Margarita Island is one of Venezuela's top attractions. Located southeast of Venezuela's mainland city Caracas in the Caribbean Sea, it belongs to the Venezuelan state of Nueva Esparta. Enticing beaches, exciting nightlife and easy accessibility from the coast has helped to transform Margarita to a world-renowned vacation destination.
In earlier days, Margarita Island was anything but a hospitable tourist destination. Christopher Columbus discovered the island in 1498; the Spanish considered it a lucrative acquisition for its oyster pearls. Fortified against marauding pirates in search of its wealth, the island eventually fell under the control of the ruthless conquistador Lope de Aguirre until his eventual departure for Panama. In 1816, on Margarita Island, Simon Bolivar became Commander in Chief of Venezuela and embarked on his mission to free parts of South America from Spanish control. Bolivar eventually won Venezuela's independence from the Spanish crown.
Margarita Island can be reached either by plane or by water taxi. Flights depart Caracas at least five times a day and land at the Del Caribe International Airport outside of the city of Porlamar. It is also possible to reach Porlamar from other Venezuelan cities, as well as Barbados. A reliable ferry system connects the island with the mainland city of Puerto de la Cruz twice a day.
Margarita is blessed with hot, dry, but tropical weather most of the time. Although it is in the Caribbean, it normally escapes the hurricanes that torment northern Caribbean islands. The island has two seasons: Rain from May through August (sometimes later in the year as well) and dry weather the remainder of the year. Rainfall is normally limited to 24 inches per year.
Shopping is what many Venezuelans come to the island for, since Margarita Island is well known for its cheeses, seafood and other products. A reliable road system allows for interesting driving tours, such as to the island's remote northern coast. Trips by 4X4 offer a further view of the island's back country and tropical surroundings.
There are as many as 50 beaches on Margarita Island, each with their own breathtaking beauty and charm. El Yaque beach is a renowned windsurfing location, with good restaurants and comfortable surroundings. Puerto Cruz is popular for its warm waters (often 73 F), palm-treed landscape and fine restaurants. Outlying, more remote areas include the La Restinga beach, located in the Laguna La Restinga National Park, which features calm waters and a less crowded atmosphere.
Several of the island's historical buildings date back to the 17th century. The San Carlos Borromeo castle in Pampatar city was constructed in 1642 and stood up to numerous pirate attacks during Spanish rule. In the state capital, La Asunción, the Santa Rosa castle (1680) once held the popular heroine, Luisa Cáceres de Arismendi who was incarcerated in a dungeon during her husband's fight to attain Venezuelan independence.
