Isla Margarita

[georgepbryan]

Noticed last year that a "cruise terminal" was being built at "Porlamar", does anyone know if this is now in operation, if not any ideas when it will be? Tried a half dozen sites in Venezuela with no success in finding anything out?Thanks.

[Charliesmom]

We were in Isla Margarita last year on the Sun Princess. We tied up at a dock that looked fairly new. I don't know if it was in "Porlamar" or not. They had a terminal building with shops in it and outside of the terminal building they had a lot of vendors in thatched huts.

If you go, plan to buy pearls. We bought genuine pearls for $10.00 a strand which were not bad at all. I also bought a very fancy seed pearl necklace for $40.00 which was very lovely. I bought 10 strands of pearls and the necklace and was sorry that I had not bought more. They make wonderful gifts.

Roberta

[gizmo]

It looks like Princess may have docked there. Try this:
http://www.vheadline.com/printer_news.asp?id=21199

Another article
http://www.insightguides.com/insight/iguides_details.asp?doc=VEN001&s=9&TAG=&CID=

[RichardK]

Hope things have gotten better??

In the early 90's I spent a year there one week............!!!

[allen.crawford]

We were in Isla de Margarita in April. Not sure if the pier was new or not, but we really enjoyed the numerous vendors in the thatched "huts". It was refreshing to see so many hand made items of good quality.

We also did the Rumba on the Chiva tour. The guide was VERY informative about the island, its history, sociology (did you know that women out number the men 2 or 3 to 1 and are the ones who ask the guys out for a date and pay for it!!), economy, and environment. We had a great time.

Our only regret, my wife (Margarita) didn't buy a shirt there!! LOL But at least she had a Margarita on Margarita island!

[dakrewser]

On this page (http://vquill.com/carib3.htm) (at the bottom) there's two pix of the area around the dock taken from the top of the Volendam last fall. I believe this was not the "new" port they were still talking about building.

[Charliesmom]

dakrewser,

you are correct. We docked at Guamache.

Roberta

[Krazy Kruizers]

:) dakrewser

The picture you took at Isla de Margarita is the old pier where we docked several times in the past.

The only thing there were a couple of shops in the building, a few vendors, and 2 beaches where you could rent chairs for the day.

:)

[dakrewser]

:) The picture you took at Isla de Margarita is the old pier where we docked several times in the past. The only thing there were a couple of shops in the building, a few vendors, and 2 beaches where you could rent chairs for the day.

Well, 20 or 30 vendors. And its the only dock I know with a beach "next door"(with a lovely outdoor bar). I can't imagine that a "newer" dock in Porlamar would be more enjoyable....

:)