La
Restiga National Park located between Margarita and Macanao offers tours
of the lagoon, and there are 5 historic colonial-era forts dotted around
the island. Going south, near the airport, there’s Playa El Yaqui where
you’ll find mostly small 2 and 3 story hotels built hodgepodge along the
beach and some of the best windsurfing in the world! Windsurf boards are
stacked high at various locations and lessons are offered. The beach is
lined with thatched roof bars, snack bars, and restaurants, nothing very
fancy, but a great place to people watch.
The crowd,
mostly in the 20-40 age range, comes from all over the world to “run with
the wind” and at times it looks like Newport Harbor on a Saturday morning!
It’s interesting to watch the various skill levels of the wind and kite
surfers. From the obvious athletes who skim over the waves making it look
so easy, to the poor guy who can’t even get up on his board, it’s quite
a show! And if you get bored with that, there’s always the eye candy on
the beach - many European ladies enjoy sunbathing topless - El Yaqui is
almost a world unto itself and a great place to spend the day.
If you like
you can visit close by Musipan Margarita’s answer to Disneyland. It overlooks
the ocean down a gravel road and is interesting, to say the least..Much
like “Knotts Berry Farm” was in Orange County, California many years ago.
The most popular
tourist beach is Playa El Agua located on the northeast side of the island.
It’s a 3km. stretch of beach with many bars, restaurants, shops, tour guide
kiosks, and beach chairs and umbrellas for rent.
The restaurants
offer standard tourist fare at tourist prices, and the shops sell the standard
tourist junk. No surprises here, but the ‘obscenery’ is worth the trip,
(well-stuffed bikinis and thongs are the rule here) and the beach is good
for swimming and sunning. Across the street from the beach there are lots
of hotels and guest houses. Most are reasonably priced, clean and
fairly well-maintained.
At night the
flavor of Playa El Agua changes. Most restaurants close about 10 p.m. and
the denizens of the dark come out to play. After the tropical sun sets
you can find just about anything you are looking for at Playa El Agua.
Hookers, hustlers, con-men and dealers ply their trade and mingle with
tourists and locals in the two open-air discos that are located side by
side on the beach. One disco/bar is open until 2 a.m. and when it closes
the crowd just moves next door and parties ‘til morning. As long as you
stay in the lighted, main area it is safe, but don’t go strolling down
the beach or far from the crowds at night.
Other Beaches
Playa Parguito
and Playa Guachuco are less inhabited, more family oriented, and quite
beautiful. They are south of Playa El Agua and do have some waves.
Juan Greigo
lies on a beautiful bay and is the “in” place to watch spectacular Caribbean
sunsets. The beaches are clean and there are several very good beachside
restaurants.
It’s difficult
to describe all the beaches because there are 41 major named beaches about
150 smaller coves and less popular beaches. Some are only about 30 yards
long, others run for several miles. In the larger cities on the island
it’s a different world after 11 p.m. Some discos and clubs don’t even open
until midnight! From Wednesday to early Sunday morning it’s music, drugs,
sex and booze. After all, Margarita was a haven for pirates and debauchery
is still the order of the evening. After midnight, Bacchus reins!
Other things
to do - Isla Coche has sugar white sands and beautiful Caribbean aquamarine
water. It’s located about 20 minutes by launch from Playa El Yagui
or you can take one of the big party boats from Marina Concordia (near
Jak’s Restaurant). It’s a great day trip for snorkeling, diving and sun
worshipping. Any sport on or in water is available here. Margarita Island
is safe and affordable for vacation or retirement.
For more information
on the island, please visit my website www.retirecaribbean.com
To contact
Scott Click
Here
The following
is the first article Scott wrote for the magazine: Live On Margarita Island
On $800 A Month? - Answers
To Questions
The
huge birdcage at the entrance - 8 feet high and large enough to hold
about six standing people and looks like a medieval torture chamber. One
sassy parrot greets visitors in several languages, his less gregarious
cage-mates just do the parrot thing. That’s the first thing you notice
at Jak’s, a rustic restaurant down by the marina at Playa Concorde.
It’s in an adobe colored building just at the water’s edge, about 20’x35’
with a shed-type patio alongside, 100 yards from the marina and near the
dinghy dock the cruisers use to get to and from their boats anchored out
in the bay. Faded, ragged flags representing boats from around the world
hang from the ceiling (some signed by the boat crew and left as a memento
of their trip to Margarita Island) along with the usual local beer pennants,
of course.
