The towns of Dangriga, Hopkins and Seign Beight near Placencia are the de facto capitals of the Garifuna culture where visitors can immerse themselves in this unique laid back and warmly inviting lifestyle.

The pace of life in Placencia is far more relaxed and moves at a slower pace than tourist hotspots like Ambergris Caye and is a premier location to enjoy both marine and land adventures. To get a truly authentic experience of what life in Belize is all about, you simply must visit the Placencia Peninsula.

For information about visiting Placencia, feel free to chat with our Concierge at: concierge@chabilmarvillas.com or contact our Reservations Manager at:reservations@chabilmarvillas.com. Or perhaps you would like to call toll free from the US or Canada: 1-866-417-2377.

With hundreds of offshore islands and a long stretch of the world’s second-biggest barrier reef, Belize is a paradise for snorkeling. Although coral reefs compose less than 4% of the ocean’s surface, they provide shelter and feeding grounds for an astonishing 25% of all marine life species. The crystal clear waters of the Caribbean and white sandy seafloor make the islands and reefs in Belize the ideal place to spot fish, anemones, whale sharks, sea grasses, dolphins, manatees, sea turtles, sharks, and stingrays in their natural habitat.

If you are traveling to Placencia and the southern Belize area, here are some of the top spots to enjoy snorkeling:

Laughing Bird Caye

Named for the so-called laughing gull flocks that once were the island’s only residents, Laughing Bird Caye is partly a protected nature reserve and part adventure destination. Just a short distance (13 miles/21 km) from Placencia, Laughing Bird Caye looks like a tropical island paradise from a book or film. The palm trees and sugar white sand beaches are the perfect accompaniment to snorkeling expeditions to the shallow reef around the island where you can marvel at the rich diversity of underwater life.

The Silk Cayes

Sometimes known as the Queen Cayes, the Silk Cayes are part of a much larger protected marine reserve. These islands are uninhabited by humans but are home to an astonishing number of avian and marine species. Just a short boat ride from Placencia, the Silk Cayes have nearly transparent water that has to be seen to believed. The shallow, gentle waters are ideal for snorkeling, and sunset barbecues underneath the coconut palms are rapidly becoming a popular tradition.

Gladden Spit

One of just three coral atolls found outside of the Atlantic Ocean, Gladden Spit is part of a vast 26,000-acre marine reserve and contains three different islands. No one lives on these islands, but the atoll plays an important role in sheltering more than two dozen species of local fish. Every spring, migrating schools of whale sharks come to the waters off of Gladden Spit to feed on spawn, giving divers and snorkelers a unique opportunity to interact with the largest non-whale species in the world’s oceans.

Chabil Mar

If you would like to explore the beautiful snorkeling areas described in this article, Chabil Mar in Placencia has several packages that include lodging and organized trips out to the Belize Barrier Reef.

While it’s true that top snorkeling spots can be found even in northern Belize such as the Hol Chan Marine Reserve near Ambergris Caye, southern Belize and the islands near Placencia are less crowded and are perfect for travelers who want to see some of the most beautiful areas of the southern reef where a rich diversity of colorful marine flora and fauna thrives.

Visit our website chabilmarvillas.com for more information about snorkeling in Belize, and don’t hesitate to send us an email, or call US/CAN Toll Free: 1-866-417-2377, Local: (011-501) 523-3606, if you have questions or need help in planning a Belize vacation.

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