Placencia lies at the southern tip of a narrow peninsula in the south of Belize, between the Placencia Lagoon to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east. Here you can read how to get to Placencia, where yachts berth at the Town Dock and in the marinas, where to shop, what weather to expect, which sailing destinations lie off the coast and what skippers need to know about clearing in.<\/p>\n
Placencia has two main places for yachts to berth: the Town Dock at the southern tip of the village and the charter base north of the village, just under five kilometres further north on the peninsula. The Placencia airstrip lies between the two.<\/p>\n
The peninsula also has several small marinas with 5 to 25 berths, including the Placencia Yacht Club, the Thunder Birds Marina, the Roberts Grove Marina and the marina of The Placencia resort. Harvest Caye lies off the village to the south-west; its harbour belongs to a cruise line and is private.<\/p>\n
You can reach Placencia by domestic flight, by road or, for the last stretch, by water taxi across the lagoon. The country's international airport is near Belize City in the north.<\/p>\n
International flights land at Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport in Ladyville, north-west of Belize City, which is the only fully developed international airport in Belize. From there, small domestic aircraft fly to Placencia several times a day, and the flight takes about 40 minutes. The Placencia airstrip is on the peninsula, about three kilometres north of the Town Dock and a good two kilometres south of the charter base.<\/p>\n
By road, the shuttle bus from the international airport takes about three and a half hours, and the route runs south along the Hummingbird Highway.<\/p>\n
You can hire a car from the rental companies outside the international airport. If possible, drive the route to Placencia in daylight. Buses run from the bus terminal in Belize City via Belmopan and Dangriga to Placencia.<\/p>\n
There is also a second route: take the bus to Independence on the mainland, continue by taxi to Mango Creek and from there take a water taxi across the Placencia Lagoon to the village.<\/p>\n
The Town Dock and the charter base are just under five kilometres apart, and the small marinas are spread across the whole peninsula. It is therefore best to give the taxi driver the full name of the marina.<\/p>\n
There is a car park, Paradise Parking, about 400 metres west of the Town Dock. Placencia Village is small, and you can get to almost everything on foot. For getting around the peninsula, you can hire bicycles or golf carts, and for excursions on the mainland a hire car.<\/p>\n
For provisions, there are several supermarkets in the village. The closest to the Town Dock is the Nang Kee Supermarket, about 150 metres away, while Ming’s Supermarket is about 500 metres away. Further north come the Everyday Supermarket, about 700 metres from the Town Dock, and the Sun & Sand Supermarket, about 800 metres. The Top Value Supermarket is in the northern part of the village, a good kilometre from the Town Dock. From the charter base, it is just under four kilometres to the supermarkets in the village, so with luggage and shopping you are better off taking a taxi. Closer to the charter base is Public’s Supermarket on the peninsula road, about 1.1 kilometres further north.<\/p>\n
The Placencia Pharmacy is about 350 metres from the Town Dock. There is no hospital in Placencia or within a radius of about 15 kilometres. The Placencia Polyclinic, which opened in 2024, is near the airstrip.<\/p>\n
Placencia is a village with a Town Dock, a charter base and several small marinas on the peninsula. The key facts at a glance:<\/p>\n