Dive Placencia
Belize
Half an hour’s flight from Belize City lies some world class diving and virtually guaranteed whale shark sightings at the right time of year. This is a world class dive destination, with most of the diving organised as day trips, either to the inner atolls or the barrier reef, the former being 30 minutes away, the latter about an hour. As to the resort, it was created by Francis Ford Coppola and it feels a bit like a film set.
TURTLE INN IS INCLUDED IN OUR BOOK, DIVE IN STYLE
With all the day trips, except for the whale shark dive where you have to stay on the boat in the protected waters of the inner reef, your surface interval is spent on the pristine white sand beach of some palm fringed island enjoying a delicious lunch.
Most of the sites are an hour or so away by the fast comfortable boats and consequently are really day trips. Laughing Bird Cay, a submerged atoll, is half that distance, and used for shorter trips and night dives. It is home to two rare toadfish, endemic to Belize, and some inquisitive lemon and nurse shark.
If you are dived out, you can head inland; the area contains some extremely well preserved rainforest and National Parks, and there are plenty of bird and other wildlife spotting possibilities here, notably in the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary. In addition, many of the towns in this area have a strong Garifuna community and tours can be arranged.
The place to stay here is Turtle Inn. Set on a long, narrow spit of land, just inches above sea level, Turtle Inn is sandwiched between the open ocean to one side and a lagoon, home to manatees or ‘sea cows’, on the other.
Accommodation consists of individual, free-standing rooms or villas, scattered over a few acres of beautifully maintained grounds. Stylish touches include Japanese baths, private walled gardens with outdoor showers, and Balinese style decor and furniture.
All the rooms are either on the beach, or a 30-second walk from it, and have views of either the ocean or the palm filled gardens. In addition to the beach, there are plenty of activities for those keen on wildlife, jungle and the underwater world.
Testimonials
Very successful honeymoon in Belize.
I know you've spoken to my husband and heard about our honeymoon, but I also just wanted to say thank you. We had an amazing time and it was so great having you organise everything for us. I particularly enjoyed the welcome home pack which was very much needed! Thank you so much for recommending Belize in the first place. We would never have thought of that as a destination and we both loved it. I think we'...
Jennifer
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