Margarita Island - A Caribbean Paradise

La Caracola Playa Moreno
is a road a few kilometesr long, the ocean on one side and a Laguna on the other, closed to traffic from 6 am to 9 am and from 5 pm to 7 pm and it doubles as an open air exercise range on the shore. Walking, jogging, bicycle riding and out door exercise gym. There is a space to park your car.

La Asunción
is the capital of the island and of the entire state of Nueva Esparta. There is the church of “La Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción”, said to be the oldest in Margarita

Juangriego
Located on the northern coast of the island, Juan Griego is an interesting town to visit with  romantic bay line restaurants and an idyllic bay full of fisher boats.
It is a very popular fishing village beco-ming increasingly popular. The sea food in this area is amazing, and the prices are so too. It is a popular
place for tourists who come to watch the famous “flaming red” spectacular sunsets that paint the sky and the sea in a thousand colors, while dining at the outdoor beach front restaurants.
The southeastern part, with its small picturesque beach-es and La Galera Beach, is offering a breathtaking view of the shore-line. There also is the dynamic city Juan Griego with its stores offering Free Port merchandise in an ample variety and at excellent prices.

Margarita Beaches
Margarita has a big choice of beaches. There is one for everyone: With or without waves, with or without crowds, with or without wind, with or without hotels, with or without facilities (restaurants, shades, chairs...) 

Guacuco
Beautiful beach; one and a half kilometers of soft waves and crystal clear water that reflects the color of the slightly red, fine sand.  It has its name due to the abundance of clams found here. You could collect them right on the beach, it is really easy.
Playa Parguito: The sand is white and it is boarded by palm trees. It is the beach favored by surfers and body boarders due to the size and quality of the waves. There are several excellent restaurants, offering all services (chairs, umbrellas, showers, toilets, food and drinks served directly on the beach).
Pampatar: Northeast of Porlamar with colonial and historical attractions, beautiful beaches, international and typical restau-rants and large hotels has become one of the preferred areas for residential buildings because of the beauty of its shoreline.
It is one of the most ancient settlings on Margarita Island. Pampatar always has been a fishermen village. When the Spaniards decided to settle there they built castles and forts to defend the village from pirate attacks. Pampatar is very picturesque and calm. Founded in 1535 around the island's most protected deep-water harbor, Pampatar still retains much of its colonial-era flavor and architecture. You can just relax and watch the fishermen, bring in their haul.
Then you can enjoy the “catch of the day” in some of the beachfront kiosks or restaurants, where a meal for 2, including drinks, will only cost $8 - $12.
Playa El Agua: is the most famous beach on Margarita Island. Fine sand, plenty of palm trees give shelter to the numerous restaurants that offer their service directly to the extension chairs.  Most of the restaurants offer showers and toilets as well as a long list of tempting dishes. A cool and shady boulevard runs along the beach. At the beginning, there is a small picturesque free market where you can by beach towels, sun glasses, sandals, beach wear, tanning lotion and much more at reasonable prices.  It is the beach favored by visitors because of its beauty and variety of services and the huge beach parties organized in high season.
Playa Manzanillo: One of the most beautiful bays of Margarita. A fishermen village is located there. Watch the boats rocking softly on the waves and the fishermen repairing the nets.  Take advantage of the opportunity to try "pescado sudado" (steamed fish) and fresh mussels.
El Tirano: A relatively small beach, but very pleasant and not so crowded.
Playa Zaragoza: In the center of the village Pedro Gonzalez. Watch the fisher boats anchored in the deep, cold and tranquil waters. A boulevard boarded by colonial houses runs along the beach. Here you will find food, drinks and nautical sports.
Playa Puerto Cruz: Counts with a large parking lot. Two important hotels have direct access to this beach. The bay is pretty deep, the waves break brusquely at the shore. All services are available at this beach.

Playa El Yaque: Located south of the airport. It offers excellent conditions for windsurf and kite surf. The winds are perfect all year long with velocities up to 30 knots. This beach houses international competitions every year. There are hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, wind surf and kite surf stations.

Beaches on the Peninsula Macanao
You will discover the Peninsula Macanao on the other face of Margarita Island an hour from Porlamar, crossing the bridge that unifies both parts of the island
Playa La Restinga: 27 km of beach with sand composed by seashells, and spectacular sunsets. You have to cross the La Restinga Lagoon to get there. Enjoy a 45 minute ride in one of the picturesque boats through the channels and tunnels of this mangrove lagoon, full of flamingos, seagulls, pelicans, parrots, sea horses (hippocampus) and starfish.
Playa Punta Arenas: It is recommended to get there in 4-wheel drive to be able to appreciate not only this beautiful beach but also its virgin surroundings. A magnificent beach in Macanao
Playa Las Lajas: is a charming little beach just after Punta Arenas, with a restaurant. It is a small beach and completely lonely.
La Pared: Magnificent sunsets and guaranteed peaceful, strong waves. No services there, just natural beauty.

