Top Placencia Outdoor Activities

Snorkel at one of the very best spots on Belize’s barrier reef, Laughing Bird Caye. At this national park that's part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, swim in a unique environment known as a faro, with an angular atoll surrounding a lagoon. A guide shows you the best coral gardens teeming with reef fish and other marine life, while a Belizean-style picnic lunch keeps you energized for a full day of underwater exploration.

Depart Placencia for one of the best and clearest snorkeling spots on Belize’s barrier reef, the marine reserve of Silk Cayes. A licensed guide gets you there and helps you gear up to safely explore colorful coral gardens teeming with lobsters, crabs, and colorful reef fish. Refuel with a Belizean-style lunch before splashing back in at a spot famous for attracting throngs of nurse sharks, sting rays, and sea turtles.

Discover one of Belize's best-kept secrets on a day trip to the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Preserve and waterfall near Hopkins. Hike through the jungle to a hidden cascade, and then ride natural river waterslides and inner tubes down the South Stann Creek River. After enjoying this natural playground, enjoy a picnic lunch and spot a variety of Belizean wildlife in the surrounding nature reserve that's home to the country's largest number of jaguars.

Escape the crowds and immerse yourself in the majesty of remote Mayan ruins during a private half-day trip to Xunatunich from Belize. Ideal for history buffs and travelers with limited time, this tour promises the undivided attention of your guide and offers historical insight that you’re unlikely to find in the guidebooks. Plus, hassle-free hotel pickup and drop-off are included.

Discover one of Belize’s most spectacular natural attractions without the hassle of planning on a day trip to Actun Tunichil Muknal (Cave of the Stone Sepulchre) from Placencia. Suitable for travelers with a good level of fitness, this high-octane experience includes hiking, swimming, climbing, and crawling, all under the supervision of your guide to ensure your safety and security.

Head out into the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, home to the world's highest concentration of big cats, with this river tubing experience. You'll start with an educational hike to learn about the local plants and animals, followed by a river tubing experience that will take you to a waterfall area that's great for swimming!

Belize's aquatic ecosystem is rich with a diverse number of fish and excellent fishing and snorkeling grounds. We encourage visitors to immerse themselves in Belize’s culture and lifestyle and to embrace the life altering experience that only a Belizean experience can provide!

Embark on a wet and wild jungle adventure amidst the leafy natural playground of Belize’s Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and Jaguar Preserve. Hike through a protected rain forest habitat that’s home to jaguars, other large cats, and exotic birds, rewarding your efforts with a relaxing float down a tropical river in an inner tube. A swim in a hidden waterfall pool caps off this trek through pristine Belizean wilderness.

Arrive at Xunantunich, an archaeological site featuring "El Castillo,” one of the largest Maya temples in the country, following a scenic drive through the hills of Belize. Climb to the top of the temple and take in panoramic views of Belize and neighboring Guatemala. This all-day tour includes a stop for lunch (included) and cave tubing.

A visit to the Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave is a must when you’re in Belize. This full-day small-group tour to the Stone Sepulcher Cave, as its known in Mayan, involves caving and swimming through chambers in order to observe various rock formations and ancient Mayan artifacts used in ceremonies. This tour is a great way to learn about Mayan history and spend a day in the great outdoors.

Take a break from beach combing and water sports to explore the ancient ruins and mysterious caves of the Cayo district on this full-day combo tour from Placencia. Visit the remnants of a once-mighty Mayan city at Xunantunich — where you can see all the way to Guatemala from the top of a pyramid — and then float through an underground network of caverns on a cave tubing adventure.

Scuba diving opens a whole new and amazing world. Until you start to experience and explore our underwater world you are missing seeing the most diverse ecosystems on this planet. Scuba diving is surprisingly easy to learn and it is an activity the entire family can enjoy. There are so many forms of coral, vertebrates, invertebrates, myriad species of fish, huge sea turtles, etc, etc, etc. Think of it as going to the zoo and being able to enter all of the cages!

Led by legendary Belizean Fly Fishing guides considered the utmost authority on fly-fishing for Permit along with all other species found here on the flats in Belize. Each includes professional fly fishing guides, outfitted flats boats, Orvis rods and reels and all terminal equipment (flies, leaders and tippet). Lunch, refreshments and snacks. Casting lessons and instruction is available upon request.

Descend to the underground wonderland that runs beneath Placencia on a full-day excursion that includes cave tubing and zip lining. Ideal for adrenaline junkies, this tour reveals stalactites and stalagmites, and also takes you to a primeval forest, of which you’ll enjoy aerial views on a zipline. Plus, this small-group tour is limited to 15 travelers, so you’ll enjoy personalised attention.

Take a break from the beaches to see two highlights of Belize’s lush Cayo District, all without renting a car. Stand atop the massive El Castillo temple and and peer into Guatemala at the Xunantunich archaeological site, where a guide shows you highlights of the ruins and reveals secrets of ancient Mayan life. Later, cool off with a swim in the Blue Hole, a natural swimming pool surrounded by tropical forest.

This tour is for animal and nature lovers of all ages! Enjoy the numerous animals at the zoo with your family as your guide informs you about their natural abilities and lifestyles in the wild. Have your heart melted the sweet personalities of each animal before heading back on one of the most scenic routes in the country. Known for its countless mountain formations and valleys covered in rich rain forest, you will get numerous opportunities for "picture perfect" moments. Your guide will point them out to you and also assist with your photos as you enjoy the country.

With hundreds of miles of fishing areas, Belize is an angler's paradise. Fish fans are attracted to the waters of Belize because of the varied types of fishing only the Caribbean Sea has to offer. Belize's aquatic ecosystem is rich with a diverse number of fish and excellent fishing grounds.

A must-visit, even when on the shortest stays in our beautiful country. Xunantunich is a national treasure that fills its visitors with a sense of time travel.. You'll know you're arriving when you spot the little falls of the Mopan River winding alongside the road through the village of San Jose Succotz. You're hit with how green and lush everything is. Some visitors will get to see a group of women doing laundry in the river while their children swim nearby. After a couple hours of exploring, you’ll head off to the Inland Blue Hole for a dip. Not to be confused with Belize’s iconic Blue Hole in the Caribbean Sea, this woodland natural pool offers a lovely and refreshing stop on the Hummingbird Highway.Once at the bottom, the jungle opens up to the sky’s canvas revealing limestone rock walls and vegetation, forming an attractive 25-foot (8-m) deep swimming hole. The water in the Blue Hole is part of an underground cave system that flows into the Sibun River.

This combination tour offers several thrilling adventures. Soar above the forest canopy on a series of ziplines and enjoy a scenic hike to two dry caves to view stalagmites and stalactites. You will also visit the Xunantunich archaeological ruins and float along the cool waters of an ancient underground cave system.

A must-visit, even when on the shortest stays in our beautiful country. Xunantunich is a national treasure that fills its visitors with a sense of time travel. If that isn’t appealing enough, how about saddling up a horse and riding into the shadow of this Mayan temple. You're hit with how green and lush everything is. Some visitors might get to see a group of women doing laundry in the river while their children swim nearby, this is where you will board the hand-cranked ferry that has carried many thousands to and from the calm beauty of this Maya Temple. Here, you’ll dismount your horse and the journey to Xunantunich begins on the other bank of the river.. The temples are nestled in between lush rainforest whose trees may bloom vibrant red, yellow, orange, or pink in season. Bring along a hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, along with an open heart to experience simplicity and visiting another world for a few hours.