MONKEY RIVER

An easy 35-minute boat ride from Placencia brings you to the mouth of the Monkey River and the village by the same name. Founded in 1891, Monkey River Village was once a thriving town of several thousand loggers, chicleros, banana farmers, and fishermen; that was then. Now, the super-sleepy village of 30 families (about 150 people) makes its way with fishing and, you guessed it, tourism. Some 50 villagers are trained and licensed tour guides who work with hotels in Placencia to provide a truly unique wildlife-viewing experience. The handful of daily trips are also a welcome source of income for Monkey River’s three eateries.

Ninety percent of the structures you see have been rebuilt since Hurricane Iris flattened the town in 2001. The village is accessible only by boat—most often through the mangroves from Placencia, but there is also an eight-mile road from the Southern Highway that ends across the river from the village. Park your car and honk, and a boat will come pick you up.

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The Monkey River Day Trip
After negotiating the mangrove maze, your guide will take you into the river’s mouth and dock up in town for a bathroom break and a chance to place your lunch order for later in the day. Then you’ll be off upstream, all eyes peeled for animals. You’ll beach up at the trailhead to explore a piece of Payne’s Creek National Park, a 31,000-acre reserve that is surrounded by even more protected area. You’ll hike through the dense brush, now a regenerating broadleaf forest which will take decades before reaching its pre-Iris glory. Then it’s back down the river for lunch and a stroll through the village. Most head back to their rooms in Placencia, but you may wish to consider staying a night or two, either to experience the village life, or to get some serious fishing time in.