The federal state of Neuva Esparta in Venezuela comprises of a number of islands like Coche, Cubagua and the Island of Margarita. Isla Margarita or the Margarita Islands is the largest amongst them.
The island of Isla Margarita is located towards the Northeastern coast of the country in the Caribbean Sea. The capital is La Asuncion and it is situated in the valley of a river. The island is formed from two peninsulas. It has a population of approximately 4,20.000 and the majority of them live towards the eastern part of the island, which, is comparatively more developed. The important cities in this island are Porlamar, Pampatar, La Asuncion, the capital city of the island and Juan Griego. Isla Margarita is said to have been discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1498, during his third voyage to America.
Isla Margarita, as its name suggests, is a true romantic getaway. The island is referred to as “The Pearl of The Caribbean” and has about 106 miles of coastline, interspersed with about 50 beaches. It is an ideal place for tourists on a romantic escapade. It combines into one the beauty of the blue Caribbean Sea and the mountainous terrain. It is in every sense a Caribbean paradise. It offers to its tourists, everything that a Caribbean Island would offer, white sand beaches, turquoise blue waters, palm tree lined shores, almost 320 days of sunshine in a year, resort facilities, natural parks, water sports, golf course etc. Being a Caribbean Island, the temperature rarely fluctuates. It is rarely too hot or too cold. In addition to that, it has an edge over other Caribbean Islands in the sense that adds a dash of South American flavor to the spread.
The prime attractions on offer are scuba diving, horse riding, snorkeling, fishing, sailing, wind surfing, kite surfing etc. The island can boast of excellent scuba diving facilities at the fraction of the price found elsewhere. Lagoon La Restinga is the most famous of the five natural parks in the island of Margarita. It has mangrove swamps, colorful fishes, dolphins, flamingoes and pelicans. A boat trip to Restinga is a very novel experience, especially for bird watchers.
Isla Margarita offers world-class facilities in terms of snorkeling, diving and wind surfing. The two most popular sites of diving and snorkeling are Los Frailes, a cluster of rock formations, ranked as the best in the world for diving. And Isla Cubagua, a sister island of Isla Margarita. In Isla Cubagua, divers can make the most of a sunken ferry, complete with cars. This would be a real treat for tourists looking for a spot of adventure.
Isla Margarita offers awesome, wind and kite surfing facilities too. This best place for these adventures would be Playa El Yaque. This place guarantees ideal conditions for wind and kite surfing. It ensures satisfaction from the beginner, to the professional.
To top it all, It would be nice to mention that Isla Margarita lends its name to the cocktail Margarita. And though at present many variants of Margarita are being served to the connoisseurs in the world, an authentic tequila margarita would be available only on Isla Margarita.