The small town of Placencia is located on the southern tip of a narrow peninsula in the south of Belize. The peninsula has always been inhabited by Maya peoples. In the 17th century, English Puritan settlers started arriving and they stayed until the 1820s, when wars of independence were fought against the Spanish in the region. The Placencia peninsula was resettled, later in the 19th century.

Placencia used to be a fishing village, but during the 20th century it slowly geared towards tourism. In 2001, most of the town was destroyed by hurricane Iris, but it has been rebuilt and the new amenities are much better than the old ones.

The peninsula has sandy beaches and Placencia is an excellent place to go if you like water sports, fishing, bird and manatee watching, overnight camping on remote cays and excursions on jungle rivers.

Since Placencia lies on the tip of the peninsula, it requires some effort to get there. The town's main 'road' consists of a narrow concrete footpath, which is only about 1 m (3 ft) wide.

Most goods are shipped into town from nearby Big Creek, as that journey takes less time than driving all the way down the peninsula.

Accommodation is widely available in Placencia and there are countless restaurants, bars and restaurants, especially along the main street. The town is 95 km southeast of Belmopan.