Margarita is our Caribbean paradise for the 37th week of the year.
During this week our family sailing cruise will concentrate on the Isle Margarita which is an ideal location for a vacation adventure. Margarita Island and the surrounding small islands are technically part of Venezuela. However in atmosphere they are much more like Trinidad. They are more Caribbean than Venezuelan! That is why many Venezuelan tourists come here it is their Hawaii. Generally, we do not consider the Venezuelan coast to be safe for cruisers and that is why we do not go there. Margarita, although Venezuelan, is a different case. Margarita is a "free port" like many other Caribbean islands. This gives them an international flare very different from the Venezuelan mainland. The best airline flights are connections through Caracas or Valencia. But Trinidad and Grenada sometimes have good connections and direct flights from the USA are planned soon. Try to get one that does not require overnight stay on the mainland. We will meet you at the Marina del Morro dock in Porlamar near 10.95267333,-63.83335333 just have the taxi hail the "Family Affair" on channel 9 and we will pick you up at your convenience Sunday afternoon.
Please note that Weeks 37 and 38 are one two week long stay with a reasonable amount of open ocean sailing. This is the only two week trip on our annual itinerary. Once we leave Margarita there is no public transportation until we return at the end of the second week. So if two weeks is too long or you are not interested in this much sailing, try to pick another week. We depart Juan Griego on Friday so you could join us for the Sunday through Friday day and complete your vacation on Margarita while we sail on.
Week 37, Sunday Arrival Dates: Sep 12, 2010 Sep 11, 2011 Sep 9, 2012 Sep 15, 2013 Sep 14, 2014
Previous week's location: Trinidad Next week's location: Margarita
Number of weeks stay at this location: 3 Other time this year?: Week 38,39
Weather: Ave. Daily High, 88 F, 96% Humidity Ave. Nightly Low, 74 F, 76% Humidity Ave. Water Temp, 82 F Wind, 7KTs N
Main City: La Asuncion Other Cities: Porlamar, Pampatar, Juan Griego,
La Plaine, Dubuc, Scotts Head Points of interest: Playa El Yaque is world famous for windsurfing, Boca del Rio swamp tours, Off shore islands, Playa El Agua, Playa Parguito, Playa Caribe, Punta de Arena, Playa Puerto Cruz.
Recreation: Beautiful beaches, some reefs with good
snorkeling and diving, some restaurants, lots of nature orientated shore activities.
Language: Spanish
Map Link: Margarita Map
Info Link: Margarita General Info More Info Margarita Tourism Info
Nearest Int'l Airport: St. George's Code: GND Name: Point Salines Int'l
Nearest Int'l Airport: Port of Spain, Trinidad Code: POS Name:
Piarcot
Nearest Int'l Airport: Caracas Code: CCS Name: Point Salines Int'l
Local Airport: Porlamar Code: PVM Name: Caribe Int'l
Restrictions: 5 KTs speed limit in harbors, water toys not allowed in some locations.
Itinerary & Passage Plan:
Sunday:
We will meet you in Porlamar Bay, Margarita, Venezuela at the Marina Del Marro docks, on Sunday afternoon and spend the night there. You will need a taxi from the airport to the dock. Have the taxi hail the "Family Affair" on channel 9 and we will pick you up at the dock.
Monday:
On Monday we will stay in our anchorage and get acquainted with the recreational opportunities and the local activities. From here we have easy access by Run-About to all of the southeastern coastal area including Pampatar.
Tuesday:
On Tuesday we will move our anchorage to Juan Griego, Margarita. We will leave at 7:00 AM for the 7 hour sail in semi-protected waters.
Wednesday:
On Wednesday we will stay in our anchorage and get acquainted with the recreational opportunities and the local activities. From here we have easy access by Run-About to all of the northwestern coastal area including Boca del Rio from the north.
Thursday:
On Thursday we will stay in our anchorage and get acquainted with the recreational opportunities and the local activities. From here we have easy access by Run-About to all of the north western coastal area. Most of the attractions at this island are ashore but there are the usual reef areas for water sports.
Friday:
On Friday we will stay in our anchorage and get acquainted with the recreational opportunities and the local activities. From here we have easy access by Run-About to all of the north western coastal area. Most of the attractions at this island are ashore but there are the usual reef areas for water sports. Before sunset we will depart for an overnight passage to Isle Tortuga, west of Margarita.
Saturday
The passage to Isle Tortuga will take 15 hours so we should arrive about 9:00 AM. We will anchor on the west side in a beautiful, secluded, and protected reef area which will be "home" for the next few days.
Sunday:
On Sunday we will stay in our anchorage and get acquainted with the recreational opportunities. From here we have easy access by Run-About to all of the island. This week we spend away from any airports and there is no way to return until the end of next week. So this is the first week of a two week excursion, the only such situation for the whole year and it is worth it!
Porlamar Juan Griego Juan Griego Bay Tortuga Island
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