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When Christopher Columbus made his third voyage to the ‘New World’ in the fall of 1498, he had already discovered and visited most of the Caribbean Islands. However, we are told in history that he was especially impressed with an island he found tucked snugly away in the far southern waters, about 20 miles from the mainland of Venezuela. Some say he named that island “Isla de Margarita” (meaning ‘Pearl Island’ in English) because he was so impressed with its beauty. Others tell us he called the GROUP of islands by that name, due to the many pearls that were found just offshore in ancient times.

Today, the group of islands consists of Coche, Cubagua, and Margarita, which collectively form the Venezuelan state of Nueva Esparta. The pearl beds have disappeared, but the island of Margarita still remains a special ‘pearl’ in the midst of the Caribbean Sea. In fact, this place is SO special, it has for decades been referred to as the “Best Kept Secret of the Caribbean”. There are many reasons for this, and we will try to explain them as we examine some of the island’s unique characteristics.

COMPARATIVE FEATURES OF MARGARITA ISLAND

1. The island is actually two islands, attached together by a very narrow point of land. The eastern section gradually becomes more ‘green’ or tropical in appearance as you travel eastward. The western part of the island is very much like the desert regions one would encounter in parts of the western United States, where the mountain ranges tower over cactus and brush covered plains. In some ways the western part resembles Aruba, but rather than having a single hill less than 700 feet high (Aruba), that section of Margarita has many BEAUTIFUL and rugged mountains rising well over 3000 feet.

2. Just like Aruba, Margarita has almost constant 15 to 20 mph winds blowing most of the year. It is for this reason that one of the beach areas of Margarita, Playa El Yaque, has become one of the most popular windsurfing beaches in the world. Most windsurfing publications rate it near the top.

3. Margarita Island is much larger than many of the other Caribbean Islands. As a result, it has well over a hundred miles of beaches along its coastline. I am not including the many miles of rocky coast in that figure. MOST of the island’s shoreline consists of very nice beaches. Some are better than others, but there are dozens of TOP NOTCH sites where you can wander the shores. If your choice is seclusion, you can surely find a spot with no human footprints. On the other hand, if your choice is to be part of the crowd, beaches such as Playa El Agua, Playa Caribe, Playa El Yaque, and others will fill the bill.

4. On the western end of the island, the Macanao peninsula features a natural bridge very similar to the one at Aruba. The main difference is you can easily take photos of it in its natural state, as it will not be covered with tourists arriving in hordes from the cruise ships.

5. Like St. Thomas, Margarita Island has MANY terrific vistas that one can view while on an island tour. Four that I would especially recommend are:

(A) the view overlooking the Isla Bonita Resort on the north side of the island, (B) the tremendous view of most of the island from the top of La Sierra, accessed via a mountain road out of the town of La Ascuncion, (C) the view from the small hilltop located at the far north end of the beach at Playa El Agua, (D) the view from the small hilltop located east of Playa Caribe, that overlooks the beach near the Costa Caribe Resort.

There are hundreds of other wonderful views, but I would like to especially impress upon the reader the need of visiting those four places when you vacation on the island.

6. Another feature similar to St. Thomas is the terrific shopping. There are many shopping malls and ‘Flea Markets’ as well. However, the most unique shopping experience can be found right downtown in Porlamar (the largest city on the island). In the area near the new cruise port they are currently building, there are a couple of the streets where vehicles are not allowed to enter. Those are reserved for shoppers to wander around among the multitudes of specialty shops and street vendors. Expect to spend a lot of enjoyable time in that area if you love to shop. You will find a great deal of variety in comparison with most of the Caribbean. Margarita is a 'duty-free' island, which makes pricing generally good on many products as well.

LET'S LOOK AT SOME OTHER FEATURES OF MARGARITA

1. Some of the beaches on Margarita remind visitors of St. Martin, Aruba, Jamaica, St. Barts, the Dominican Republic, Cozumel, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Antigua, and others. The local authorities have seen fit to try to make Europeans feel at home. Therefore, not only are the beaches similar, but the crowds on the beaches look very much like what you generally encounter on most of St. Martin’s beaches. To make clear what I am referring to, and to prevent an unwary visitor from being shocked, I will be blunt about the matter.

Most beaches on Margarita allow topless swimming apparel, and also allow very skimpy bikinis and thong-type swimwear to be worn. If you are a seasoned Caribbean traveler, then you will not find that unusual at all. However, if you are a newcomer to the region, you may be in for a bit of a shock at some beaches.

