Sun. Placencia, Belize.

Because it is crappy and rainy today, a miserable foreshadowing of the months to come, I shall post a lovely spot we visited a year or so ago. It's in Belize. In an area called Placencia. To get there, fly to Belize City and then take a puddle jumper to Placencia.

Despite a fellow-traveller's mugging experience (albeit in Ambergris Caye, a more touristed area to the north), we found Belize lovely. Placencia is completely laid back and unspoiled. There's a fancy Francis Ford Coppola place called Turtle Inn there if you need your yuppie fix (although, for a fancy joint, it's not so fancy), but mostly it's local places and barefoot on the beach.

We did a scuba course (Sea Horse Dive Shop) and took a sailboat for a day cruise (Next Wave Sailing), but other than that this place is about reading a book in the hammock. That'd be brilliant right about now.

We stayed in Carter's Beach Bungalow, one of the privately owned houses you can rent through what was then called Kitty's Place and now called Saks at Placencia. It is about 50 yards north on the beach from the main inn(there is one house in between the inn's beach cabanas and the Beach Bungalow). It was the perfect location for a relaxed, casual vacation. Kitty's (and Placencia, generally) is not the place for you if you are expecting a five star hotel or if you are looking for a vacation that requires more than shorts and flip-flops. However, if you are looking for a truly relaxing vacation that's very affordable and in a picturesque beach location, then this is the place.

Carter's Beach Bungalow is essentially one room with a double bed, small kitchen and table and chairs. The bathroom (with toilet, sink, stall shower) is a separate building three steps out the backdoor. The Bungalow has a porch facing the beach with two hammocks and has it's own private beach with two beach chairs- the water is about 10-15 steps from the front door. It is in a very private location - the houses on either side are far enough away that you do not see or hear them. The Bungalow was adequately furnished, but by no means fancy, and very clean.

Food at Kitty's was okay, Turtle Inn was overpriced, but the beach bar is excellent (with a full slate of Coppola's wines, certainly the best wine you'll find in a beach town), Omar's in town was great for lunch and the backpacker-recommended DeTatch in town was well-sited but just okay food wise. We cooked a fair amount and would recommend buying fish from the Coop which is at the very southern end of the Sidewalk on the right hand side (it's a worn looking door, but you're in the right place). You can't really go wrong buying fish right from the fishermen.


Really, it can't be that bad, when this is the view out your window.