Overlooking the Caribbean Sea, there is an unexplored paradise just waiting to be discovered
The small fishing village of Placencia it was recently discovered by the first tourists who fell in love with it and spread the word that, in a remote corner of Belize, overlooking the Caribbean Sea, there is an unexplored paradise just waiting to be discovered.
The sea here is spectacular. There barrier Reef, almost 300 kilometers long, allows for incredible snorkeling and diving. In its depths there are canyons to explore and corals that are still intact.
Not to mention the beach: beyond 25 kilometers of fine white sand, with a lagoon in the west, the Caribbean sea in the east and peace and tranquility in between.
You can go on boat excursions to discover the 'caye', small atolls that meet between the coast and the reef, and dive into the seabed where you can spot snappers, barracudas, parrotfish, sea turtles and many other species.
If these islets surrounded by mangrove forests are not suitable for human life, they are nevertheless suitable for many endemic species including fish and birds.
However, there are some atolls covered with palm trees that are real postcards and on which it is possible to live, so much so that the first resorts were opened. Among these there are Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker, Tobacco Caye, South Water Caye e Glover’s Reef, the most distant of all, which was once inhabited by the pirate John Glover and his gang and which they say still hides a treasure in its depths of up to 800 metres.
However the most incredible island in the archipelago off the coast of Placencia is Lighthouse Reef Atoll, a nature reserve as well as one of the most famous spots for diving because the famous Great Blue Hole is located here.
There are also small landing strips on Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker and Lighthouse Reef.
But for those looking for a bit of adventure, behind Placencia there is the Stann Creek region where you can take walks, even challenging ones, in the tropical forest where they still live puma, jaguars e crocodiles together with hundreds of species of birds, including the toucan which is the national symbol.
In the surroundings you can also explore some rovine Maya. Pyramids, buildings, astronomical observatories and courtyards are still visible, although most of the ruins are still hidden under the dense forest.
