I had the pleasure of visiting Placencia, Belize this year for my birthday.  It’s a beautiful place to visit if you’ve never been. The golden sand and adventure was just what I needed. 

How to get there:

First I think we should discuss how to get to this beautiful place. Placencia is an island in Belize that requires transportation by air, car/bus or ferry. If you decide to visit Placencia or San Pedro you’ll fly into Belize City, Belize. Then you’ll start your journey to the island. If you decide to go by air like we did it’ll require a 30minute flight on a much smaller plane that seats about 10-15 people. The two Belize airlines are Tropic Air and Maya Island Air. We flew Maya Island Air and the total round trip price per person was $280. If you decide to get there by car be prepared for a 3.5 hour car drive. There is also a nationwide network of public buses that will get you to Placencia. From the main bus station in Belize City, the journey to Placencia takes around five hours. The price is around $15 for a one-way journey, but be aware that buses are often quite crowded. Another option is to take the Ferry. The ferry will take you about half way there (2 hours) and then you take the bus for the remainder of the journey (2 hours). Taking the flight is the fastest and easiest way to get to Placencia. It’s definitely not the most comfortable if you’re not used to flying in such a small space but it will get you to the island quickly. Also I suggest packing as light as you can. If your luggage is too heavy for the smaller flight then it won’t be put on board with you. You’ll have to wait for your luggage to come on the next flight and that’s no fun..trust me. We were able to get all of the travel information and details from the resort. They also scheduled everything for us. 

Where to stay:

There are so many lovely resort options in Belize. We stayed at Umaya Resort. This resort is located in the heart of a popular destination, perfect for people looking to soak up the sun and experience water activities! The Umaya resort offers beach front and lagoon front room options. They also have a spa, pool and restaurant on the property. I really enjoyed the food at this restaurant. It was so good! All of the seafood was really fresh. A few of my reccomendations:

Breakfast-Farmer’s Omelet, Breakfast Burrito

Lunch Starter-Seafood Fritters 

Entree-Shrimp pasta Alfredo, Shrimp Basket,Catch of the Day 

Highly recommend the seafood fritters and the shrimp basket! 

Things to do:

The resort has a full adventure desk available for you to sign up for activities. They have everything from ziplining, cave tubing, scuba diving, fishing and so much more. We did the sunset cruise and I think it’s a must have if you travel to this resort. It’s priced at $120 per person. The sunset cruise goes through the lagoon. You can relax to the sight of the sun setting over the Maya Mountains. It was a breathtaking view. Also alcohol, chilled fruit plate, snack and water is included. The resort also has kayaking and paddle boarding available free of charge. Kayaking was also really fun. 

If you’re interested in heading into the city with the locals, be sure to go to Tipsy Strip. It’s one of the most popular areas in Placencia. Tipsy strip sits right on the beach and you’ll be able to enjoy some authentic Belizean cuisine. 

If Belize is somewhere you’ve been thinking of traveling to then don’t hesitate. It’s a place filled with great food and lovely energy. 

P.S. don’t forget the bug spray! I’m not sure if the bugs are bad all year around or if it’s just because we went in September. It was BAD. I brought OFF which helped for the mosquitos but it did not work for the doctor flies. I highly recommend taking maximum strength bug spray. Thank me later!