Regions of Margarita

Isla Margarita

Margarita Island is the largest island of Venezuela’s Nueva Esparta state, situated in the Caribbean Sea, around 40 miles off the northeastern coast of the country. The state also contains two other smaller islands: Coche and Cubagua, the former of which is undergoing excellent sustainable and environmentally sensitive development. Margarita’s capital is La Asunción, which is located in a river valley of the same name and it has a population of around 420,000. The mountainous island covers an area of 1,020 km² and is split into two sections linked by an 18 km (11 mile) spit of sand. It is 78 km long and its widest side measures roughly 20 km. The majority of the island’s residents live in the more developed eastern part, especially in the city of Porlamar and the adjoining city of Pampatar. Others are found in the much smaller city of La Asunción and Juan Griego. The eastern part of the Island is called Macanao and is virtually undeveloped save for a few villages.

Porlamar

The biggest city on Margarita Island is Porlamar, known as the island’s commercial center, bustling with shops and popular restaurants, but all at a fraction of the price of typical Caribbean resorts, thanks to its duty free status, granted in 1973. Approximately 85,000 people live there during the low season, rising to 125,000 in the high season. It has two city beaches and a busy port which caters for cruise ships and private yachts and charters.

Pampatar

One of the island’s larger towns, around 50,000 people live in and immediately around Pampatar. You will find the majority of the larger shopping centres here, as well as several beaches. Pampatar is acclaimed within Margarita for having achieved a workable mix of preservation and change, the island’s growth leading Pampatar into becoming an extended suburb of Porlamar. The ruins of La Caranta fort on the eastern bluff support a world class view of the bay filled with sailboats from around the world. Traditional architecture adds to the town’s appeal, the many old houses old houses with their tall doors and windows and decorative grilles a gentle reminder of bygone days. The town was founded in 1580 and named after an Indian word meaning ‘House of Salt’.

La Asunción

La Asunción is the capital of the Federal State of Nueva Esparta and is home to around 25,000 people. It is the seat of the regional government and was the island’s strategic centre in its defense against pirates; today, it still retains its colonial charm.

Juan Griego

Located on the Northeast part of Margarita island, around 1 hour from Porlamar, this is a smaller city of around 45,000 people, and is home to some of the best restaurants on the island as well as some of the best shopping opportunities. Juan Griego is nestled in a small bay used for centuries by local fishermen, and has a small Spanish fort known as El Fuerte. It is the second commercial port on Margarita Island. It is particularly well known for being the place to spot some of the most spectacular sunsets on earth.

Isla Coche

While the focus for potential buyers looking at investing in Nueva Esparta tends to be Margarita Island, the smaller jewel-like neighbouring island of Coche is vying for attention and deserves a look. Coche Island lies just 8 miles south of Margarita and is accessible by boat. The island is marked by different landscapes, with one of its top attractions a shoreline dotted with a variety of wonderful white unspoilt beaches and clear blue waters. Like Margarita Island, Coche is far from the track of Atlantic tropical storms and has seen pronounced development over the past few years, the island’s 8,000 inhabitants welcoming the construction and development of sympathetic yet high-end resorts and subsequent facilities and offshoots. Visible from El Yaque beach on Margarita Island, Coche, together with Cubagua, is a popular destination for day cruises from Margarita.

Together with its even smaller neighbour Cubugua (the first Spanish settlement in the Americas, largely destroyed on Christmas day 1541 by a tidal wave), the pearl beds situated off the shores of Coche and Margarita were major sources of wealth during the colonial period. Surrounded by the Caribbean Sea, contemporary Coche survives on a combination of revenues gleaned from fishing, tourism and its salt mines. An exuberant little island with a distinct personality all of its own, it covers an area of just 55 km² (11 km long by 6 km) and enjoys a distinctly tropical climate. The island is renowned for its windsurfing and kitesurfing facilities. The wind blows across the salt flats and beach to give perfect, incredibly flat water conditions, likened by some to sailing across silk.

Despite being an island teeming with history, this is one of the most unexplored places on the face of the earth. Nonetheless, the island’s hotels respect the environment while taking full advantage of its beautiful geography in pulling in the tourists. Its capital is San Pedro de Coche, which offers a broad range of tourist facilities, with other towns being El Bichar, Guinima, El Amparo, El Guamache and La Uva. Coche Island offers a host of activities including jeep safaris, water sports, boat trips and, of course, kitesurfing.

The island also offers a variety of bars, restaurants, local entertainment and shops.

The beaches on Coche are unparalleled, indeed are some of the best in the world. Picture-perfect beautiful and tranquil, their white sand is lapped by pristine turquoise water. The stunning Playa la Punta is the island’s most popular beach.

Coche Island, together with Margarita and Cubagua, form the state of Nueva Esparta which is a tax and duty free zone. There is also no VAT on the island. Put simply, the purchaser of a property does not pay any taxes on the purchase. There is a minimal annual property tax of US$100.