Margarita Island

Abundant with nature's bounty and floating amidst crystalline Caribbean waters, Margaritas Island is a pearl of the Caribbean, in every sense of the word. Laced with white sandy beaches and verdant hills, the island houses rich pearl beds that surprised even Christopher Columbus when he first landed here in the 15th Century. Two islands joined by an isthmus form Isla de Margaritas as a whole, with a majority of the population living on the eastern part of the island. Home to the Guaiqueries tribe, the island has faced the ravages of several buccaneers and pirates who wished to capture its natural wealth. Replete with natural harbors, the coastline runs for 198 miles (318 kilometers) and the island covers an area of 414 square miles (1,072.26 square kilometers). While La Asuncion basks in the glory of being the island's capital, it is Porlamar that gains the most tourist attention. Being the largest city on the island and focal point of the pearl industry, its duty-free status from 1970s has attracted throngs of foreign tourists. This marine paradise brimming with pearls is a Venezuelan treasure in the Caribbean.