Margarita Island is only just starting to be discovered by tourists looking for a new place to spend their vacation. Margarita Island has been a popular destination for Venezuelan tourists for years, and now foreigners are starting to catch on. It’s the perfect place to visit if you love turquoise beaches lined with palm trees. Isla de Margarita, as it’s called in Spanish, is known as the “Self-anointed Pearl of the Caribbean.” Isla Margarita covers a total area of nearly four hundred square miles, and includes a population of roughly four hundred and forty thousand residents. Margarita Island was first discovered by Europeans towards the end of the fifteenth century, when Christopher Columbus landed on the island in the year fourteen ninety eight. Margarita Island was originally inhabited by a Native American tribe called the Guaiqueries, who were subsequently subjugated by invading Spaniards. Margarita Island was an important source of pearls for the Spanish Empire, and was subsequently targeted by a series of pirate attacks. Isla Margarita was controlled by the Spanish until the islanders and the rest of Venezuela rebelled against Spanish control in the early nineteenth century. Venezuela continues to control Isla Margarita.
Located in the Caribbean Sea at latitude 11 ° N and longitude 64 °W, Isla Margarita is the largest of the three islands – along with Cubauga and Coche – that comprise the state of Nueva Esparta in north-eastern Venezuela. It covers an area of around 1020 km2. About 78 km long and 20 km at its widest. The island is generally low, but the highest elevation, in the Cerros (mountains) Del Macanao, reaches 760 meters.
In Isla de Margarita the climate is tropical, hot and muggy all year round, with a dry season from late February to May and a rainy season, felt more or less depending on the area, from June to mid-February. The rainy season, from June to mid-February, is actually divided into two: in the first part (June to October), there are long periods without rain, but thunderstorms can occasionally occur, sometimes intense; in the second part (November to mid-February), the rains are due to the northeast trade winds, and occur almost only in the eastern part of the island, and in particular, along the coast facing north-east: during some years, in this second period, there may be heavy rains and flooding. Temperatures are almost always above 30 °C (86 °F) during the day and above 20 °C (68 °F) at night. However, they are slightly lower from December to February, while owing to the zenith passages of the sun, they are higher two periods, in April-May and September-October, when they can reach 34/35 °C (93/95 °F). The sun passes directly overhead at noon around April 20 and August 20, and remains close to the zenith in the summer months, so you need appropriate protection in the central hours of the day.
Holidaying Venezuelans swamp the island during public holiday periods (Christmas, Easter and August) and carnival in February or March is particularly raucous. Margarita Island has an unusual physical shape, with two large peninsulas connected by a narrow, 18 km long isthmus. The island sees a sparse amount of rain, and sees more than three hundred days of sunshine in any given year. Most of Isla Margarita’s human residents reside in the eastern portion of the island, and are specifically concentrated in the cities of Porlamar and Pampatar.
Isla Margarita’s largest city is Porlamar, which has a population of roughly one hundred and twenty five thousand residents. Porlamar is the commercial and economic center of Isla Margarita, which has most of the island’s boutiques, shopping centers, and restaurants. Porlamar is also home to two municipal beaches, which offer beautiful scenery and white sand. The second largest population center on Isla Margarita is Pampatar, with about fifty thousand residents and the best known malls on the island. Other notable cities include the regional capital of La Asuncion and the tourist hot spot of Juan Griego.
One of the easiest ways to get to Margarita Island is by flying there. Unlike many hard-to-get-to islands, travelers can get to Margarita Island by flying into Porlamar Airport in the state of Nueva Esparta. The airport is located right on Margarita Island.
However, to get to this airport, you must first fly into Caracas, Barcelona or Valencia, Venezuela; Bogota, Cali or Medellin, Colombia; or Grenada. From these locations you can catch a non-stop flight to Porlamar Airport on Margarita Island. Another way to get to Margarita Island is by sailing there. For most travelers, this means taking a cruise. There are many cruises that you can take to get to Margarita Island, and all cruises will dock at El Guamache, which now has a huge scene catered to tourists. You can explore this area or you can take day trips to other parts of the island.
Margarita is a great place to go around. Castles, churches, nature etc. Everything is close and going from one place to another is usually a nice trip. One of Margarita’s best attractions is, with no doubt, the Lagoon of La Restinga National Park. You ride in a boat through the mangroves and reach a very long beach. Do not miss there the opportunity to have fish or seafood for lunch under a hut. In Margarita you can enjoy all water sports. It is an ideal place to have your vacations.
Shoppers flock to Isla De Margarita, particularly the town of Porlamar, to take advantage of the island’s duty-free status. The shopping malls are lined with shops selling clothes and consumer goods at cheap prices. At El Guamache passengers from cruise ships can pick up souvenirs and locally made handicrafts including glass jewellery, terracotta pottery and multicolored ceramic fishes.
The usual Caribbean activities are present – snorkeling, diving, sunning and fishing – but windsurfing is king, with hotels catering specifically to those who want to play in Margarita’s local waters. All of the island’s beaches are public, though you’ll find the most action at Playa El Agua and Playa Parguito.
