Laguna de La Restinga National Park
This national park protects a maze of brackish channels and mangrove tunnels on the narrow strip of land that links eastern Margarita to the Macanao Peninsula. Local boatmen take visitors from the El Indio jetty through the mangroves, where herons, pelicans, frigatebirds and sometimes flamingos feed, and out to a long sandbar of shells facing the open sea. Simple stalls on the bar and at the jetty serve fresh oysters and fried fish. The lagoon is a Ramsar wetland. Boat trips are priced at the jetty.
Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Valle
The twin-spired basilica in the village of El Valle, just north of Porlamar, houses the much-loved image of the Virgen del Valle, patron of eastern Venezuela, and draws pilgrims all year round.
Castillo de San Carlos Borromeo
Built in colonial times to guard the bay of Pampatar against pirates, this star-shaped fort has four corner bastions and a dry moat that, set too high above the sea, could never be filled. It stands in the centre of Pampatar, one of the oldest towns in Venezuela, with wide views over the bay, and displays objects from the colonial period.
Playa El Agua
Margarita's most famous beach is a straight ribbon of golden sand three to four kilometres long on the north-east coast, lined end to end with coconut palms. The open sea brings strong, steady waves, so swim with care. A promenade behind the sand is packed with beach kiosks, restaurants, bars and craft shops, making it the best-equipped beach on the island.
