Visible from outer space & more than 1000 ft in diameter & 412 ft deep, the Great Blue Hole is a breathtakingly grandiose sinkhole located 43 miles off the coast of Belize, known as a diver’s mecca.
First discovered by Jacques Cousteau, one of the world’s most famous divers and marine conservationists, the Great Blue Hole in Belize is the best of the bunch, and every diver’s dream. Measuring 305m (1,000 ft) across and 123 m (400 ft) deep, the Blue Hole is almost perfectly circular and can be found in Lighthouse Reef Atoll.
Dive trips leave weekly from Placencia via our premier dive center partners. Dive Packages to Blue Hole and other Placencia Dive Sites. Belize Scuba Diving.
Vote for Belize’s Great Blue Hole here: http://www.virtualtourist.com/8thwonder?nominee=The+Great+Blue+Hole
Placencia, Belize – The Adventure Vacation Beach Destination
“. . . it’s the adventures to be had that make this a top 100 beach destination”
CNN Travel
Placencia (#47) and Laughing Bird Caye (#71), off our coast, named to the world’s top 100 beaches by CNN. What makes us so special? We should know. With 400 feet of private Placencia Beachfront and the closest full service luxury resort to the Village of Placencia, Chabil Mar is uniquely located to provide our guests with access to the Village and the Cayes at their leisure and on their own time.
What an honor for Placencia, and well deserved, we know.
Placencia – The Peninsula and The Village
Sixteen miles of natural sandy beach, a virgin mangrove-fringed lagoon, a wonderland of coral-studded cayes, nearby jungle rivers and pristine rainforest Garifuna, Creole and Mayan cultures and ancient Mayan ruins make Placencia the ideal location for the adventure traveler!
Laughing Bird Caye is a beautiful Belizean isle situated on the western side of Victoria Channel, only 11 miles off the coast from Placencia Village in the Stann Creek District of Belize. Laughing Bird Caye is probably the single most popular day trip from Placencia. The island is what many consider the perfect tropical paradise – sand, palm trees, free of flies and surrounded by shallow coral reef perfect for snorkeling or diving.
About Placencia by CNN –
Placencia has great beaches, but it’s the adventures to be had that make this a top 100 beach destination. Jungle rivers, Mayan ruins and fantastic wildlife make this one a beach trip with various purposes.
Highlight: Monkeys, iguanas and the chance to kayak in a lagoon with manatees.
About Laughing Bird Caye by CNN –
Reaching barely a meter above sea level, this protected isle is less than a hectare in size, but offers one of the best day trips off the Belize coast. A huge amount of coral, bird and marine life call this place home, which is why so many visitors call it perfect.
Highlight: The laughing gulls after which the isle is named have moved on, but herons, blackbirds and pelicans can often be seen.
Just ask the Heyer family from Chicago, Ill. Certainly they were looking for warm weather, even a beach, but what they discovered was an amazing array of adventure and learning opportunities. “Our kids, Zack and Abby are 9 and 12, and we decided that rather than another beach trip where we just relaxed around a pool and on the sand, we’d find something more adventurous,” says mom JoAnne and dad Chris. They wanted to experience another culture and a different geographic area. They opted for Central America.
“We looked at Costa Rica, but ultimately decided on Belize. We wanted jungle and beach and the two resorts that looked best to us on the internet were Chabil Mar on the Caribbean and The Lodge at Chaa Creek in the rainforest,” she said.
The Heyers not only had luxurious quarters at Chabil Mar, the resort situated amidst abundant gardens on the Caribbean, but is conveniently located near Placencia Village and the offshore islands for fantastic snorkeling, as well.
”We saw so much in the water,” she said. “We were up close and personal with octopus, eel, stingrays, sea turtles and all sorts of colorful fish in this little gem of a country that’s renowned for diving and snorkeling.” In addition to discovering a whole new world under water, they learned about the land and its people on this narrow peninsula framed by the mint green waters of the Caribbean. They enjoyed meeting and learning about the Garifuna culture in the Placencia area of Belize. “In addition to being such great fun, we all had educational experiences here, over and above just another beach trip,” she said.
And that was just the beginning of their family adventure.
From the charming little Village of Placencia, perched at water’s edge and filled with fishermen, colorful shops and eateries, they headed inland, via Chaa Creek transport, to Belize’s Cayo District. The journey by road took them through scenic lush mountainous terrain. On the western side of the country, Cayo is the largest district and nudges up against the Guatemala border.
