Venezuela - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 911

de San Carlos Borromeo, completed in
1684 (daily 8am-5pm; free).
Margarita's most famous beach,
Playa El Agua (1hr from Porlamar by
bus), is 3km of white sand, palm trees
and plenty of tourists. Less rammed
beaches around the island include playas
Manzanillo, El Yaque, Caribe, Guayacán,
Puerto Abajo and Cardón.

de Piedras, so ensure you tell your bus driver which
company you are travelling with.
Tourist information Corpotur, Centro Artesanal Gilberto
Menchini in Los Robles ( T 0295 262 2322 or 262 3638,
W corpoturmargarita.gov.ve), roughly 3km from the centre.
There's also an information point at the airport, daily
5am-11pm ( T 0295 400 5057).

GETTING AROUND
By bus The cheapest way to explore the island (no more
than BsF7/ride). The primary bus terminal is five blocks
west of the Plaza Bolívar, serving Punta de Piedras and
various locations in the north of the island. Otherwise,
bus stops throughout Porlamar's centre correspond to the
island's more popular locales; buses run 6am-9pm daily.
By taxi Taxis within Porlamar cost around BsF30 during
the day, BsF40 at night. Otherwise the city's centre is easily
walkable.

ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
By plane Santiago Mariño Airport is about 27km south-
west of Porlamar; a taxi ride into town costs BsF180.
Destinations Caracas (several daily; 45min); Barcelona (3
daily; 30min); Maracaibo (4 daily; 2-3hr with connection);
Puerto Ordáz (2 daily; 1hr); and San Antonio del Táchira
(1 daily; 3hr with connection).
By ferry The cheapest way to get to and from Isla de
Margarita is by ferry (see box below). Buses to Punta de
Piedras (which stop at the top of the jetties) come and go
from the new bus terminal five blocks west of the Plaza
Bolívar between calles Velasquez & Igualidad until 7pm.
A taxi either way costs BsF120 after hours. Keep in mind
that ferry companies leave from different jetties at Punta

11

ACCOMMODATION
PORLAMAR
Porlamar is the undisputed commercial centre of the
island and rocks a distinctly more Caribbean vibe than
the mainland. It's also the best spot for reasonably priced

BOAT TRANSPORT TO AND FROM ISLA DE MARGARITA
The three ferry companies which operate to the island depart from either Puerto La Cruz or
Porlamar on the mainland, the towns at either end of Parque Mochima. All ferries dock on the
island at Punta de Piedras, an hour's bus ride from Porlamar. Speedboats, which are half the price
and twice as bumpy, are also an option and depart from the mainland's closest point at
Chacopata, arriving at El Faro dock in Porlamar. Fares listed are one-way only. All companies run
two-hour “express” services, while Conferry and Naviarca run the cheaper five-hour “conventional”
trips, although they're scheduled at inconvenient times. You're asked to arrive 1hr 30min prior to
departure to “confirm” your ticket at a company booth. Like bus tickets, you'll need your passport
number to book a ticket. Rates are the same both to and from the island.

FROM PUERTO LA CRUZ
Puerto La Cruz's port is roughly 3km west of the centre, to
which a taxi from the town should cost BsF20. Naviarca/
Gran Cacique ( T 0281 267 7286, W grancacique.com
.ve) has four daily express services (BsF126). Conferry
( T 0281 267 784, W conferry.com) has three daily
express boats (BsF88) and two daily conventional boats
(BsF44). Navibus ( T 0295 500 9284, W navibus.com.ve)
runs two daily express boats (BsF128).

FROM ISLA DE MARGARITA
From Isla de Margarita, Conferry has three daily
express departures for Puerto La Cruz and four daily
conventional services. Naviarca/Gran Cacique has
three daily express returns to Puerto La Cruz in the
high season, and two during the low season. If you
didn't buy a return ticket on the mainland, make sure
you visit a ferry o ce in Porlamar a day before you
wish to leave.
You can also take cheaper lanchas (speedboats) for
BsF60, which act like por puestos , departing when full
between Porlamar and Chacopata on the mainland.
The ride takes about an hour and boats operate from
6am-2pm daily, arriving and departing from the
El Faro dock in Porlamar. Por puestos serve Chacopata
from Maturín and Cumaná bus terminals.

FROM CUMANÁ
Cumaná's terminal is 1km from the town's centre, from
which Naviarca/Gran Cacique and Navibus operate.
Both have two daily express boats to and from the
island (BsF128), while Naviarca has three conventional
boats (BsF90). An additional departure is added to
each type of service in the high season.