Isla Margarita-What is with the "Stinky Beach?"

[jmrfamily]

We are traveling to Isla Margarita next March so I have been reading a lot of posts on this port. Many posts say the beach next to the ship is great and would recommend spending the day there. However, other posts say the beach is terrible and "stinky" and we should stay away from the beach. I'm confused!

 

 

My thought is that maybe the "stinky beach" is seasonal? If you have been to the beach at Isla Margarita could you tell me: (1) did you like the beach? (2) what about the beach did you like or dislike, and (3) what time of year were you there?

[DesrtDrmr]

November, it didn't LOOK Stinky from the bar next door..................people were having fun there............... We didn't actually set foot on the beach ourselves.

[Starbright]

We were at Isla Margarita last September. We avoided the beach because we'd been told it was "stinky". However, our table companions spent the whole day there and said it was fine - they really enjoyed it. Must say it looked lovely.

 

Apparently the water is quite shallow and the sand looked very clean. The "stinky" thing comes from the fact that there is marshland immediately behind the beach. It was very hot when we were there, so would have thought that would have made it "stinky", but apparently not.

 

The market just by the ship is lovely. Really enjoyed wandering around there, and there's a lovely little bar too where we joined in the dancing. Think it was called the Yellow Parrot, or something like that. I bought some beautiful pink pearls - they were an absolute bargain. :D

[bhopal21]

The beach was beautiful when we were there in March and a lot of us were impressed with how reasonable everything was in Isla Margarita.

 

Mike

[sun&sea]

Vsited the beach in Novemeber 2004. It reeked of dead fish smell just as we approached the beach, so we left. Returned this past February. The beach was great!

 

Janet

[ahracer]

I really enjoyed the beach when I was there.

 

Scott

[Polar Bear]

:) Visited the beach this past April....... great beach ...very shallow...good for shell hunting..... great bargains at the outside mall...very relaxing.....althought we did not hear good things about the people who where giving massages .

[kendon]

The beach is loaded with sea urchins, so wear water shoes! The beach is so-so, not a St. Thomas style beach for sure. The flea market right there is very good, and the vendors are generally very polite. Have fun, but as for the beach in Isla Margarita, it wouldn't be my main destination at this port.

[cynbar]

We were there in April, and the beach was just fine. It does get marshy if you continue around a corner, but we had no problems at all. As other posters have said, the huts with vendors are very nice, lots of pearl jewelry in the $10-$40 range (not the best quality, obviously, but VERY nice for the money) and other souvenirs -- this was a cleaner, higher-quality area than you usually find in the Caribbean. The beach was sandy with a good sand bar so you could walk out quite aways. We enjoyed our day there, only wish it could have been longer. No, it's not the best beach you'll see, but it is the most convenient --- just walk off the ships, through the vending area, and you're there.

[divadiverfl]

Have been there lots of times--In the winter months mostly Feb but loved it--have gone kite surfing by the fishing villiage loved it. The water is fine. Make sure to take a tour.

[Genessa]

We were at Isla Margarita in april and my dh and f-i-l went to the beach planning to spend the day. They stayed about 5 minutes.

 

We live walking distance to a salt water marsh that we all swam in when we were younger, so the problem wasn't a "stink" factor for them or it wouldn't have been if they HAD smelled anything. The smell probably comes and goes with tide levels and humidity.

 

What caused them to leave so early is they aren't "Beach" people, but "Water" people. My dh and his Dad usually spend 7/8th of their beach time in the water, unlike most people who spend 1/8th of their beach time in the water. They did not enjoy the fact that the water was so very, very shallow - ankle deep and barely knee deep. They like deeper water, treading water, mild swells, water that you can actually SWIM in. If you are planning to just sit on the beach, you will like it just fine.

[sunprincess]

When there in March the beach was fine. No stink at all.