Isla Margarita, Venezuela
Known as the Pearl of the Caribbean, Isla Margarita is perhaps Venezuela’s most beloved holiday destination. With countless beaches, scenic mountains, and friendly people, I completely understand why.
Journey:
At the time of my trip the only non-charter international flight to Isla Margarita was from the capital of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), Port of Spain.
To get there from Paraguay I flew through Panama City. Then, I met my friends and spent a beautiful day on the beach on the north of Trinidad. I have always wanted to visit T&T, especially to enjoy a Soca and Calypso concert. Next time.
A few days before the flight via WhatsApp I booked the RUTACA airlines flight. The payment was possible only through Zelle, an American bank transfer service. Since I was the only one in my group with an American bank account, I handled the payment for everyone.
As is necessary for flights to Venezuela on local carriers, we arrived at the airport 4 hours before departure. Check in took a bit of time as the agents confirmed all hotel bookings and outbound flight tickets. We also had to pay a $275 T&T Dollar (approximately $45 USD) departure tax that is normally included in the ticket, but with RUTACA airlines it isn’t. The airline informed us of it before so we knew to prepare the money.
The flight was onboard a very comfortable MD-80 in a 3-2 seat configuration. There was a quick drink, and within 30 minutes we landed in Porlamar airport.
Getting In:
Please do not just expect to show up in Venezuela with no plan and be let in without questions. To have a smooth immigration experience you must show flight tickets all the way back to your country of citizenship or residency. If you are flying to a country of residency be prepared to show proof of residency (like a national ID card).
There were also questions about why we have decided to come to Venezuela. I was traveling with some friends who have a social media following, which made for some additional questions also. I understand that our travel itinerary is far from typical, so the officers had some questions and checks. It ended with a friendly handshake from the boss and a Bienvenido (welcome) to Venezuela. All in all, we were out of the airport about 2 hours after landing.
It is worth noting that as of early 2026 American and Canadian citizens still require a visa to visit Venezuela. Most European nationals do not require a visa.
Day 1:
I had arranged a rental car through Freeway agency which has a counter at the airport. The cost was $68 per day, including insurance. I paid this by Zelle prior to arrival, and then I left a $300 cash deposit.
By the time we got out of the airport it was already pushing 5pm, so we headed straight to the hotel. We booked in the Margarita Dynasty Hotel which is located by the very upscale La Vela. The staff were beyond friendly, and after settling in we headed to walk around the mall a bit. Western media might have you believe the shelves are empty in Venezuela. While this wasn’t a cheap place for the masses, there was no lack of product. And many seemed to be spending. We stopped briefly at a pharmacy here. What is interesting about stores like this is that there are 2 types of prices listed. Some items are listed in Bs. for Bolivars, the local currency. On the other hand, some products are listed in REF which essentially means a reference price to USD. For example, if a product is listed for 5 REF then you can pay it either in 5 USD or in the Bolivars equivalent of 5 USD with that day’s rate. I am not sure why some prices are listed in REF and others in Bolivars but it might have to do with the need to pay for certain products in foreign currency (or at least maintain price stability).
For dinner we went to a nice Italian restaurant near the mall and then headed back to the hotel to map out what we would see the next day. We turned in soon after as we knew it would be a long day tomorrow.
Day 2:
We got up early to see as much as we could. I didn’t know where the breakfast was located, and a lady working at the hotel was nice enough to show it to me. She was so excited to see foreign visitors on the island and gave us some very nice tips about places to see while we were there. Such interactions with local people ended up being a theme on this trip.
Isla Margarita has two main parts with a thin strip of land connecting them. At this strip there is a lagoon and Venezuela’s longest beach, Playa la Restinga. Right across from the entrance to the La Restinga Lagoon is the last gas station (since the western part of the island doesn’t have one). So, we stopped there to fill up our car for 50 cents per liter. Then, we went to the lagoon.
