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Ugh there is a big tropical storm Franklin headed our way tonight…..which is always a good time to consider what you can do in the rain around here??? Also, what should you pack if it is calling for rain in the forecast when you are here?? Here you go!

Top 15 things to do in Placencia Village in the rain

1.) Jaguar Lanes in Maya Beach – this is indoor bowling fun! Great pizza too, you can get a cab up there. (pic from their facebook page)

2.) INDOOR DINNER – I’d take this opportunity to visit the new spa called Naia and eat at 1981, where they have a fully enclosed restaurant. It is super cute, and somehow Mayan Modern! (pic from their facebook page)

3.) Pickled Parrot – this is not right on the sea, so you aren’t going to get the lashing wet sea breeze. This is a huge, dry palapa bar and everyone in there is always fun and cheerful. The crowd favorites are Thursday trivia, the meatloaf (great rain comfort food), and you can play with Mia and Ziggy, the awesome dogs that live there and will play fetch with you for hours (wait till you see Mia’s piercing stare right through your soul.) (pic from their facebook page)

4.) Rent a car – right in the village you can rent a car from a couple places who will bring it right to you Barefoot Car Rental – this is a great opportunity to explore the 16 mile peninsula, and what is weird is you may find it sunny up in Maya Beach when it is raining in the village, and vice versa! Below are some ideas that may get you out of the rain in the village….(pic from their facebook page)

5.) Hiking at Bocawina

6.) “Secret” waterfalls (not that secret) and visit a bamboo forest…

7.) Hiking or an excursion at Cockscomb

8.) Go inland even farther – you can go to Ian Anderson’s for the day, and do a cave tubing (about 2 hours, probably not at all the same weather there unless we are dealing with a monster storm)

9.) Head to San Ignacio for the day – this is a pretty drive, and from there you can do the ATM Cave Tour, Xunantunich, and many Cave Tours. We like Trip N Travel.

10.) Tipsy Tuna – put on your lil poncho and head out, because there is plenty of dry space and it is always fun to people watch. People will always be there! And Tipsy has an indoor part with a sandy floor and a pool table! (really hard to find a pic of this. From Pinterest.)

11.) Sit at ChaChi’s and people watch – you can eat pizza and gelato right under a pretty substantial “tunnel” – and you are in the heart of main street with lots of good people watching. They have a bar under there too 🙂

12.) If all else fails – get food from Ian Anderson’s new deli or EnE Chinese and watch TV – if you are prone to boredom in the rain, make sure you stay somewhere with cozy indoor space, good movie channels, and good wifi. You are probably tired anyway so use it as an excuse to Netflix and …..go to bed early – and now you can get up and watch the sunrise at 5am since you are so well rested! Actual pic from Hacienda veranda.

****Packing tips (pretty basic here) – it doesn’t hurt to throw in a poncho and some water shoes. Check with your hotel if they provide umbrellas – we do! These can also be found pretty cheaply at the local stores. A long sleeve dry wicking shirt also helps. It also doesn’t hurt to ask about the hotel’s TV and wifi opportunities, and whether there is any outdoor covered space so you can still enjoy yourself and not get cabin fever (we do have all). Also – bring a couple ziplock bags for your phone and cameras, and a nylon or waterproof string bag. This should cover it!!

My husband Dave offered to write a blog post today, as he was eating a street food burrito, that he said deserves its own blog post…. So, here it is, with some “editor’s notes” at the bottom…
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Much of travel surrounds eating. Meals out, new experiences, delicious exotic dishes – travel and food go together like rice and beans.And while Placencia has a number of restaurants that I think can go toe to toe with any international travel destination’s finest dining options (Ricks, Rumfish, Maya Beach Bistro) wherever I am, I gravitate to the cheap eats. No doubt, my favorite part of travel. Below is a quick sampling of my favorite cheap eats, and how to do it like a local!

Breakfast burritos….

A can’t miss! Look, if you’re headed out on a tour, getting ready to spend the morning kayaking beautiful waters, or want a great, quick, cheap meal for the next leg of your journey, breakfast burritos are the best. Stop at any street stand by the police station and make your order. They prepare it right in front of you, fresh, tasty and cheap. Burritos are $5 BZD. They are prepared with a large homemade-in-front-of-you flour tortilla, and include eggs, ham, onions, and sometimes the following – coleslaw, peppers, chicken, and Marie Sharps. So delicious! You’ll need to approach the counter and order – don’t expect a menu or any chit-chat. The staff is at work and they’ll probably make 150 burritos that morning – so keep it brief. Just order a breakfast burrito, with everything – they’ll put it together for you, wrap it in foil, and you walk away with it. Cash only, USD is fine if you have it, and you can eat there.

No surprise to read THIS article – Belize has broken its overnight tourism records – smashed them in fact! In April the overnight percentage went up 24% compared to last year!!!!!You can tell in the village, the energy and buzz is much higher than in past years during low season – mid July feels more like late November as far as the people. It is still NOT crowded – you can go into any restaurant and not have a wait, and you can have the beach to yourself most days, which is one of the draws of this village (paradise without overcrowding!). But, the amount of tourists in the village can be seen in far more filled up seats at the bars and restaurants.

The village recently enjoyed Lobsterfest, so lobster is back on the menus, yay! Here is a montage of village images from the last couple weeks – even if you are enjoying your own summer across North America, the exotic and rustic look of this place can make you want to come back…

Lobsterfest:
Gotta get a pic with the lobster…..

Get your face in this board….

CBC’s own Carlos Vasquez won the Amateur Rum Punch Contest with his “famous” racecar rum punch!!!

