About Casa Palma

History of Casa Palma

The history of Casa Palma begins with its namesake. Placencia, a 17-mile-long sandy peninsula in southern Belize and known historically as Pleasant Point, has always been lush with palm trees, which provides a nice cool spot to relax on the beach during those sunny, tropical days. 

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Though not as many as before, palm trees are still a part of Placencia's laid-back atmosphere. 

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Casa Palma started with two apartment rental units sitting on our amazing beachfront property, for many years.

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In 2015, the owners began developing more rental units and a guesthouse near the main road in Placencia Belize.

History Cont'd

Prior to the European colonization of the Americas, the Placencia Peninsula was inhabited by the Maya. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Maya in this area produced salt and traded it with other settlements along the coast.

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In the 17th century, Placencia was settled by English Puritans, originally from Nova Scotia and Providence Island. This settlement died out during the Spanish-American wars of independence in the 1820s.

The Placencia Peninsula was resettled in the late 1800s by several families - Garbutt, Westby, Eiley, Leslie, and Cabral. Placencia prospered and soon became a village, earning its livelihood from the sea.

The Spaniards that traveled the southern coast of Belize gave Placencia its name. At that time Placencia was called Placentia, with the point being called Punta Placentia, or Pleasant Point.

In the late 20th century it became a significant tourism destination and is now referred to as Placencia Village, or simply Placencia.

Placencia Peninsula is actually divided into three main areas: Riversdal which is the northernmost village on the coast, Seine Bight Village at the center of the peninsula which consists of the Garifuna people, and then Placencia Village at the southernmost point, consisting of the ancestors of the 1800s founding families, and the many people, like us, who have come to call Placencia home.