Like St. Martin, and a few other Caribbean Island beaches, you may from time to time encounter full nudity. However, I have never seen anyone acting lewd, or causing embarrassment to the people around them. Most of the scantily clad and most nude sunbathers are from European countries, where most of the beaches are generally full of naturist and nudist folks (getting even tans with no ‘tan lines’). They don’t give the matter a second thought! They are not flaunting their nakedness, but are generally very well behaved, and try to remain as unnoticed as possible.

If you do not want to be exposed to such situations, you will want to go only to beaches frequented primarily by locals, such as Playa Guacoco. The beach near the Hilton Suites resort is also usually frequented by both travelers, and the locals who prefer to wear less skimpy attire.

2. Margarita has several offshore islands located very close by, which like St. Martin, offer wonderful snorkeling and diving opportunities. Most of those are on the eastern and southern sides of the island. Therefore, the vacationer will want to hire a boat for transportation that leaves from the side nearest the islands they plan to visit. Otherwise, you will spend a great deal of time and money just getting to your chosen destination.

While Coche and Cubagua are well worth visiting, I would recommend the small islands off the northeastern coast for snorkeling and diving.

3. Even as St. Lucia has its pitons, Margarita has one of its many mountains that also has a piton shape. To really see and appreciate that mountain, you need to approach it from the north side of the island traveling south from the El Agua area towards La Ascuncion and Porlamar. Most of Margarita’s mountains are higher than those on St. Lucia, so have a much more dramatic appearance. If you observe them through a period of several days, you will notice that they seem to change in appearance. This is due to the many variations of light and shadows as the sun moves across the sky, and as various cloud formations pass over. Sometimes the intensity of rainbows formed over the mountains is so dramatic, that it is hard to contain oneself. There seems to be a natural compulsion to want to somehow freeze the picture in one’s mind. Whatever you do, don’t forget to make good use of your camera! Even though it is hard to capture such beauty on film, at least you can provide yourself with a bit of a reminder to help you recall the wonderful beauty you have personally witnessed.

I hope that these few comparisons will enable the reader to begin to visualize just a tiny portion of what Margarita has to offer. I confess, having visiting most of the islands in the Caribbean, Margarita has captured my heart! It has become my entire family’s favorite spot in the Caribbean.

NEXT WE WILL LOOK AT A FEW SPECIAL PLACES ON THE ISLAND.

LA RESTINGA:

This is a Venezuelan National Park, and is one of a kind in the Caribbean region. I have never seen anything like it anywhere else. Bonaire has the closest feature resembling La Restinga, but it isn’t nearly as extensive, and is undeveloped.

The park on Margarita features a National Park Center, and has docks where boats load to take passengers out on tours of the huge ecosystem. There are many tropical birds and creatures that can be viewed up close, as the boats slip gently through the waters in their midst.

DIVERLAND:

This is an amusement park. Margarita has two of them. The other is the El Agua Water Park, which is a new facility much like the water parks of Orlando, Florida, and other areas here in the states. While it is true that not many people will vacation on a Caribbean Island to visit an amusement park, it may still be of interest to those who have children who want to actually swim with Dolphins (one of the attractions). They also feature one of the largest Ferris Wheels that I have ever seen, as well as a modern roller coaster and other rides.

WINDSURFING:

Playa El Yaque is a beach area on the south side of the island. You can go about a ½ mile or more offshore and still be in waist deep water. The wind there is almost always intense, and windsurfers congregate from all over the world.

RESORTS:

There are dozens of top-notch resorts scattered all over the island. While there are also a number of lesser quality places, some of them are five star rated, and are as fine as you will find anywhere. One of the best is the Allegro Lagunamar. We spent four weeks there, and it is as fine a facility as one could hope to enjoy. This web site has nearly 100 pictures of Lagunmar, and hundreds of other photos of various other resorts as well.

SPECIALTY FISHING:

Margarita is a commercial and sport fishing heaven. There are small villages of fishermen scattered here and there on every side of the island. Most of them use nets in their profession, but many of them would be willing (for a reasonable price) to take you out in their boat to catch a few ‘on the hook’. There are also full-scale operations for hire that can take you out to catch bonefish varieties as well.

MOUNTAIN CLIMBING:

There are a number of trails for hiking on various mountains on the island. Some of them are quite difficult, while others are for casual hiking. Ask around at local villages to learn about the best spots. If you don’t have time to do that, just make your way to the town of San Francisco on the Macanao peninsula. Drive as far up the mountain as the road allows, and then park and begin hiking from that point.

