Margarita is a little universe to discover, and it opens up to the senses of those who arrive on the island. The saltpeter produces a peculiar smell in the fresh and non polluted air of the island. As the local economy also profits from fishing (second source of income after tourism), the Margaritan cuisine is abundant in seafood dishes. The island, a geographical miniature (67 km from east to west and barely 23 km from north to south) has a rich coastline that has 168,000 meters of most beautiful and varied beaches to offer. Christopher Columbus stepped on Margaritan land in 1498, at a place the aboriginal Guaiqueries called Paraguachoa (abundance of fish), while the island was named after Margaret of Austria, wife of Infante Don Juan, son of the Catholic Majesties. Margarita is the largest and most populated of the three islands making up Nueva Esparta, Venezuela’s only insular state. (The other islands are Coche and Cubagua, and they are not populated). The name of the state is another homage, this time to the courage of Margaritans fighting for independence. The Margaritan population is exclusively urban. There are two main cities: La Asuncion, its capital, and Porlamar. Geographically Margarita is two islands connected by the Isthmus of La Restinga. The influence of the sea and the action of the winds help to keep the weather fresh in some areas where they prevent temperatures from going extremely high. As a result of its insular formation, Nueva Esparta is located totally in the hole of the watershed of the Caribbean Sea. Nueva Esparta is one of Venezuela’s states with a well-developed tourist industry. The city of Porlamar, with an urban structure of sharp contrasts, stands out for its multiple offers of products from all over the world, made possible for its condition as a free port, and the casinos and gamble houses, recently legalized, but still exclusive of five star hotels.

Main beaches: On the northern coast you can find: Juangriego, La Galera, Caribe, Puerto Cruz, Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo. La Galera is located in the Bay of Juangriego. Playa Caribe, to the northeast of La Galera, is an excellent site for those who love peace. On one of its ends there are solitary caves and its waters are oceanic. The beach in the Bay of Puerto Cruz is wide, refreshing and offers white fine sand. It’s one of the best on the whole island. With oceanic waters. Not far is Puerto Viejo, whose quieter waves are very safe for children and unskillful swimmers. Manzanillo is a picturesque bay surrounded by mountains on the northeastern end of the Island. The sight of fishermen’s boats adds color to the view. Some of the beaches on the east coast are: El Agua, Parguito, El Tirano, El Cardon, and Guacuco. The most frequented and highly developed beach resort in Margarita is El Agua, where the waves are vigorous and the waters clear. Close to El Agua is Parguito, whose winds and wild waves are ideal for surfing. El Tirano, it is a real contrast with the other beaches on the island: its waters are always turbulent; however, the well known sunsets at El Tirano are always impressive. Tourists very frequently come, too, to swim at Punta Cardon, which is10 kilometers away from Margarita’s capital. Six kilometers from Asuncion is Guacuco, a very popular place among the Margaritans, where several tourist development facilities are under construction. On the south coast you can find: Pampatar, Concorde, La Caracola, Bella Vista and El Yaque. Located in a beautiful bay, Pampatar names an important fishing port. Water sportsmen find in Pampatar’s quiet waters an excellent venue for their sports practices. Next to Marina Concorde is the homonymous beach, which is an excellent spot for water sports. Young people prefer to enjoy themselves and make new friends at La Caracola, a fashionable resort.

Bella Vista is the beach of the city of Porlamar. The peaceful, warm and shallow waters of El Yaque make this beach great for children. The beach, also suitable for wind surfing, is located behind the airport. In the Peninsula of Macanao (west) you will find: La Restinga, Punta Arenas, La Pared, and El Tunal. La Restinga is a portion of sand that joins together the Island of Margarita and the Peninsula of Macanao. The journey to La Restinga is an exciting boat ride through mangrove-bordered channels. Punta Arenas is a beach of very fine sand located on the westernmost portion of the island, where there is also a fishing village. The visitors in Punta Arenas can enjoy the exquisite flavor of fresh fish and have the option of some water sports. Around 60 kilometers from Porlamar is La Pared, showing the extraordinary beauty of its quiet oceanic waters. This beach is well known for its splendid sunsets, which can be watched from a lookout over the beach. Four kilometers from La Pared is El Tunal, extraordinarily beautiful and characterized by oceanic waters. It is located by the side of a small fishing town.