Getting Around on the Island

Renting a car is not essential, but it does make it easier to get around Margarita. You will need to bring your license with you. The main companies are Budget, Hertz and Margarita rentals. Rates vary from $30 - $70 a day. An alternative is to hire one of the many taxi drivers on the Island for a very reasonable price. If you are “adventurous” and time is not so important, you can always try the buses. They are numerous on the Island, and they will get you around for next to nothing.

General information

Entry requirements:
A valid passport, EU and North Americans do not need to obtain an entry visa (visas are issued by immigration officers when entering the country)

Medicine and Health:
There are several public and private clinics, hospitals, ambulance services and many doctors on Margarita Island

Climate:
 There are no pronounced seasons on Margarita Island. The temperature on the Island varies from 32 º C in September to 24 ºC in January. The sun on the Island is stronger than in other locations with similar geographical position.

Extension:
The island is about 1,000 km2 big. Roads are generally in excellent conditions, the largest north-south distance is 33 km, the longest east-west distance is 64 km

Currency:
Legal currency is the Bolívar. There are bills in denominations  500, 1.000, 2.000, 5.000, 10.000, 20.000 and 50.000 Bolívares. Coins of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500 Bolívares.

Currency Restrictions:
Exchange transactions must be made in Commercial Banks or Money Exchange at the official exchange rate.

Credit Cards:
Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club and American Express are accepted in most stores, restaurants, hotels, bars and night clubs, as well as traveler checks.  Outside the larger cities, a supply of Bolívares is recommended.

Water:
The tap water is not recommendable for human consumption. It is preferable to depend on the everywhere available bottled or filtered water.
Transportation:
Public transportation will take you everywhere on Margarita Island at a really low fare.

Electricity:
The voltage on Margarita Island is 115 V

Telephone code:
Margarita Island +58 295 +number

High Season:
December to April and July to September

Investments on Margarita Island

Margarita Island is a good place to buy Caribbean properties as an investment at low prices and it is also one of the few places in the world where a foreigner can actually BUY properties with no real restrictions. Any foreigner can buy property here with just a valid passport and tourist visa. It is a great place to retire and live well on your foreign income while being blessed with the stable warm and sunny climate
Nueva Esparta experienced a vertiginous economical evolution in less than two decades.
Nonetheless, this apparent Margariteñan bounty depends entirely on tourism.
The island is completely tax free (zona libre).
In addition to these special attractions there are sports such as scuba diving, snorkeling, horseback riding, deep sea fishing and golf. All these activities and the perfect weather of at least 320 days of sun throughout the year, attract foreigners to Isla de Margarita, leaving plenty of expectations for the future of Nueva Esparta, diversifying the economy to maintain the growth rate and to insure the future.
All factors point towards success. Communities form all over Europe and North America settle on the island, attracted by investments of international companies. Many visitors, who fall in love at first sight with Margarita, decide to return and settle here, looking for prosperity and tranquility.

Investing on the island is very rentable; remember -  if you do it now, your investment will grow with the development of the region, if you wait much longer, the real estate properties soon will show sky rocketing prices.
Just come and visit us for some days, analyze the market – you will find completely saturated sectors and others still virgins, ready to invest. You will enjoy the contrast between the villages, its costumes and traditions, the living images of its geography and history that season each corner of this land, bathed by the sea (its “salty rim”), with the most beautiful sunsets and sunrises, where you can multiply your investment.
It is a good time now, tourism backs up your investments. Profitability depends on knowing to pick the right area.

Bilateral Investment Agreements
Venezuela currently has bilateral investment agreements in force for the promotion and protection of investment with the following countries: Argentina, Barbados, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Germany, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Uruguay. France and Belgium have signed agreements that are still awaiting legislative approval.

Foreign Trade Zones/Free Ports
The Free-Trade Zone Law (Gazette No. 34,772 of 1991) provides for free trade zones/free ports. The two existing free trade zones are located in the Paraguana Peninsula on Venezuela's northwest coast (industrial) and Margarita Island (commercial). Under the law, any investor in the Paraguana industrial free zone can receive a 10-year exemption from income taxes on all profits earned from goods produced for export. The government may extend such benefits for an additional 10 years. Few investors have taken advantage of the tax breaks in Paraguana due to infrastructure problems in the region. Both the Paraguana and Nueva Esparta (Margarita Island) zones provide exemptions from most import and export duties and offer foreign-owned firms the same investment opportunities as host country firms. Venezuela has three free ports that also enjoy exemptions from most tariff duties: Margarita Island, Maracaibo and, the most recent addition to this list established in May 1999, Santa Elena de Uairen in the state of Bolivar, on the border to Brazil.

Protection of Property Rights
Venezuela is a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). It is also a signatory to the Bern Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, the Geneva Phonograms Convention, the Universal Copyright Convention, and the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property. Through Andean Community Decision 486, Venezuela has ratified the provisions of the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).

Living on Margarita
Living there is just like in a dream. Imagine your gasoline station “filling her up” for just $1.50, or the waiter billing you 40 cents for your beer – in the supermarket its half of that. The butcher will give you a kilo of prime beef for $4.60 and the good chilean wine to accompany it is only $3.50 a bottle. A quarter gallon of milk is $1.30 and your ticket to see the latest Hollywood movie is just $1.60. And almost no taxes at all.
So, why wait any longer? Come and see!