One of the main resorts in Venezuela and the largest island of the Caribbean is the island of Margarita. It is famous for its many kilometers of beaches, picturesque nature, developed tourist infrastructure, hospitality of local residents. All this contributes to a comfortable holiday by the sea.
However, you should not take this hot and picturesque island exclusively as a place where you can swim in the warm Caribbean Sea and lie on a white sand. There are two nature reserves on the island, and in its large cities there are many cultural and historical attractions.
Location
Margarita Island, owned by the Republic of Venezuela, is two mountain ranges that are connected by a narrow sand spit, which is 18 kilometers long. An island with an area of 1071 km is located in the southern part of the warm Caribbean Sea. A strait 22 km wide separates it from the mainland. The maximum width of the island is 34.6 km, length - 69.2 kilometers.
History
Margarita island in Venezuela owes its name to the famous navigator Christopher Columbus, who discovered it in August 1498 and named it in honor of the Princess of Spain Margarita of Austria. The Indians who inhabited this land at that time mined pearls. This was the reason for the appearance of the second name - Pearl Island. The natives called him Paraguachoa, which translates as "people of the sea."
Presumably in the 1st century BC. e. Indians from South America populated the island. Most of them were fishermen and boaters. The tribes were distinguished by hospitality and friendliness, pride and strength. They revered centuries-old traditions, defended the island from the encroachments of other, more warlike tribes.
As soon as the first European arrived on the Margarita island in Venezuela (he became Pedro Alonso Nino), the fate of this marvelous corner of the globe was a foregone conclusion: because of the large amount of pearls, he underwent colonization. The Spaniard Nino exchanged 38 kilograms of pearls from the Indians and at first even made friends with the tribes, but soon the Indians had to get tons of oysters, turning the island into a source of enrichment. Interestingly, the first currency of Venezuela was just pearls.
The islanders tried to prevent the colonization of the island. A serious struggle for independence from the Spanish crown was marked by 1810. The first leader to lead the national struggle was Simon Bolivar. In 1821, the island became part of the state of Great Colombia, and after its collapse Margarita Island became part of Venezuela. Already in those days, the creation of the tourism industry began here. In the early eighties of the last century, the first tourists from Europe and America began to arrive here.
Island Description
Today a photo of Margarita Island can be seen in advertising booklets of almost all travel agencies working in this direction. It can be conditionally divided into two parts: the desert peninsula, which is covered with cacti - Macanao, and the main part, which is more developed. It is in this part that the capital of the island, Asuncion, is located. In addition to the capital, there are several other large cities - Juan Griego, Porlamar, Pampatar.
Two parts of the island are connected by a shell beach 20 km long. There are three reservations on the island, where a large number of birds live - flamingos, parrots, pelicans, etc., and two national parks. In La Resting Park, you can ride on the mangroves in boats, enjoy the beauty of seahorses and starfish. Along the entire coastal line of Margarita are numerous bays and bays, deeply cutting into the land.
The largest bays are La Guard, Macanao, Las Marites, Manzanillo. Of particular interest to tourists deserves the Laguna de la Restinga Bay, cut with isthmuses.
Island relief
Mostly the island’s relief is flat, but closer to its center the plains smoothly “flow” in elevation. There are two mountain ranges 500 and 700 meters high. The highest point of the island is Mount San Juan (960 m) located in its eastern part. The coastline stretches for 315 km, which allowed Margarita to equip many magnificent beaches and build many hotels. The tourism industry employs almost the entire local population - about 300 thousand people.
Beaches
Located in the tropical zone, the island of Margarita is famous for its mild and warm climate: here the sun shines 340 days a year. There is a rainy season on the island, which occurs in the summer months, but, to the delight of vacationers, rainfall during this period only at night or early in the morning. On New Year's and Christmas, throughout Easter week, during the summer months, the peak of the tourist season falls.
