The village of Placencia (population 501) is located on the southern tip of a 16mi/26km peninsula. Placencia's attractive location offers some of Belize's best beaches and a rich marine habitat perfect for swimming, snorkeling, diving and sportfishing. Clapboard houses built on stilts are clustered around the main street, actually a single
concrete sidewalk running through the village. The narrowest street in the world (according to the Guinness Book of World Records), the sidewalk was built as a means of wheel-barrowing fish around without fighting the sand. The village of Placencia (population 501) is located on the southern tip of a 16mi/26km peninsula. Placencia's attractive location offers some of Belize's best beaches and a rich marine habitat perfect for swimming, snorkeling, diving and sportfishing. Clapboard houses built on stilts are clustered around the main street, actually a single concrete sidewalk running through the village. The narrowest street in the world (according to the Guinness Book of World Records), the sidewalk was built as a means of wheel-barrowing fish around without fighting the sand.
Most of the fisher folk now provide tourist services, and a variety of excursions are offered in Placencia. A few offshore cayes are easily accessed from the village, and the diving near Placencia is interesting because there is a distinct change between the northern and southern structure of the Barrier Reef. There is good snorkeling in the meadows of sea grass dotted along the coastline. Placencia offers enjoyable nightlife, but generally has a relaxed atmosphere.