Stann Creek District
Stann Creek is a district in the south east region of Belize. According to the 2022 census, the district had a population of 48,162 people. Its capital is the town of Dangriga, formerly known as "Stann Creek Town." Stann comes from "stanns," or s ...
of
Belize
Belize is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a maritime boundary with Honduras to the southeast. P ...
.
History
Prior to the
European colonization of the Americas
During the Age of Discovery, a large scale colonization of the Americas, involving a number of European countries, took place primarily between the late 15th century and the early 19th century. The Norse explored and colonized areas of Europe a ...
, the Placencia Peninsula was inhabited by the
Maya
Maya may refer to:
Ethnic groups
* Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America
** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples
** Mayan languages, the languages of the Maya peoples
* Maya (East Africa), a p ...
. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Maya in this area produced salt and traded it with other settlements along the coast.
In the 17th century, Placencia was settled by
English Puritans
The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to rid the Church of England of what they considered to be Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should b ...
, originally from
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
Spanish American wars of independence
The Spanish American wars of independence () took place across the Spanish Empire during the early 19th century. The struggles in both hemispheres began shortly after the outbreak of the Peninsular War, forming part of the broader context of the ...
in the 1820s.
The Placencia Peninsula was resettled in the late 1800s by several families. Placencia prospered and soon became a village, earning its livelihood from the sea.
The Spaniards that traveled the southern coast of Belize gave Placencia its name. At that time Placencia was called Placentia, with the point being called Punta Placentia, or Pleasant Point.
In the late 20th century it became a significant
tourism
Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...
destination, and is now referred to as Placencia Village, or simply Placencia.
On October 8, 2001,
Hurricane Iris
Hurricane Iris was a small, but powerful tropical cyclone that caused widespread destruction in Belize. Iris was the second-strongest storm of the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season, behind Hurricane Michelle. It was the ninth named storm, fift ...
hit southern Belize with winds causing major damage to nearly 95% of buildings in Placencia. Many developers took advantage of plummeted real estate value and an increased development of the peninsula and Placencia proper is consistently on the rise, as well as property value.
Location and geographic setting
The eastern side of the Peninsula is a long expanse of white sand beach and heavy
mangrove
A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen a ...
in some areas; the western side is bounded by a long narrow north–south trending bay of the
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, located south of the Gulf of Mexico and southwest of the Sargasso Sea. It is bounded by the Greater Antilles to the north from Cuba ...
. Significant settlements on the peninsula from North to South include Riversdale Village,
Maya Beach Village
Maya Beach Village is a village in the Stann Creek District of Belize located on the Placencia Peninsula, between Riversdale Village and Seine Bight. Based on the 2010 national census, Maya Beach has a population of 225 year round residents. The ...
, the
Garifuna
The Garifuna people ( or ; pl. Garínagu in Garifuna) are a people of mixed free African and Amerindian ancestry that originated in the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent and traditionally speak Garifuna, an Arawakan language.
The Garifuna ...
village of
Seine Bight
Seine Bight is a village on the Placencia Peninsula located in the Stann Creek District of Belize. It is located miles (4 km) south of Maya Beach Village and North of the village of Placencia. This small village has roughly 1,000 inhabitant ...
and finally, Placencia Village. Placencia, the southernmost village on the peninsula, is served by
Placencia Airport
Placencia Airport is an airport that serves Placencia, Belize. It has a paved strip and crosses the peninsula from East to West.Creole, 24.5%
Mestizo
( , ; fem. , literally 'mixed person') is a term primarily used to denote people of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry in the former Spanish Empire. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also refer to people who are culturall ...
Caucasian
Caucasian may refer to:
Common meanings
*Anything from the Caucasus region or related to it
** Ethnic groups in the Caucasus
** ''Caucasian Exarchate'' (1917–1920), an ecclesiastical exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Caucasus re ...
Garifuna
The Garifuna people ( or ; pl. Garínagu in Garifuna) are a people of mixed free African and Amerindian ancestry that originated in the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent and traditionally speak Garifuna, an Arawakan language.
The Garifuna ...
Yucatec Maya
Yucatec Maya ( ; referred to by its speakers as or ) is a Mayan languages, Mayan language spoken in the Yucatán Peninsula, including part of northern Belize. There is also a significant diasporic community of Yucatec Maya speakers in San Fra ...
*''Placencia'', it used to be a fishing village but now offers some tourist amusement such as bars and entertainment like
kayaking
Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...