The La Sierra area is also good for hiking.

SPECIAL EXCURSIONS:

There are many excursions which can be taken from Margarita, including flights to Angel Falls (on the mainland), as well as sailboat and catamaran trips to surrounding islands. They also have guided JEEP TOURS which are very reasonable, and very popular.

Dining: Not only are the prices extremely reasonable in Margarita (as compared to all the other Caribbean Islands), but the extremely wide variety of restaurants and types of dishes served will allow the visitor to experience a great variety of local cuisine, as well as gourmet fare. There are literally hundreds of places to eat, but the very best are generally located in either Porlamar, Juan Griego, or near some of the most popular beaches such as Playa El Agua, El Yaque, or Playa Caribe. Ask other tourists you encounter for the most current recommendations, as changes are always being made.

Shopping: For a very high-class shopping experience, visit the Sambil Mall, the Roatan Mall (near Diverland), or tour the shops located on 4 DeMayo. If you are interested in souvenirs, clothing (very inexpensive knockoffs, such as various name brands of jeans, etc), or hand-crafted items, be sure to visit the huge flea market located near the outskirts of Porlamar. Try a bit of friendly bargaining with the vendors if you do not like the prices. Don't worry about the language gap. Money talks, and U.S. dollars speak very loud and clear. Just hold up what you want to pay, and say "que precio?"

Craft Shops: Many of the small towns in the interior of the island feature local arts and crafts. Check at the International Airport information booth for a free map, and advice on where to go for your particular treasure. I am not giving recommendations here, as the locations of various artists/crafts-people change from time to time. For example, when we stayed at the Allegro Lagunamar resort, Tuesday evenings featured many of the local artisans and their various wares. Be advised that could change however.

Surfing: While Margarita does not offer really good surfing conditions on a consistent basic, there are times when the surf is fairly decent on the northeastern side of the island.

Windsurfing: El Yaque beach features some of the best windsurfing in the world, and conditions are generally ideal for ten to eleven months out of the year.

Parasailing: Several companies offer parasail flights on the island. Best bet is Playa El Agua.

Ultra-light Flights: While I cannot actually recommend these (due to the many accidents that have occurred in various places around the world including Margarita Island), there ARE vendors at Playa El Agua who will take you flying for about $30 to 40 U.S. for a very nice flight.

Sailboat and Catamaran trips: There are several companies who offer such trips daily. The most popular destination is Coche Island, which is only a couple of miles offshore from Margarita, but still offers a very fine strand of beaches and other amenities. One other popular trip is to the rocky islets off the northeastern coast of the island. Those offer extremely good snorkeling during most of the year.

Beaches: There are over a hundred miles of beaches, and you can choose between tourist resort crowds to stretches of fine sand that reveal NO human footprints.

Fishing: Margarita is a hot-spot for fishing. Check at the marinas at Porlamar to inquire about prices and details on fishing trips.

Mountain Climbing: Check out the mountain range near San Francisco on the Macanao end of the island (west).

Mountain Drive: La Sierra, a wonderful mountaintop park can be reached via a paved access road that runs out of La Asuncion (the State capital) not far from the main government buildings.

Flights to Angel Falls: These can be arranged through many travel agencies on the island such as several located at Playa El Agua. You might also try asking at the International Airport for more information on fights.

Bowling: Check out 4 De Mayo in Porlamar. There is also word that a large bowling alley is going in next to the Rattan Depot.

Amusement Parks: Diverland… Roller coaster, ferris wheel, swim with the dolphins, etc. El Agua Water Park…

Fast Food Restaurants: Choose from Wendy’s, McDonalds, Subway, various pizza places, etc. Most of those are in Porlamar.

Water Park; Lagoon Boat Tour: Visit La Restinga on the narrow part of the island as you enter the Macanao peninsula. Boat tours are available, and are reasonable in price.

Jeep Tours: Most travel agents can book one of these for you. Everyone we have spoken with who has taken one has really loved it. They generally go to the Macanao Peninsula and drive through some rugged but beautiful scenery.

Ancient Forts: There are several on the island. Be sure to get a local map for directions to each one.

Scenic Tour: A MUST SEE ROUTE is the northern road that runs along the coast on the northeastern end of the island.

Sunshine: Margarita has some nearly every day of the year. ENJOY!