In Placencia.

Anybody been there? Any comments?

We're looking at a family vacation (three kids, 10-16) and are curious about this resort, among others.

TIA...

I stayed there a few years ago. Nice place on the back side of the peninsula - surrounded by water but no real beach. Looked like great fishing - lots of fishing jumping all around the place in the evenings. Great food. Pool. Spa. They do have a family cabana with a lot of beds but nothing 2 bedroom. I liked it.

I second the motion...there in 99(?)....only minor difficulty in getting across that water to the bar across the street

Hey Dude, don't mention water and bar in the same paragraph

OOPS...MY BAD

That bar recently burned down. Not sure if it's re built yet.

was a fun place.........

Sugar Reef is back up in business after the rebuild.

S...

Same wild & crazy chicks own it?!!!

Man, sometimes these threads really get confusing.

So Barb, thanks for the info. Sounds like it maybe isn't the best choice for us. We need 1)a nice pool, b. a beach (of some sort), iii. nice rooms with some privacy for the occasional "adult time-out", IV. kitchenette facilities, if possible, and, E. some sort of access to restaurants/stores/town that's not too much trouble or distance.

Is it sounding like Kitty's Place or The Inn at Robert's Grove? Anything else we can look at?

Maybe I should just contract this trip out to you. We really enjoy AC but think we need to try out the southern peninsula. I'd like to line up some fairly shallow (40-50') dives for the little Mots.

klc, if we end up down there, I'll drop in to check on your wild and crazies.

They certainly do, Carol was trying to sublease the bar/restaurant to spend more time on the cabanas but I haven't heard from her in a few weeks so I'm not sure of the result.

Catmo - don't forget Turtle Inn, probably the best spot in Placencia. Robert's Grove and Kitty's are very good choices as well.

Kitty's has private houses to rent or cabanas & rooms but not 2 bedroom. nautical Inn has nice family rooms with bunk beds but no real privacy. Robert's Grove has nice 2 bedroom suites as does Turtle Inn. Personally I think RG is a better atmosphere than TI for kids. TI is oh so nice, refined & elegant. I wouldn't want to stay there with my 3 boys! ;-)
I am actually going to stay at Kitty's for a few nights with the whole crew in July - large beach cabana but no real privacy. I stayed at RG in a 2 bedroom in Sept and it was nice and spacious with kitchenette, sitting area, balconies. Has 3 pools, 2 restaurants and a nice beach area. A bit far from Placencia village but close to Seine Bight village. Email me if you want me to check availability, etc. Zeboz Resort is also a great place with kids (HUGE pool) but FAR from town. Way up in Maya Beach. Nice place tho and great food, wine bar, etc.

please do CatMo

Barb certainly can help you with the best options on the peninsula.

I would just put in my two cents' worth:

Robert's Grove and Turtle Inn are in a separate class from the rest of the properties on the peninsula. Both are terrific but quite different. Robert's Grove now has THREE pools and Turtle Inn has two (though one is usually reserved for guests at Coppola's cabanas -- I did swim in it once but actually prefer the main pool.)

The newly built villa units at the south end at Robert's Grove look fabulous. In fact, any of the condo units at Robert's Grove are amazing. At Turtle Inn, because there's no A/C, a seaside unit is desirable especially in hot weather. I think the two-bedroom villas are just fantastic.

I first stayed at Kitty's more than a dozen years ago and it's still a favorite. The three beach cottages are just about perfect without being over the top.

Another place that has a wonderful beach and overall feel that I'm told is starting to come back after several years of decline is Rum Point Inn. I hope the turn around continues.

As to Soulshine, I know it's pleasant enough, but if you're going to go to Placencia for the beach and the sea I don't quite get why you'd want to stay at a place on the backside that doesn't have a beach and isn't on the sea.

Zeboz I think is eventually going to become quite popular, and it's certainly going to be one of the biggest places in Belize. They have plans to eventually build something like 144 units. The pool truly is amazingly big, twice as big as any other pool in Belize.

All of the hotels in Placencia village are budget to moderate, and even spots nearby like Turtle Inn are a bit too far to walk regularly. But if you don't have a car -- a rental car is handy to have on the peninsula and for day trips -- a taxi into the village is only a few bucks unless you're way up north.

If you didn't have to have a pool there are some small places like Mariposa that are really very nice.

And while Maya Beach and north of there is way away from things in Placencia village, there is starting to be some top options up there, like the bistro at the Maya Beach Inn.

From memory, here are the resorts with pools on the peninsula. I probably have left at a couple. They are listed roughly in order from north to south.

Lost Reef
Calico Jack's
Zeboz
Singing Sands
Nautical Inn
Miller's Landing
Luba Hati (not sure what the current situation is)
Inn at Robert's Grove (3 pools)
Rum Point Inn
Kitty's Place
Turtle Inn (2 pools)
Soulshine

Just as a point of interest, I'd note that of these places five are on the market and have been for a long time. That's one of the differences between San Pedro and Placencia -- the level of busines year round. Only a few places on the peninsula, like Robert's Grove, Kitty's and Turtle Inn, stay busy much of the time.

--Lan Sluder

We just came back from Placencia the weekend before last, after doing some amazing Whale Shark dives (yes Craig - where I was the only one not to see the Hammerhead less than twenty feet in front of me!!!!)and six of us stayed at Casa del Sol. Amazing property just north of town. Pool four bedrooms including a mini suite and a bunk bed rooms. A little pricey but sleeps ten and can be rented in smaller parts and could be viable compared to several rooms in a resort.

I second that. Stayed there in January, with four people. It's a lot like a duplex, with two separate units (that can be connected), but luckily, when we were there, the other side wasn't rented.

I stayed at Calico Jack's May 5-8. It was wonderful although very far from Placencia town. It cost $20US one way for a taxi which took about 25 minutes.

Zeboz is now called "The Placencia" and they are continuing to build 1-2-3 bedroom condos to expand what will be their gated community. Guests at Calico Jacks can swim at the Placencia's Pool which is awesome. My friend Laurie and I and another couple had the entire pool area to ourselves (except for the owners children and nanny) and we stayed there all day eating lunch by the pool and enjoying our own music that the bartender happily played for us.

Placencia is worth visiting and I will return, but will likely stay closer to town - probably Kitty's - still far enough away but a nice hike to town.

hey barbara!

i will be in placencia from end of june (22nd) thru most of july---hope we can meet up for a drink or something and finally talk. i'm going to email patrick today & see if i can find out anything about visitinng tikal while i am in in cayo earlier in june. what's your arrival date in placencia? i will keep an eye out for you.

gogo

I will be in Belize 8-24 July. All over. Placencia at the end. let's get together. E me!