Placencia, Belize - We Love the Caribbean
Our hotel had such beautiful beach access
A few years ago, my husband and I traveled to Belize (Ambergris Caye) for a wedding and we had the kind of fun you talk about for years! So, when we were discussing a destination that we felt comfortable with traveling with our little one, Belize came straight to the top of our list! We wanted to try out a different location of the country, so with a little research and some recommendations, we started making our plans to visit the cute town of Placencia!
Nothing cuter than babies on a beach
WHY WE CHOSE PLACENCIA, BELIZE
One of the biggest factors was safety. We’d been there before and have good friends that are born and raised there to guide us to the safest areas. Because we had some inside information, we also had an excellent list put together for us for dining, accommodation, and things to do.
I can’t imagine a prettier bath for washing your feet!
Another deciding factor for us - flight time. While this girl and the hubs are willing to spend 24 hours solid on a plane to see the world, that shifted a little bit with a wild one year old to have to keep busy on flights. For us, traveling from Seattle, the longest leg is down to Texas. We are those crazy people that take night flights. I, personally, can’t say enough great things about night flights with little ones! AS LONG AS YOU HAVE SLEEPERS!! Our oldest just passes right out at night time with that sweet hum of a plane engine and my husband and I get some much needed down time. Once we leave Austin or Houston, the flight is only about 2 hours and then a small little plane to our final destination. I’ll also add, Baby P absolutely LOVED the small plane! He could see everything and was totally enamored by everything around him!
The beach is soooo great for sweet babes!
Lastly, it’s great to travel to English speaking countries when you have tiny ones in tow. It’s just one last thing you have to think about while you’re out of your everyday, normal routine.
Just cruising around town.
WHAT MAKES IT GREAT
Besides everything?! Our hotel was absolutely fabulous. We stayed at The Turtle Inn, which is a Francis Coppola Resort - so the wine and food was spectacular! The staff, the view, the beach, the drinks…. Everything was perfect. Private little pools everywhere. Toys for the tots. The friendliest staff ever. I can’t say enough great things. Our casita was right out of a magazine and I could have slept in that bed forever!
Francis Coppola’s Turtle Inn
The local food! Everywhere you go, the food is so fresh and innovative. The service was amazing everywhere we ventured to and all the locals obsessed over our adventurous toddler. Rum Fish y Vino, which is in the heart of downtown Placencia was a definite favorite of mine and my husbands. They make excellent cocktails and have a vast wine selection. De’Tatch. Holy smokes. Best breakfast burritos around! And my husband is a huge breakfast burrito critic. They had wonderful dinners too. We were there during football season, so we spent A LOT of time at Tipsy Tuna! Biggest wings I’ve ever seen! And they pretty much always have great, live, local music.
Local cuisine from Rum Fish y Vino
Baby P showing off his moves at Tipsy Tuna
Lastly, besides it’s beauty. I’d have to say the pace of the city is what makes it so lovely. No rush. No fuss. No problems. Everything is so easy going and relaxed. For us, living in the daily grind of a big city… that kind of scene was exactly what we needed.
This is an early morning when we walked to De’Tatch for breakfast
Breakfast at De’Tatch - And yes, baby boy has a toothpick. He’s an old soul.
Rollin’ in tanktops and swim shorts
The moon lit up the entire beach - truly stunning
HOW DOES IT STACK UP
Ambergris Caye has our hearts forever. We loved Placencia and would HIGHLY recommend adding it to your travel wish list. But, there were a couple of items that put it slightly lower on our list than the quite island we enjoyed just two years before.
1. The water. It’s still warm and beautiful, but no where near as clear and calm as being out on the islands.
2. The sea life. Because the water was so much different, we didn’t get to experience showing off sting rays and such to our toddler like we got to see on Ambergris Caye.
3. The excursions. You’re just not as exposed to as much down in Placencia. For us, that was perfectly fine. We had a little one who’s naps we were having to work around, so excursions weren’t what we traveled down there for anyway. But, being on the islands does give you a great deal more access to those types of adventures.