Embedded in towering trees filled with birds and howler monkeys, the Lodge at Chaa Creek sprawls alongside a gentle flowing river. Thatch roof cottages dot the landscape. Their son had just completed a project in school on the rainforest, so this was study come to life. In addition to experiencing the rainforest firsthand, they explored incredible mystical Mayan ruins and thanks to experienced guides, learned about the centuries old Mayan civilization.
“Originally, this trip was about fun and adventure but the educational aspects were a fantastic bonus,” she said. The Heyers said the family loved both resorts as well as the luxury of having experienced and knowledgeable drivers provide transportation to each of the two resorts, Chabil Mar and The Lodge at Chaa Creek, which even made the transportation portions of the trip very educational.
We are so proud to have Placencia nearly sweep the awards at this year’s event. And, are especially proud of Natalie Ranguy, our Guest Services Manager, on being honored with the award of “Frontline Person of the Year”.
Winners were announced in the following Categories. Congratulations to all of Placencia on a great year!
Destination of the Year: Placencia
Hotel of the Year: San Ignacio Resort Hotel
Small Hotel of the Year: Singing Sands Inn | Maya Beach | Placencia Peninsula
Frontline Person of the Year: Natalie Ranguy of Chabil Mar | Placencia Village – A frontline employee who has great interpersonal skills, welcomes guests with outstanding Belizean hospitality, is knowledgeable about Belize, and goes above and beyond the everyday duties and responsibilities to ensure that guests’ needs are fulfilled. This individual makes an impressive first and last impression of her work place.
Tour Guide of the Year: Jerome Williams of Huracan Diving
Hospitality Award: Placencia Tourism Center | Placencia Village
Major Festival & Event: Placencia Lobsterfest | Placencia Village
Tour Operator of the Year: Splash Dive Center | Placencia Village
Restaurant of the Year: Maya Beach Bistro – Maya Beach | Placencia Peninsula
Plan your Belize Adventure Vacation at Chabil Mar in Placencia . . . Click Here!
Minister of Tourism & Culture, Hon. Manuel Heredia, presented two special awards for the night. The Minister’s Award was bestowed on David Heredia, owner of Anchorage Hotel in Caye Caulker, for hiswork and interest in the tourism industry which are grounded in community improvement and activism. The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Jessie Young, President of the Community Baboon Sanctuary Women’s Group in Bermudian Landing, for dedicating her life to grow and develop Belize’s tourism industry. This awardee’s contributions are significant and have positively impacted Belize and the lives of countless Belizeans. Despite challenges, this tourism industry lifetime achiever persevered.
The Minister of Tourism & Culture, Board of Directors, Management & Staff of the Belize Tourism Board salute all winners on their outstanding achievements!
Many of our guests have mentioned how “at home” they feel within hours of visiting with us. Perhaps a major contributor to the wonderfully comfortable relaxation that comes over you at Chabil Mar is created by our beautifully designed and maintained tropical gardens and displays!
Alberto Arias is the Gardens and Landscape Manager and responsible for creating the more than 20 topiaries, his personal artistry, that grace the property.
In June of 2004, during construction, just four coconut palm trees graced the landscape. They are here today forming the frame of the beach-side restaurant, Café Mar, brilliantly lit in the evening for our guests dining and lounging pleasure. The plants and landscape of Chabil Mar are unique not only to the Placencia Peninsula in particular, but to all of Belize as well, in that they are a blend of species and varieties from the natural seaside ‘scapes of Belize as well as the jungle ‘scapes. Many of our plants are “imported” from the Maya mountain range and jungles of the Cayo District to form an all encompassing Belizean tropical paradise.
Why is it that everyone arrives at Chabil Mar and give a collective sigh of peacefulness and relaxation? Perhaps it’s the lush tropical gardens, that envelope the infinity swimming pools, lay the background to the private beach and greet you as you gaze in any direction from your personal veranda every day and night!
were Chabil Mar on the 
sprawls alongside a gentle flowing river. Thatch roof cottages dot the landscape. Their son had just completed a project in school on the rainforest, so this was study come to life. In addition to experiencing the rainforest firsthand, they explored incredible mystical Mayan ruins and thanks to experienced guides, learned about the centuries old Mayan civilization.
Follow Us!