Isla Margarita, Venezuela 🇻🇪 Gringo’s Guide

Everything you MUST know about this Caribbean paradise...

Even if you don’t know much about Venezuela, you still may have heard of the popular beach destination of Isla Margarita — aka Margarita Island.

Margarita is the largest island in Venezuela — 950 square kilometers or 590 square miles — and is also the most popular tourism destination in the country. Hundreds of thousands visit the island each year and it remains a sought-after vacation spot for international tourists.

You could say that Margarita is the “Cancun of Venezuela” in some ways.

It’s a place that is dependent on tourism, and therefore it makes every effort to accommodate tourists, whether they’re coming from the US or anywhere else.

The island has a handful of sites and scenes. If you’re seeking a summer refuge with many beaches, this is the best place for you in Venezuela.

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from a Venezuelan man who has worked in the import/export industry in Venezuela for years, speaks great English, and has been around the whole country.

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Margarita Island, Venezuela 🇻🇪

Population:

600,000

Weather:

The weather in Margarita is HOT.

We’re looking at high summer temperatures every single day.

Unsurprisingly, the weather on the island is perfect for the beach, pool parties, tanning and all other water-related activities. Every establishment on the island is equipped with air conditioning (all malls, shops, hotels, restaurants, and apartments). If you can tolerate a little bit of warm weather, you will be fine here. However, if you prefer to experience all four distinct seasons, this destination won’t be ideal.

There is a rainy season that lasts for a few months of the year. That said, it still doesn’t rain much here compared to the rest of the country.

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Why Visit Isla Margarita?

As the most popular tourism destination in Venezuela, Margarita has many options and amenities for both domestic and international travelers.

The main activities are, of course, related to the beaches. The island has around 100 beaches and over 300 kilometers of coastline, so you’ll find the same activities here as you’ll find in any other of the world’s popular beach cities.

The people of Margarita are cordial and welcoming and offer good customer service; any modern convenience or service you’ll need can be found on the island.

The food is impressive, notably its seafood. One must-try dish is cazon (shark) empanadas with garlic sauce. You’ll find this at many stands throughout the island. Also, you’ll want to try the fried fish. If seafood isn’t your thing, no worries – you’ll also find restaurants with food from all around the world here in Margarita.

Also, if you’re looking to mingle with people from a variety of other countries, Margarita might be the best place in Venezuela to do so.

Oh, and there’s also your fair share of Venezuelan women found here too…ya tu sabes ;)

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How to Get to Margarita 🇻🇪

Margarita is one of the easiest places to get to in Venezuela, especially if you’re coming from another Venezuelan city.

There are direct and frequent flights to Margarita from every major city in the country.

In the past, several international destinations offered flights to the island. However, those flights have since been canceled. There are plans to reintroduce new international flights from Brazil, Colombia, and Spain, and there are charter flights from Russia. 

Here’s the current cities you can fly to the Porlamar Airport from.

Also, if you want to bring your car from mainland Venezuela, you can do so using a ferry service. These services operate from Puerto la Cruz, Guanta, Cumana and La Guaira, and arrive to Punta de Piedras on the western side of the island. The cost of a one-way ticket is around $20-$30 per passenger and around $80-$100 per vehicle.

Overall…

You basically need to be in Venezuela already to get here.

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Best Neighborhoods

First, we’ll explain Margarita’s geography — and then you can decide which neighborhood might suit you best.

Margarita is in the state of Nueva Esparta, which consists of three islands — Margarita, Coche and Cubagua.

The other two islands are small and don’t offer as many attractions, although some niche tourists prefer to stay there. 

The state is divided into 11 municipios (counties) which have many small cities. 

Some of these cities include: 

• La Asuncion (capital of the state)

• Porlamar

• Pampatar

• Juan Griego

• Punta de Piedras

• Punta de Mangle

• El Valle

• San Juan Bautista

• Santa Ana