Placencia Peninsula
The gateway to Placencia Peninsula via Independence — 26km of coconut palms, white sand and the laid-back Caribbean atmosphere of one of Belize's finest beach destinations.
INB · MZSV · Belize
Independence Airport
Independence / Savannah — Savannah — South Belize. 10 min to ferry to Placencia / 20 min to Mango Creek.
Runway
914m
Surface
Asphalt
Elevation
3m
Hours
6am-6pm
Book your private flight to Independence
Airport at a glance
Independence / Savannah — Belize
Independence and Mango Creek sit on the mainland across the lagoon from the Placencia peninsula — close enough to see, far enough by road to be a different journey entirely. The water taxi takes about fifteen minutes; the drive around the head of the lagoon takes over an hour.
Savannah Airstrip serves that mainland side, and it is the working counterpart to Placencia's tourist strip a few kilometres east across the water.
At the settlement of Independence, Stann Creek District. ICAO: MZSV. Coordinates: 16°32′04″N, 88°26′29″W. Daylight operations.
This is a short daylight-only mainland strip: Cessna Caravan and Islander class.
Getting there
Independence Airport — Getting there
Practicalities are the same as everywhere in the Belizean domestic network: daylight operations, Cessna Caravan and Islander class, and a baggage limit in the region of 25 to 40 pounds per passenger that is enforced rather than nominal. Soft bags travel better than hard cases, and weights should be declared accurately at booking.
| Belize City | ~35 min | ~3.5 h |
| Placencia | ~5 min | ~15 min water taxi |
| Punta Gorda | ~20 min | ~2 h |
| Dangriga | ~15 min | ~1.5 h |
Nearby
Things to do near Independence / Savannah
Big Creek is the point. It is Belize's principal deep-water port on the south coast and the export terminal for the banana industry, which dominates the surrounding country — the flat land between Independence and the Maya Mountains is under banana and citrus, and Big Creek ships the result.
For business travel into that industry, INB is the relevant field, not Placencia.
As an alternative to Placencia, Savannah is worth knowing about. Placencia's strip is on a narrow peninsula and its parking must be pre-arranged with the scheduled operators; Independence sits on the mainland with more room, and the water taxi puts you in Placencia village in fifteen minutes. For groups, for heavier loads or when PLJ parking is unavailable, INB is the practical alternate and it is rarely presented as one.
The country around it. Monkey River Town, south, is reached by boat and is the departure point for one of the best river wildlife trips in Belize — howler monkeys, manatees at the river mouth, and crocodiles.
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, the world's first jaguar preserve, is roughly an hour north.
Payne's Creek National Park and the Placencia Lagoon itself hold manatees, and the lagoon is one of the more important manatee habitats in the country.
Big Creek deserves more attention than its size suggests. It is Belize's principal deep-water port and the only one able to take container vessels directly, which is why the banana industry built its export terminal here rather than at Belize City. The flat country between Independence and the Maya Mountains is under banana and citrus, and the shrimp farms along the coast south of the port are among the largest in Central America.
Independence and Mango Creek are effectively one settlement with two names — a working town of dock labour, packing sheds and the people who service them. It is not a tourist destination and does not pretend to be, which is part of why the contrast with Placencia, fifteen minutes across the water, is so abrupt.
Payne's Creek National Park, south along the coast, protects lagoon, savanna and pine forest, and the shallow bay inside it holds the submerged remains of Maya salt works — wooden posts preserved in the seabed from an industry that supplied the inland cities. It is one of the more unusual archaeological sites in the Maya world and almost nobody visits it.
Private Catamaran Charters
Catamaran day charters from Independence into the southern barrier reef — the Silk Cayes, Laughing Bird Caye and the deserted sandbars of the Placencia reef system.
Fly Fishing — Savannah & Placencia
Premier flats fishing in the lagoons and bays around Independence and the Placencia region — permit, bonefish and tarpon in gin-clear shallow water with expert local guides.
Offshore Sport Fishing
Deep sea fishing from the Independence area — targeting marlin, sailfish and wahoo beyond the southern barrier reef in the deep blue waters of the Gulf of Honduras.
Private Charter — South Belize Cayes
Day trips by private vessel from Independence to the southern cayes — the Sapodilla Cayes, Snake Cayes and the remote marine reserves of the Gulf of Honduras.
Helicopter — Sapodilla Cayes Aerial
Private helicopter from Independence to the Sapodilla Cayes — the most remote protected marine area in southern Belize, with pristine coral, deserted sand islands and the Gulf of Honduras visible to the south.
Open Ocean Kayak — Savannah to Cayes
Sea kayak expedition from Independence across the open water to the Silk Cayes — a 15km open-water crossing through the barrier reef passage with whale shark encounters in season.
Freediving — Southern Belize Reef
Freediving the southern Belize barrier reef from Independence — descending 20m on a single breath to explore the staghorn coral gardens, interact with sea turtles and reach the deepest reef zones inaccessible to casual snorkelers.
When to fly
When to fly
Southern Belize: dry season roughly February to May, wet June to November with the heaviest rain June to October. Hurricane season June to November, peak risk August to October.
FAQ
Independence Airport — Frequently asked questions
Where is Savannah Airstrip?
At Independence, Stann Creek District, on the mainland across the lagoon from the Placencia peninsula. ICAO: MZSV.
How do I get from Independence to Placencia?
About 15 minutes by water taxi across the lagoon, or over an hour by road around it.
Why would I use INB instead of Placencia?
More room on the mainland, and a practical alternate when Placencia parking is unavailable or the load is heavier. It is also the correct field for business at Big Creek port.
What is Big Creek?
Belize's principal deep-water port on the south coast and the export terminal for the banana industry.
How long is the flight from Belize City?
About 35 minutes, against roughly three and a half hours by road.
What is there to see nearby?
Monkey River Town by boat, the Placencia Lagoon manatee habitat, and Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary about an hour north.