Placencia, one of the oldest established communities in Belize, is located on a gorgeous emerald peninsula in southern Belize with 16 miles of sandy beaches. The Caribbean Sea is to the east and the Placencia lagoon lies to west overlooking the Maya Mountains on the mainland.

Placencia is essentially divided into two parts: south of the airstrip and north of the airstrip. Villages on the peninsula include Seine Bight, Maya Beach and Riversdale at the top.

The charming village of Placencia lies in the south at the tip of the peninsula, where the visitor will find the greater concentration of coffee shops, bistros, internet cafes, bars, a variety of guest accommodations, guest houses, banks, local restaurants and the harbor.

Looking for Belizean souvenirs? Top 10 include Mayan baskets, an old tradition of the Mayan women, local carvings made out of exotic woods and slate, Belize’s One Barrel Rum, Belikin – Belize’s national brew, Marie Sharps hot sauces – sold worldwide, hammocks, wooden tableware made from various native woods, unique Belizean music, Garifuna drums and local chocolate.

Like the neighboring parts of Guatemala and Mexico, this area was settled for thousands of years by the Maya people. They are still here, an important part of Belize's people and culture. This small English speaking country enjoys a diversity of ethnicities (Creole, Mestizo, Garifuna, Mennonites to name a few…) While the Spanish Empire claimed the area in the 16th century, the Spanish made little progress in settling here.

The British settled first on the coast and offshore islands for logging. In 1798 British Belizean forces defeated a Spanish attempt to drive them out in "the Battle of St. George's Caye", whose anniversary is still celebrated as a holiday each September. Belize became its own county in 1981.

Belizeans make a living by the natural resources of their country. The primary business is agriculture, and other industries include garment production, citrus concentrates, sugar refining, rum and beverages as well as the growing tourism industry.