Placencia

Placencia is a popular fishing community and beach resort nestled at the end of a 26-kilometre sandy peninsula. Travellers flock to the Silk Cayes Marine Reserve to relax on some of Belize's nicest beaches, eat fresh seafood at superb restaurants, fish, kayak the lagoon, and dive and snorkel. Brightly colored clapboard buildings placed on stilts line the village's short concrete road, which was once used by fishermen to move fish in wheelbarrows.

Laughing Bird Caye National Park, located near Placencia, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with hiking paths and coral reefs. Popular activities include swimming, snorkelling, sea kayaking, and diving. On the Placencia Peninsula, the traditional Garifuna community of Seine Bight offers a look into the rich culture of these remarkable people of Amerindian and African heritage. A boat in the mangroves on the Monkey River can be arranged from Placencia to see birds, howler monkeys, and crocodiles.

Location: the Caribbean coast, southeastern Belize, Stann Creek District

Highlights: Described by locals are “barefoot perfect”

Best time to visit: December to April