At the lagoon we had to buy a ticket for around $5 per person and then we took a boat ride (which included a stop at the beach) for $50 total. The boat ride was incredible through the mangroves, seeing the mountains in the background, and taking in the peace of the area. The stop at the beach was equally incredible. On arrival from the dock, a guy who sells beers and food met us and showed us around, and we bought some drinks. It was magical to take in this incredibly long (27km / 16.7 miles) long beach! It faces north on the Caribbean Sea with practically no land in the way until you hit the Virgin Islands. There are many people living on this beach in identical hours. They are all fishermen we were told. I suspect the houses were built by the government given they are all the same like this.
My favorite part was the pelican enjoying his day relaxing in a beach chair!
This boat ride was incredible value as the guide pointed out so many bits of wildlife along the way including pelicans and starfish. He also will wait for tourists as long as they like on the beach. Supposedly many come to spend a few hours lounging by the beach and eating fish, and if we had more time we certainly would have done that.
After getting back in the car we headed across the bridge into the more rural, western part of the island. We headed first to the western-most tip of the island, Punta Arenas. It was on our list from the beginning, and when the lady at the hotel said it was one of her favorite places on the island, we knew we had to go. As you drive into the small town there are a variety of beachside restaurants eager to wave you down.
Sometimes when I am traveling like this I do not think about food. I just want to make sure I maximize my time. But boy am I happy that I was traveling with others who wanted to stop for lunch. We ended up pulling into one of the last restaurants on the beach called Restaurante Donde Orangel. Again, unbelievably friendly service with great recommendations. We ended up taking the fried calamari, octopus with vegetables, and shrimp with garlic. All were excellent and gone within minutes! They also had menus in Russian + English.
We took the Southern road to get to Punta Arenas, so we headed on the northern road back to La Restinga Lagoon in order to do a full loop of the west side of the island. Along the way we passed unbelievable scenery. This side of the island is definitely more dry. We also saw a quite old mural of Hugo Chavez. There are two mountains that we got a view of which are known as “the breasts of Maria Guevara.” The story goes that in the Venezuelan War of Independence she breastfed soldiers and even her own adult sons who ended up being some of the strongest warriors. Nowadays the islands are used as a landmark for fishermen.
After crossing back onto the eastern part of the island we made it to the city of Juangriego on the northern coast of the island. Here we stopped for a nice coffee, a walk by the water (with a great view of the fort), and an interesting sign selling Syrian olive oil bottled right on Isla Margarita. There was a building that had a mural with imagery we saw fairly here— the Eyes of Chavez. We saw it for the first time in the airport and then on multiple buildings over our time here.
We then headed through the mountain road to La Asuncion: the capital of Isla Margarita. I certainly wanted to visit because I started my trip to Isla Margarita in Asuncion, so I did a trip from Asuncion to La Asuncion. I’d really like to do the trip one day from Asuncion to Ascension Island, but I digress. The center of La Asuncion has a very sweet square with murals, a church, and cafes.
Soon enough, it was time to drive back to our hotel in Porlamar where we walked a bit around the mall and then headed to the very nice Tacarigua Restaurant in the mall for dinner. We weren’t that hungry coming off the lunch, so we just had a small meal.
Off to Caracas:
Early the next morning we hopped in the car to Porlamar Airport. Since the rental car counter was not yet open we checked in (did not want to miss it!) and then returned the car and got back the $300 deposit. In Venezuela for domestic flights we were told to come 2 hours before departure. Security was a breeze, so we had plenty of time for a coffee on the other side.
The flight to Caracas was a breeze (pushing back 15 minutes early), and in under an hour we were pulling into the oceanside airport in Maiquetía just outside of Caracas.
Wrap Up:
Many are quick to say that a visit to Isla Margarita is very different from the rest of Venezuela. Of course, just like visiting nice parts of Paris is not the same as visiting the most dangerous neighborhoods. There is value in discovering both types of places which is why we decided to head to Caracas right after. I am very happy we got the chance to see this special island, and I hope it will receive more visitors soon.