Placencia: History

Pre-20th-Century History

The Maya established around 14 sites near the Placencia Lagoon. South of Placencia, the ruins at Lubaantun and Nim Li Punit are evidence that a Mayan society flourished here from AD 700-800. Before the Spanish conquest, they were engaged in the production of salt and took part in coastal trade. When Spaniards arrived, however, the Maya were decimated by disease. Those who survived were driven out by the British to Guatemala in the 18th century. Maya only started moving back to Belize's far south in the late 19th century.

Placencia was named by Spaniards traveling along the southern coast of Belize. Before this, it was called Placentia and its point was called Punta Placentia or Pleasant Point.

Between the 17th and 19th centuries, the peninsula had a population of Puritans hailing from Nova Scotia, and later from the island of Providencia. Their settlement died out during the Central Amercian independence wars of the 1820s.

The Garifuna began arriving in southern Belize at the beginning of the 19th century. In 1832, some 200 arrived at Dangriga, north of Placencia.

The current community goes back to a group of five families who settled here around the end of the 19th century. The Garbutt family resettled the Placencia peninsula in the late 1800s and eventually owned most of it. In 1894, Abner Westby arrived from Scotland and purchased land from the Garbutts. He was later joined by a younger relative, John Eiley. Originally from Lisbon, the Cabral family sailed to the southern part of Belize on two schooners. They started doing business with the Placencia community and married into it. The Leslie family then arrived from Roatán in Honduras. Many villagers still bear these surnames today.

Modern History

With so many new residents, Placencia prospered. It soon became a village, earning its livelihood from the sea. In June 1962, local fishermen formed the Placencia Produces Cooperative. This provided the village with competitive prices for their seafood and is still in operation today. In the early 1970s, generators from the Cooperative ensured Placencia's electricity supply. Belize Electricity Limited took over this role in 1993 as demand increased.

Placencia Village, which occupies the southernmost tip of the peninsula, has had a long relationship with the lobster. Before the days of tourism, lobster fishing was the primary source of income for locals. However, a decline in the lobster population resulted in the enforcement of reduced harvesting, giving lobsters time and space to reproduce. The season opens on June 15. Fisherman are let loose and Lobsterfest begins, celebrated with music, boat races and a huge variety of lobster dishes. Fisherman's Day was the inspiration and precursor to Lobsterfest - the Blessing of the Boats and the Boat Parade are events from the original festival. Recently, Father Terry Jones blessed the boats and their crew with a freshly cut branch and a small bucket of holy water.

Recent History

Held on the weekend closest to Valentine's Day, Placencia introduced the Sidewalk Art Festival, which features art, crafts and music, with scores of participants from all over Belize.

In the late 20th century, Placencia became a significant tourism destination. Today, it's rife with companies offering classes and equipment hire for kayaking, canoeing, fishing, diving, snorkeling, and boat trips to see the plentiful wildlife.

Hurricane Iris hit the village on October 8, 2001, and though it set the tourist trade back a little, Placencia is now well and truly back on track.

In 2006, VH1's 'Flavor of Love 2' reality series finale was filmed in Placencia. A dating game show starring Flavor Flav from Public Enemy, contestants living in a mansion endured various inane challenges while Flav sat back and eliminated them at his leisure. Other stars of the show included Flav's bodyguard and chauffeur 'Big Rick', his mom (how proud she must be!), and former partner Brigitte Nielsen.

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