Turtle Inn By Francis Ford Coppola - Placencia

5-star beachfront resort with handcrafted Balinese cottages on a private beach in Placencia.

Accommodations

Turtle Inn offers 24 thatched cottages and villas with handcrafted Balinese furnishings, each featuring a screened front porch and an outdoor shower in a private garden. Guests in seaside and oceanfront cottages sleep to the sound of waves with ceiling fans and ocean breezes instead of air conditioning, while garden cottages have AC. Select villas, such as Starfish and Roman Laguna, come with a private pool and separate structures for families.

Amenities & Pools

The resort has two outdoor pools: a main pool with a pool bar and an adult-only pool that supplies plastic cups, a tub of ice, and a water cooler. Sun loungers, umbrellas, and floating pool cushions are available at both pools, and swimming pool toys are offered for children. A private beach area with loungers reserved for beachfront villas provides direct access to the Caribbean Sea.

Dining

Mare restaurant serves Italian-focused cuisine with fresh seafood and wood-fired pizzas, while Gaugin Grill offers beachfront grilled fish and shrimp on alternate nights. Auntie Luba's is the resort's authentic Belizean restaurant open every other day, and the pizzeria operates nightly with a wood-fired oven. The organic garden supplies produce to all kitchens, and the new tea house run by Ian Flowers serves allspice and ginger iced tea.

Activities & Excursions

The on-site Tides Dive Shop arranges daily snorkeling and diving trips to Silk Caye and Pompion Caye, where guests swim with nurse sharks, loggerhead turtles, and eagle rays. Other guided tours include a Monkey River wildlife trip, a sunrise birding walk with guide Mark (who has spotted 78 species in a single day), and a sunset lagoon cruise. Complimentary bicycles, kayaks, and snorkel gear are available for guests to explore Placencia village and the coastline independently.

Wellness & Family

The spa has an outdoor massage pavilion where treatments such as traditional Thai massage are offered; guests can also book personal training and yoga classes. The kids' club includes activities like collecting eggs from the chicken coop and visiting the rabbits, and a pickleball court is open for all ages. Families can request a personal concierge like Suzy or Sucely, who arrange child-friendly excursions and special dining menus.

• Location: Private beach on the Belize Barrier Reef, 5 min from Placencia Airstrip
• Rooms: Handcrafted thatched cottages with Balinese furnishings and outdoor showers
• Dining: 4 on-site restaurants including Mare, Gaugin Grill, and Auntie Luba's
• Activities: Snorkeling, diving, zip-lining, birding, and sunset cruises arranged on site
• Wellness: Spa with traditional Thai massage treatments and outdoor massage pavilion
• Family: Kids' club, chicken coop and rabbit visits, complimentary bicycles