Among the avid travelers, the island of Margarita in Venezuela is famous for its amazing beaches (photos you can see in this article). Their length is 168 km. According to tourists, the best of them are:
- Playa El Agua;
- El Yake;
- Pargito
- Manzanillo
- Caribe
- El Tirano
- Guacuco
- Punta Arenas.
This amazing island can be called unique in the choice of vacation. Today, tours to Margarita are bought by families with children, youth companies, and lovers of water sports: here you can always watch the training of windsurfers, surfers, kiters.
El Agua
Is the recognized leader in popularity on the island of Margarita in Venezuela, "Playa El Agua" - a beach that vacationers call a paradise. Strewn with golden sand, it captivates with a wide coastline and the sea, which shimmers with all shades of azure color. Along the coast stretches a slender row of huge palm trees, under the shadow of which there are numerous bars, cafes and restaurants. This palm grove was planted in those days when tourism was just emerging on the island.
The magnificent "Playa El Agua" on the island of Margarita in Venezuela is located in its eastern part. Its length is more than four kilometers and a width of 30 meters. There is rarely a complete calm here: more often a weak wave with soft foam is observed, and sometimes there are one and a half meter waves, to the delight of surfers.
El Yake Beach
This beach is considered a "sacred place" for windsurfers and kiters on the island of Margarita (according to vacationers). Multiple world champions José Estredo, Riccardo Campeió and other famous riders live and maintain surfing schools here. El Yak hosts national championships and competitions sponsored by Quiksilver.
Caribe
In the north of the island, Caribe Beach stretches for two kilometers. It is famous for the fact that at any time tourists can find a secluded place here. If you do not like passive relaxation, you can make it active if you go to explore the caves located nearby.
Manzanillo
Another beach located in the north of the island, not far from a small fishing village. It attracts tourists with picturesque landscapes and stunning views of the bays framed by mountains.
Guacuco
This beach is 8 km from Pampatar, in the southeast of the island. It is closer than others from the capital. "Guacuco" is famous for its access to the open sea and an abundance of unusually beautiful shells.
Punta Arenas
Undoubtedly, guests consider Punta Arenas one of the most beautiful beaches on Margarita. The crystal clear and amazing transparency here affects the azure water: at the bottom of the sea you can see the shells of mollusks and starfish. Throughout the year, the beach keeps the water temperature in the region of +26 ° C.
Excursions on the island
It is no secret that when buying tours to the Margarita island in Venezuela, far from all vacationers dream exclusively of beach vacations. Many are interested in the sights and interesting places of the island. Tourists are happy to attend traditional familiarization and unusual excursions around Margarita and around the country, organized by local travel agencies.
Los Roques Archipelago
If you buy a tour from the island of Margarita to Los Roques, you will get a lot of vivid impressions from such an excursion. The Los Roques Archipelago, which is proclaimed a national park of the country, is located 176 km north of Caracas. Thanks to green landscapes, crystal clear waters and sandy white beaches, Los Roques has become one of the most visited marine parks in the country.
The archipelago has an area of 2250 square meters. km consists of 340 small islands. Numerous marine life lives here in coastal waters. Only one of the islands is inhabited: it is home to about 150 families who arrived here from the island of Margarita. They are engaged in fishing for tropical fish, lobsters and the extraction of sea shells. During the tour you can take part in fishing and get diving lessons.
Horse riding
Tours begin with a ranch located on the desert peninsula of Macanao. They are held twice a day - in the morning and in the afternoon - for groups of eight people. The price includes soft drinks, transfer. Experienced travelers recommend taking care of suitable clothing: jeans or long sweatpants, closed shoes, and a cream that protects against sunburn. Guides accompanying the trip speak Spanish and English.
Dolphin swimming
You can chat with dolphins and swim with them on the island of Margarita in the city of Pampatar. Here in the Diverland theme park is the Waterland Marine Park. In addition to dolphins, here you can observe the behavior of toucans, fur seals, guacamaya parrots, various species of monkeys.