Other Tourist Attractions In Margarita there are several places tourists like visiting on excursions, that is the case of religious buildings and such historical sites as monuments and fortresses. The fortifications built to defend it against pirate attacks denote the island’s importance during colonial time. In the Santiago de la Caranta Fortress there are traces of battles waged in this building that dates back to 1595. Dutch pirates destroyed it in 1626. From this fortification visitors can recreate a magnificent view of the whole Bay of Pampatar. All along the colonial period, the Spaniard raised fortresses and castles to protect their ports against pirates. Thus, the Castle of San Carlos in Pampatar watches over the bay that bears the same name. Its construction started in 1622 and ended 20 years later. Built in 1680 the Castle of Santa Rosa, in La Asuncion, occupies a particularly meaningful place in local history. Luisa Caceres de Arismendi, heroine of the Margaritan independence served prison in the castle’s dungeons. On the other hand, this place offers a splendid overall view of the city and the Valley of Santa Lucia. Margaritans invite you to enjoy the beauty of the Caribbean twilight from La Galera Fort, overlooking the bays of Juangriego and La Galera. In Santa Ana del Norte, just between La Asuncion and Juangriego, Fortin Espada stands out to people’s eyes. Those interested can only complete the tour with a visit to the Columna de Matasiete, where a monument on the hill bearing the same name honors a group of brave patriots. Premises of religious value include first and foremost the Basilica of Nuestra Senora de El Valle, the Patron Saint of eastern Venezuela The Cathedral of Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion, built in 1617, houses the Virgen de La Asuncion, a 17th century carving.

Museums The Francisco Narvaez Museum, in Porlamar, permanently exhibits works of the laureled Margaritan sculptor, as well as of other artists of the Island and eastern Venezuela. In La Asuncion, the Nueva Cadiz Museum shows pieces dating from the colonial period. Many tourists coming from other continents value very highly the experience of visiting the Sea Museum of Boca de Rio, in Macanao, which displays the 14.6 meter long skeleton of a whale, numerous sea species, fishing accesories and models of ships.

Meals Margarita’s cousine can please all tastes and pockets. There is countless number of high quality bar-restaurants with a variety of cuisines that include Margaritan, Asian, European, North American, Mexican and Peruvian dishes. The Bahia Restaurant, famous for its lobster and varied menu of international cousine, offers the visitor a wonderful panoramic view of the beach of Bella Vista. French cuisine lovers feel delighted by the food at Cocody and Le Chateaubriand, while those who like the peculiar hot flavor of chile in delicious Mexican dishes have the tempting choice of El Patio del Mosquito Coast and El Jalapeno. Margarita, like all big cities do, already has its first Cyber Cafe. Tourists and locals get together here to navigate and send or receive their E-mail via Internet. At the Cyber Cafe they serve delicious sandwiches, coffee and salads, and they can have a drink at a well- supplied bar. Aerial sports The bungee, consists in jumping from a great altitude down to the sand, with the certainty that the harness on the competitor’s ankle will stop him on time before crashing flatly on the sand and make him rebound several times in the air. The bungee can be enjoyed at El Agua beach, too. The icaruses take off at El Copey hill at an altitude of 755 meters. The conditions of the flight are magnificent as a result of the hill side winds. Parasailing: A parasail is a parachute that is dragged by a boat and it is practiced at La Caracola beach. The parasailor floats in the air enjoying the breeze, the sun and the wonderful panorama. Flying on ultralight planes is one of the most exciting activities to do on one’s visit to Margarita.

ACUATIC SPORTS Skindiving: There are many places on the island that are ideal for snorkeling. The abundant sea life, typical of the reefs, ornamental fish, molluses, sponges, snails, and other species contribute gracefully to diving. Jetski: The best beaches for jetski are Punta Arenas, La Galera, Concorde and Pampatar, where local and international competitions are regularly organized. Surfing: At Parguito beach, a suitable place for surfing, the stream provokes strong wave activity, a good reason for frequently holding national and international competitions. El Yaque beach, located behind Santiago Marino International Airport is known as one of the world’s best seven places for surfing, due to the speed, consistency and direction of the wind.