Hi Friends, it’s been a while! I am back from an amazing week in Belize (despite a rather nightmarish travel day home – but that’s for another post). Andy and I are relaxed, sun kissed, happy, and probably a few pounds heavier. We had an awesome vacation in Belize and I can’t wait to tell you all about it. We really fell in love with this beautiful little country.

We split up our trip between two different destinations, Placencia and San Pedro. We spent our first four days in Placencia, a small beach town in the southern part of the country on a small little peninsula.

We didn’t realize it before, but we arrived just in time for the start of their slower season. Busy season (or dry season) runs from December to April. The last real busy week tends to be around Easter. We really didn’t mind this at all. It was one of the most peaceful few days I think I have ever had!

Getting There

Belize has two local airlines, Maya Island Air and Tropic Air.  This is a much more efficient way to get around the country and pretty affordable too.  Flights down to Placencia ran about $100 US.  Flying on Tropic Air is like a full excursion in itself.  You get an absolute spectacular birds eye view of the country.  I even got to sit co-pilot!  If this seems absolutely crazy to you, then you can look into buses, private shuttles or ferries.

Where We Stayed
Green Parrot Resort

Accommodations
The Green Parrot was the most adorable, relaxing, and accommodating places I’ve ever stayed. We had our own two story bungalow equipped with a kitchen, loft bedroom, and private porch with chairs and a hammock that were literally steps from the Caribbean.

It definitely had a tropical, rustic feel. There was no air conditioning which worried us at first but ended up being one of the best features. The entire cabin was surrounded with screened windows so there was a constant breeze that swept through keeping us cool.

Location
The Green Parrot was a little further than I had realized from the town of Placencia, about 8 miles to be exact in Maya Beach. With that said the staff was more than happy to drive us in for only $20 US. The people in town as the bar we were at were very helpful when getting a cab back at night for the same price.

The Beach
The beach was beautiful and perfect for taking a quick dip to cool off. They also had a long pier with a few chairs and hammocks at the end that were perfect for reading in the shade.

The Staff
The staff was super accommodating and fantastic hosts. They acted as our taxi the entire time we were there, picking us up from the airport and taking us into town. Because we were about one of two couples there (I meant it when I said it was slow season) they basically were our personal chefs. Their breakfast was simple but good and their dinners were delicious. Isabelle made us Red Snapper one night and a perfectly season tenderloin the other.

Amenities
They had bicycles for us to take for free, a full library room with hundreds of books, and even some board games. Between all of these extra perks it made for the perfect relaxing and simple getaway.

Placencia Town
We went into Placencia around 1PM on Saturday. There were definitely more people in town than in Maya Beach. The town has a small, beach town feel with a ton of cute little shops and restaurants and even a mini boardwalk to connect them all. There were lots of options to get souvenirs, local art, and jewelry.

Restaurants / Bars
Tipsy Tuna
This was definitely our favorite place in Placencia. The Tipsy Tuna sits right on the beach with plenty of seating right in the sand, or under their shaded bar. It seemed that the place could get pretty rowdy at certain times of the year with a big dance “deck”, stage, volleyball, and a few different bars. We ended up staying here for about 4 – 5 hours and met another couple that we had a great time with. They had one of the best Mojitos I’ve ever had, a coconut basil mojito!

Barefoot Bar
Barefoot Bar sat right next to Tipsy Tuna and had a very similar vibe. There were a few more people here, some island music playing, and was overall a great beach bar. They were really helpful in getting us a ride back to the Green Parrot too!

Mango’s
Mangos was in Maya Beach, right down the street from Green Parrot. It’s owned by a Canadian guy who moved down there years and years ago. It was like a giant thatched roof tree house, only with a bar and kitchen! They had great food!

Activities
The Green Parrot would have been able to book any excursion we wanted. Some popular excursions from Placencia were Mayan Ruins, Cocksomb Basin, and cave tubing. We kind of took these days to just slow down and relax though.

Placencia was a beautiful and relaxing place. Andy and I would definitely return. We would maybe go at a bit busier of a time so that there was a little more going on but again, it was so nice to be in such a peaceful place. How often do we have the opportunity to just sit, relax, and enjoy the beauty of this life?