If you enjoy a more relaxed pace of travel, one in which you immerse yourself in a place and venture off the well-beaten path as opposed to racing through just the top attractions of a destination, then you might be a “slow traveler.” With warm and welcoming people, a plethora of mom-and-pop shops rather than big chains or franchises, and more hidden gems than a pirate’s treasure chest, Belize perfectly appeals to the slow traveler type. Take an unhurried approach to exploring the cute and casual communities along the Placencia Peninsula and delve deeper than just a cursory surface glance. Here are two fun ways to get around Placencia, and as a bonus, reduce your carbon footprint!
Get Around Placencia By Bicycle
The preferred mode of transportation among locals for quick commutes to school, work, the vegetable stand, or the beach is by bicycle. Particularly within the epicenters of Placencia or Seine Bight Village, where parking is at a premium, bicycling is often the quickest and most convenient way to get around. Many accommodations large and small on the peninsula provide bicycles for their guest’s use. Turtle Inn, for example, has a huge fleet of impeccably maintained cruisers but if you need to rent some wheels you will find a few options. One World Gift Shop on the Main Road across from Placencia’s football field offers half-day, whole-day, and week-long bike rentals at very reasonable rates.
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- Photo Credit: The Belize Tourism Board
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- Photo Credit: Hayden Dunsel on Unsplash
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- Exploring Placencia by road. Photo Credit Dylan Hetelle
Detour off the main road and wind your way through neighborhoods where local life is lived. Wave a good morning greeting to the woman hanging laundry on her line in the yard and dodge the pack of friendly puppies out for a roadside roam. Some of the best, authentic cuisine can be found in humble little take-away stands just off the main drag. To find them, simply peddle slow and follow your nose.
Or Explore By Golf Cart
Photo courtesy Captain Jak’s
Golf carts are surely the second most popular means of transport, and you can travel the entire length of the peninsula on one. Open-air and more fuel-efficient than traditional motor vehicles, golf carts aren’t just fun, they’re an eco-friendly way to get around too.
While personally propelling your own pedals is great, golf cart rentals are an easier option for families and can extend your range of exploration, particularly on hot and sunny days. 4-seater, 6-seater, and even deluxe 8-seater golf carts are available to rent, making them perfect for any size group of slow-travel expeditioners. Captain Jak’s has the largest and newest fleet of golf carts on the peninsula, and they can be rented for as few as 4 hours or by the week.
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- Photo Credit: Caribbean Culture + Lifestyle – Belize
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- Photo Credit: Caribbean Culture + Lifestyle – Belize
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- Rent a golf cart hassle-free with Captain Jak’s
Begin at one end of the peninsula and lazily plod your way along the narrow slip of land, stopping in at beachside watering holes to refresh yourselves. If wandering without a destination in mind doesn’t quite align with you, plan your outing to end at either Maya Beach’s Jaguar Lanes bowling alley or Inky’s 18-hole mini golf course at Sirenian Bay Resort for some casual competition. Getting up and down the Placencia Peninsula by golf cart is a breeze and because they’re equipped with turn signals, horns, and headlights, they’re a safe mode of transport even at night.
Whether by two wheels or four, be sure to take it easy and soak in the sights, scents, and sounds of the Peninsula while you make your slow travel exploration of Placencia.
Featured Photo courtesy of Captain Jak’s