Where to live?
If you bought a tour to the Margarita island in Venezuela, then the issue of accommodation does not bother you, but for tourists traveling here on their own, the answer to it is very important. There are no problems with housing on the island: you can settle in an expensive luxury complex, a more modest three-star hotel or in a family setting. The most popular Margarita Island hotels we list below.
Costa linda beach
The hotel is located by the beach of Playa el Agua. It is surrounded by sprawling palm trees and fragrant tropical plants. The comfortable rooms are decorated in the Caribbean style, with tiled floors, wood-beamed ceilings, beautiful furniture, and sophisticated decor elements.
It features a bar, restaurant, many water sports, an outdoor pool with a terrace. Nearby are tennis courts and an 18 hole golf course.
Hesperia isla margarita
The hotel is located in the north of the island, in the Pedro Gonzalez area. Guests can stay in one of the 312 rooms. They have air conditioning, satellite TV, telephones, safes, minibars, and bathrooms. More demanding holidaymakers can opt for one of 17 suites with a living room and two bedrooms or Master Suite with a jacuzzi.
Hotel guests can visit:
- several restaurants and bars serving local and European dishes;
- banqueting hall;
- golf course;
- 2 pools with a bar;
- shopping centers with famous boutiques, pharmacies, jewelry stores, souvenir shops located in them.
Ole caribe
The hotel is located 14 km from the international airport. Simon Bolivar and 300 meters from the water park "Vargas". Surrounded by mountains and tropical vegetation, Ole Caribe offers stunning views of the Caribbean Sea. A mountain spring with drinking water is located on site.
All spacious and bright rooms are equipped with air conditioning, LCD TVs with cable TV, minibars, safes. Superior rooms have a seating area and terrace. Hotel guests can visit the fitness center, sauna, bars, games room, sun terrace, tennis court. Those wishing to attend massages.
Restaurant El Caney de Felo
There are many cafes, bars, restaurants on the island, offering tourists exquisite dishes of Spanish and European cuisine, soft and alcoholic drinks. We want to introduce you to one of the most popular restaurants on the island of Margarita.
El Caney de Felo is located in Porlamar, in the Los Robles area. Tables stand directly in the open air under a canopy of palm leaves. Here, Argentinean beef (back, tenderloin, neck), chicken, pork ribs, and blood sausages are fried on an open fire.
The meat is served in a classic Guasacaca sauce based on avocado and herbs. In addition, locals and tourists really like the Yuka roots cooked here, fried in oil and to taste like potatoes, grilled queso a la plancha - homemade cheese. And if you order a salad, you can try palmito - this is a special way pickled palm core, avocados and local tomatoes. Everything is very simple, very inexpensive and incredibly tasty.
How to get to Margarita Island?
For some, the path to the island may seem complicated and long, because there are no direct flights from Russia to Venezuela. Tourists at first with transfers change to Caracas. Such flights are carried out by the German company Lufthansa, Italian Alitalia, Spanish Iberia, and only then they use domestic airlines. The flight from the capital to Porlamar Airport will last no more than 45 minutes, a return ticket will cost $ 100 (6,769 rubles as of August 2018). Book tickets in advance - the flight is very popular, and tickets are sold out instantly.
If the ticket is still not enough, use one of the ferries. Only they depart not from Caracas, but from Cuman and Puerto la Cruz. From the capital they are 5 hours away. To this should be added 5 hours, which go on the road by ferry.
Margarita Island in Venezuela: reviews of vacationers
Despite the long, and sometimes difficult road, tourists do not regret that they decided on this trip. The island is worth it: unusually beautiful nature, warm sea, magnificent beaches, wonderful service - all this has a great beach holiday. The island has a well-organized leisure: you can explore interesting places, go fishing or visit national parks, and spend time in the evening in one of the bars or restaurants. Many people in their reviews warmly recall the local population and note that they would not mind visiting Margarita yet.