Belize is a Caribbean haven with miles of beach and English-speaking, friendly locals

“I suppose you’re going to tell everyone about our little beach town?” It was said with a smile by the woman from Texas who had lived here for 10 years. But it sounded slightly more like an accusation than a question. While exploring Placencia, I heard something similar each time I mentioned I worked for International Living.

I can’t blame anyone for wanting to keep this peninsula in southern Belize to themselves.

Miles of beach in an English-speaking, genuinely friendly country. I was seduced by the area in less than 20 minutes. That’s about as long as it took to get from the little airstrip outside town to the beach hut I rented for $80 a night.

A small restaurant that served great coffee a few minutes to my left, a 10-minute walk along the beach into the village on my right, the Maya Mountains visible in the distance behind me, and the Caribbean Sea stretched out in front of me.

Forty years ago, when Belize was still under British rule, no-one came to Placencia. With no air access or roads, the only way to get here was by boat.

Now there are 20 flights a day on the 15-seaters that Tropic Air and Maya Airways run out of Belize International. And the road to Placencia has improved so much that the car rental agencies will even let you drive down here.

Belize isn’t a secret—250,000 tourists come here every year to dive, fish, sail, and relax on the beach. And although only about 30,000 of them make their way to Placencia, there are plenty of million-dollar houses and celebrity property owners along the coast. Yet, most people you know probably haven’t heard of Belize…and even if they have, they certainly haven’t heard of Placencia. Chances are, you won’t find a Belize guidebook in your local book store.

But this is a small, sparsely populated country—like the population of Tampa in an area the size of Massachusetts. It doesn’t take many visitors to make it feel “discovered” even though you’re part of a relatively small group of pioneers.

The leisure sailors were the first ones in. They’d arrive in Placencia to carry out boat repairs and stock up on provisions. Some of them liked what they found so much, they stayed.

In my full report on Placencia, only available to International Living magazine subscribers, I tell you about the hundreds of Caribbean islands off Belize (and which ones you can buy)…plus  three ways you can negotiate a cheaper beach house in this part of the world.