Lobster pizza, lobster rolls, lobster omelettes, lobster bisque, lobster fritters…..

We like to revisit this topic periodically – facts change over time, and we aim to keep our guests as well informed as possible so you can fully enjoy and relax during your time with us! Here is some recent feedback, right from our past guests, about what they wish they’d known before they got to Belize/Placencia:

I wish I’d known that…

So Placencia had a super charming, old-fashioned (and I mean old – like the rides and games you’d see in a movie from the 50’s-70’s – some might even call it reminiscent of a horror movie…..anyway…) we were thrilled to have it and I wish we had this permanently. Here’s some pics to take you back to old school carnival days (thanks Sue for the great pics!!)…..

Also this week was Mango Festival in Hopkins….this is pretty self explanatory. If you are headed here, you MUST get a local mango from the farmer’s markets scattered all through the village, they are truly one of the greatest things I’ve eaten here…..

And finally, here are some gratuitous pics from around the village, too charming not to share!

The weather has been beautiful this week! Although the sea has been a little rough, and is churning up some seaweed, the sunshine and bright colors in the village NEVER get old…

There are some activities and excursions here in Placencia that you can count on being around, indefinitely. The wonderful tours and excursions, the local, authentic, great food, and of course the unspoiled, rustic, funky atmosphere of the heart of the village. Some new businesses come and go, and so it is always a new experience for guests! Some of the new businesses we are sad to see close for a season or for good, but then there is always something new to be excited about. In the next year, as It’zana comes to completion, along with a few other surprises on the peninsula, there will be even more to look forward to, and the Ellysian Hotel has also now opened in the village, which provides a Miami-Beach style hotel experience. Here are some of the changes of the last few seasons, and some new stuff to try when you get here!!1.) Farmhouse Deli – Ian Anderson of Cave’s Branch is known throughout the country for awesome organic food, meat, and cheese….our recent guest said she bought brie from there, that was the best she has ever had. The pictures and reviews coming out about the food there, speak for themselves. There is a new store/deli/restaurant right in the heart of town – open 7am-8pm! Thanks Lee Nyhus for the delicious pic….

2.) Cha Chi’s Indian food/Live music venue: Cha Chi’s has awesome pizza downstairs….and now, upstairs, you can enjoy amazing Indian food and live music on the weekends! Seriously…..I had chicken curry there last week that was one of the best I have ever had. I can’t recommend this highly enough! They also do takeout 🙂 One of our recent guests took these pictures…thanks Sarah!

3.) Aerial yoga at Naia – Naia Yoga is a beautiful place to visit, about 20 minutes north of the village. They have an amazing yoga room – the view is breathtaking, and you can arrange for your group to have an aerial yoga class with Stephanie, of Eucalipto! Here is an image from a recent class we took….if you like yoga, you will love the unique stretches that you can’t do in a regular yoga class! (Also, there is a new upscale restaurant on site called 1981 that is worth the trip up!)

4.) BB Yoga Flow is now Placencia Yoga – with two great new teachers! There is a huge yoga vibe in Placencia and classes can be found all over the place.

5.) L & A Placencia Takeout – Placencia’s version of “fast food”! This is getting great reviews for local food, fast….this pic is from their Facebook page so you can find it!

6.) For vegetarians and vegans….I am stealing the following description from from the Placencia- What’s Happening Page! “A place with HEALTHY vegan/vegetarian food has opened in Placencia Village called Lil’ Bites, on the main road between Charo’s and Omar Creole Grub. Fish and chicken delights as well as yummy pastries are also on the menu. It’s delicious, inexpensive and served fast. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Try it…you will not be disappointed.” Here’s some pics so you can find it, right off the post:

7.) King Lewey’s Island Resort Excursion: Several people have said they have had a blast on this new private island excursion….here’s some info from their page…
“King Lewey’s Island Resort is now OPEN FOR BUSINESS. It has been under construction for over one year. Everything is made fresh at our restaurant, barbecue and bar. Even the bread is baked fresh on the island! Amazing King Lewey Burgers; made with 1/2 pound steak patties. Our island has a fun Pirate theme. We offer paddleboards, kayaks, and snorkeling. We will have two additional boats up and running within two weeks.” Here is a pic from their Facebook page…

8.) The Flying Pig (TFP) – just a couple miles from the village, there is now All-you-can-eat spaghetti and movie night, every Thursday at 6! From their page…

9.) The Vineyard Restaurant and Bar – this is a new upscale restaurant in Brisa Oceana, right on Main Street, near Rumfish….looks amazing!!!!

10.) Citrus Sensations: They are right in the heart of the village, they have all kinds of great takeout food, fruit, pizza, and local food! This pic is from their Facebook page…

So what has closed/changed? Right now, Fusion is closed except for private events, but there is talk that perhaps this will reopen – no word yet. Tranquilo closed for the season and no word on whether this will reopen this season yet or not. Tiger Restaurant, which had amazing Indian food, has changed cuisine to more Mexican style? I haven’t been there yet to check it out so this is word of mouth. All the favorite stuff in the village is still here and waiting for your next visit!!

We hope you will consider CBC for your beach wedding! We can hold up to 25 guests at the wedding, and 14 can stay at CBC – we can assist with lodging right around CBC for your extra guests. This recent wedding was remarkably beautiful, and so much fun in our intimate, tropical setting! We are the perfect spot and our past brides have been thrilled! We have a very sweet recommittment ceremony coming up this week as well…

Placencia is known as a tranquil, peaceful, place, for 363 days out of the year. The only two days it isn’t – Easter weekend! The entire country knows that Placencia is the place to be for Easter weekend, and it is PACKED and crazy. Here are some pictures from this past weekend!!!