Working remote from Placencia Belize

Looking to escape the winter? Or perhaps, work remotely from somewhere while you get your diving certificate. But as a remote worker you know, that working remotely has its challenges. With access to the internet, distance is no longer the factor, well as long as you do in fact have the internet. Enter, the digital nomad’s dilemma.

So what is it like to work remotely from Belize? How is the internet connection? Are there places to work from? Is wifi reliable? In this article, I’ll share an overview of my experience working from Placencia the town in southern Belize, as well my experience traveling around the country.

Coffee shops in Placencia

If you are a digital nomad or an aspiring one, then you probably know by now that coffee shops are a remote workers best friend, usually at least. Placencia has grown in popularity over the years. It is becoming increasingly popular with ex-pats, particular from the United States and Canada, as well as the other tourists who make their way to the town. If you are looking for a coffee shop in Placencia, you are limited to a few options.

In terms of places to work from in Placencia, I am going to focus on coffee shops and similar adjacent places because otherwise, you could technically work from anywhere. Restaurants for example, could suffice, but in my experience, they are not ideal. In Placencia, there are a number of coffee shops and restaurants, but only about 4-5 make the cut.

I’ll analyze them by a number of factors such as internet speed (connectivity), noise factor, working space, range of menu options and whether it is locally owned or not (we love locally owned small businesses). Here is our current take listed in alphabetical order:

Above Grounds Coffee House

Internet speed (tested April 2nd 2026)	Internet speed was strong. Download: 46.98 Mbps. Upload 22.43 Mbps.
Noise factor	Noise was minimal. Depending on the time of day, there is a bit of noise from the street but it was not a limiting factor for us. It would not be ideal for serious meetings, but would be very suitable for casual business chats.
Working space	There were 2 table tops on their outside patio deck. There are also stools around the balcony. It wasn’t too crowded, so we didn’t have a problem. There was small space inside the shop, but very limited. I would expect to sit outside here.
Range of menu options	Above Ground Coffee House had one of the more natural menus. They had nice specialties like Tumeric Latte, unsweetened matcha and their coffee beans were sourced from the Maya in Atitlan.
Local ownership	Workers were all local Maya people. It was partially locally owned and partially foreign owned.
Google Maps link	Above Ground Coffee House

All in all, Above Ground Coffee House is an interesting place to work from. It’s quaint and located near the end of the Placencia town, several other restaurants and bars nearby. There’s a small local gym by it too, sufficient enough for doing some basic lifts.

Beaches and Cream Cafe

Internet speed (tested April 3rd 2026)	Internet speed was strong. Download: 26.77 Mbps. Upload 41.65 Mbps. Note: we tested this wifi speed on several different days. Other days, we got slightly lower speeds, but the download speed was never below 20, while upload speeds ranged from 14-65.
Noise factor	Moderate. The times that we visited, they had music playing in the background, it wasn’t too loud but it was loud enough to be noticeable. Also, it is a bustling cafe in a small space so you may get the occasional coffee machine, shaker or sink noises. Great for casual working, not great for serious meetings.
Working space	If you sit inside, there are electrical plugs and seating at a good ergonomic height for working. Outside, has picnic tables with umbrellas to shield you from sun glare.
Range of menu options	Beaches and Cream has a pretty standard menu. We loved that they had a nice selection of alternate coffees not overwhelmed by sugar. For example you can easily order a matcha or tumeric latte just as easily as an americano. They have nice breakfast burritos and sandwich options as well.
Local ownership	Mixed ownership, local and foreign.
Google Maps link	Beaches and Cream

Beaches and Cream has the feelings of a neighborhood coffee shop. Given its location in the middle of the famed Placencia sidewalk, it is ideally located for the many tourists living along the beach corridor. If you come before noon, families, locals and passerbys will be stopping in to get their morning joe.

Brewed Awakenings Cafe

Internet speed (tested April 1st 2026)	Internet speed was strong. Download: 46.88. Upload: 23.44 Note: we tested this wifi speed on several different days. The download speed was never below 40, while upload speeds ranged from 22-25.
Noise factor	Relatively quiet. The indoor area is sheltered from the street noise, but may incur some noise from the coffee and food preparation (i.e. blenders etc). We think it is good enough for most working calls, not ideal for super professional contexts.
Working space	There is both indoor and outdoor space. The outdoor space is only for a computer on the banister, no table space. The indoor chairs are more relaxed but not great for structured working, meaning tables are low so you would need to keep the computer on your lap in some cases.
Range of menu options	If you are into fruit bowls or matcha, Cafe Brewed Awakenings is a great option. They have fruit bowls made fresh to order. Think açaí bowls but actually healthy because they make their bowls with healthy ingredients not doused in tons of sugar. We ventured here a few times for them.
Local ownership	Unclear
Google Maps link	Brewed Awakenings Cafe

