In southern Belize, this peninsula stretches out from the jungled canopies of the mainland towards the protected waters of the Mesoamerican Reef.   Mangroves fringe the leeward side where vistas open towards the Maya Mountains. On the windward side,  breakers  splash up white sand beaches while coral atolls  laze enticingly a short kayak ride away. Settled originally by English puritans and Garifuna - descendants of African slaves who escaped two ship-wrecked Spanish slave ships near St. Vincent in 1635 , Placencia maintains its split personality to this day. The  Garifuna fishing  community of Seine Bight is still the largest settlement on the peninsula and is surrounded by the expat communities of Maya Beach, CocoPlum and Placencia Town.  

The coastal area of Belize is an outstanding natural system consisting of the largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere, offshore atolls, several hundred sand cays, mangrove forests, coastal lagoons and estuaries.  Placencia accesses the entire Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System  which was declared a  UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. This system is comprised of seven protected areas; Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve, Blue Hole Natural Monument, Half Moon Caye Natural Monument, South Water Caye Marine Reserve, Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve, Laughing Bird Caye National Park and Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve. West Indian manatee, green turtle , hawksbill turtle, loggerhead turtle  and American crocodiles congregate in what is widely regarded as the healthiest reef system in the world.