,
snorkeling
Snorkeling (American and British English spelling differences#Doubled in British English, British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of human swimming, swimming face down on or through a body of water while breathing ...
,
diving
Diving most often refers to:
* Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water
* Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes
Diving or Dive may also refer to:
Sports
* Dive (American football), ...
fly fishing
Fly fishing is an angling technique that uses an ultra-lightweight lure called an artificial fly, which typically mimics small invertebrates such as flying and aquatic insects to attract and catch fish. Because the mass of the fly lure is in ...
,
whale shark
The whale shark (''Rhincodon typus'') is a slow-moving, filter feeder, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known Extant taxon, extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of . The whale shark holds many records for ...
watching during the full moons between April and July of each year, light tackle saltwater fishing, as well as numerous restaurants and local art gallery.
*Diving at Gladden Spit from ''Placencia'': Cubera snappers aggregate to spawn at Gladden Spit typically from 2 days before to 12 days after full moon from March to September with more than 10000 individuals. This event attracts many predators as well as whale sharks.
*''Placencia Village'', hosts the Placencia Lobster Fest, the Placencia Peninsula Arts Festival, Easter Week (similar to US Florida
Spring Break
Spring break is a vacation period at universities and schools that includes the Easter holiday, and takes place in early Northern Hemisphere spring. Introduced in the U.S. during the 1930s, spring break has been observed in Europe since t ...
).
*''Placencia Lagoon'', with
manatee
Manatees (, family (biology), family Trichechidae, genus ''Trichechus'') are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivory, herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. There are three accepted living species of Trichechidae, representing t ...
s,
dolphin
A dolphin is an aquatic mammal in the cetacean clade Odontoceti (toothed whale). Dolphins belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontopori ...
s, rays (the Lagoon is a nursery for some species of rays), mangrove forests,
birding
Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device such as binoculars or a telescope, ...
tarpon
Tarpon are fish of the genus ''Megalops''. They are the only members of the family Megalopidae. Of the two species, one (''M. atlanticus'') is native to the Atlantic, and the other (''M. cyprinoides'') to the Indo-Pacific Oceans.
Species and ...
, snook,
barracuda
A barracuda is a large, predatory, ray-finned, saltwater fish of the genus ''Sphyraena'', the only genus in the family Sphyraenidae, which was named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque in 1815. It is found in tropical and subtropical oceans worldw ...
), wetlands and sea grass beds.
*''Mayan ruins of Nim Li Punit and Lubantuum'' are in the
Toledo District
Toledo is the southernmost and least populated district in Belize. Punta Gorda is the District capital. According to the Human Development Index (HDI), it is the second most developed region in the country. The district has a diverse topograph ...
, a day trip from the Placencia Peninsula.
*'' Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary'', which is also a day trip from Placencia.
*Maya Centre Village with 12 self-guided trails, forest
jaguar
The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large felidae, cat species and the only extant taxon, living member of the genus ''Panthera'' that is native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the biggest cat spe ...
Maya
Maya may refer to:
Ethnic groups
* Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America
** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples
** Mayan languages, the languages of the Maya peoples
* Maya (East Africa), a p ...
ruins: Mayflower, T'au Witz and Maintzunun and waterfalls.
*''Bladen River Reserve''
*
Maya Beach Village
Maya Beach Village is a village in the Stann Creek District of Belize located on the Placencia Peninsula, between Riversdale Village and Seine Bight. Based on the 2010 national census, Maya Beach has a population of 225 year round residents. The ...
is a tiny community on the Placencia Peninsula, midway between Placencia Village to the south and Riversdale Village to the north. The closest village is
Seine Bight
Seine Bight is a village on the Placencia Peninsula located in the Stann Creek District of Belize. It is located miles (4 km) south of Maya Beach Village and North of the village of Placencia. This small village has roughly 1,000 inhabitant ...
, a historic Garifuna settlement. Approximately long, the Maya Beach area is made up of homes, small resorts and a few retail establishments including two small grocery stores, a half-dozen bars & restaurants, and an art gallery.
Placencia is known for the longest main street which is a sidewalk with many local gift shops, beach bars, hotels and cabanas. Visit Placencia Village guide for businesses in the village.
* Ranguana Caye is a 2-acre private island 18 miles off the coast of Placencia and a major day-trip and overnight for those staying in the village and peninsula.