Chillpoint Placencia

Internet speed (tested April 3rd 2026)	Surprisingly slow. Download: 8.95. Upload: 9.06.
Noise factor	We found Chillpoint to be the most professional in terms of noise. It would be ideal for taking a serious call with minimal risk for background noise.
Working space	Chillpoint has traditional ‘coffee shop’ seating. Those familiar with a typical Starbuck’s style arrangement, it’s kinda like that. There are plenty of indoor tables, with a bonus side nook which appears to be quiet for working or taking a call. They also have some outdoor seating areas with shade.
Range of menu options	There’s a lot going on at Chillpoint. They have a pretty extensive menu, but it also includes locally sourced products and artwork. Chillpoint has mostly drinks such as coffees, teas and smoothies. Their food options are essentially bagels, toasts, wraps, pastries and fruit bowls. Good enough for a snack or breakfast.
Local ownership	Appears to be foreign owned
Google Maps link	Chillpoint

Chillpoint coffee shop in Placencia touts itself as a catchall kinda place. They are appealing to a broad group of people. In fact, their current name on Google Maps “Chillpoint Placencia – Ice Cream, Coffee & Wine Lounge” highlights that suggesting that throughout the day the vibes change a bit. Chillpoint is the most ‘modern’ independent coffee shop, with the most space, though internet was a bit lackluster for us.

Placencia Beach Club

Internet speed (tested April 2nd 2026)	Extremely slow. Download: 1.86. Upload: 3.70.
Noise factor	The club was relatively quiet. Depending on the day, there could be some background noise from others or music playing via the speakers. However, it seemed quiet enough to take a meeting. That being said, there is not really a space that is extremely quiet.
Working space	The beach club is not really set up for working. It’s set up for lounging, eating and drinking. It can be a casual work spot but not likely to be your most productive time.
Range of menu options	This place is not really a coffee shop, much more of a bar, pool and beach place. You can sit in a beach chair under the coconut trees and overlook the Caribbean or under the patio.
Local ownership	Appears to be foreign owned.
Google Maps link	Placencia Beach Club

We decided to include the Placencia Beach Club as an honorable mention. It’s not really set up for remote work, though it could be a digital nomad spot for casual work. One thing that I liked is that you could theoretically sit in the lounge chairs while looking at the ocean. The coconut and palms would provide enough shade during certain hours of the day to avoid significant screen glare. That’s a fairly cool view for an aspiring remote worker. A quite idyllic one at that.

The downside of the club is that you’d have to pay a daily fee for the club in addition to anything you are paying to eat or drink.

Winners

As we sum up our favorite coffeeshops for working in Placencia Belize, we’ll categorize them.

• Best overall coffee shop: Chillpoint – if you are looking for that consistency in a coffeeshop that you might expect in the United States or Canada, then Chillpoint is it.
• Best for working space: Chillpoint – taking into account seating arrangement, ergonomics, and availability options, Chillpoint gives the most variety. Beaches and Cream comes in at a second place mainly because their window seating is the perfect height for a laptop and working, though table space is limited.
• Best for taking an important call or interview: Chillpoint – it’s hard to look past Chillpoint’s professional atmosphere for a serious business call. You’ll reduce the risk of background noise on-site while enjoying air-conditioning and charging outlets. Bear in mind, given their surprisingly slow wifi, we’d recommend double checking it before your call and having a hotspot backup handy. Their internet was reliable, it was just slow.
• Best for local cultural feel: Above Grounds Coffee House – if you want the feeling that you are getting locally sourced coffee, Above Grounds Coffee House stands above the rest (excuse the intentional pun). They are partially locally owned and their coffee comes from the Lake Atitlán in Guatemala. It’s the Maya connection, Mayan sourced coffee being sourced by Mayan people in Belize. It’s about as local as you can get.
• Best for strong internet connection: Beaches and Cream Cafe – had objectively the highest internet speed we tested. This isn’t debatable because we tested it onsite, just clean first-hand data. They also had the highest marked upload speed which is important for video calls.
• Best for enjoying Caribbean vibes: Beaches and Cream – you can get sand on your feet, watch the ocean and sip your cappuccino with a strong internet connection. This is what you are here for right? Cue the Zac Brown Band song named Toes and get to work. Life is good.
• Best for healthy options: Brewed Awakenings – seems like a standout winner for me. This is primarily because their açaí-style fruit bowls were exceptional.
• Best option for vegans and vegetarians: All of them. As a vegan or vegetarian visiting Placencia, you’ll be pleased to know that all the coffee shops that we visited had different milk options such as oat or soy milk. Therefore, you can go vegan without a fuss.

What do you think?

Have you visited Placencia recently? If so, we’d love to hear which coffeeshops you found, or any other insights. As fellow digital nomads, sharing is caring. We’d love to hear from you.