PORLAMAR, ISLA MARGARITA, VENEZUELA

Anchorage

Porlamar anchorage is safe, but rolly. Anchor in 4 to 6 m, sand. Land your dinghy on the long jetty, being aware that there is less than 1 m of water at its end.

Clearance

Clear in using ‘Juan’ at Marina Juan, at the base of the jetty. We were told that the cost is B140, 000 (US $1 = 2,100 at bank rate; 2,300 on the street.)

General

Rum and beer are both very cheap and off good quality. Rum was B400/ltr (Superior), beer B9900/case of 24, 250 ml (Polar).

Diesel fuel B200/ltr, delivered to the boat. Less than B100 ashore.

Taxis anywhere in town are B5,000.

The best vegetables that we found were sold by C M (Centrale Margarita) Supermercado. Rattan, on Ave 4 Mayonnaise is the best all-round supermarket, but with the exception of fuel and alcohol, Porlamar is not particularly cheap and Panama would be a better bet for boats Pacific-bound.

Visa credit card was widely accepted, but it was necessary to supply additional ID, preferably a passport. A photocopy of the passport also works and saves the risk of carrying a passport ashore.

Getting cash from a credit card via ATMs is difficult or impossible and very risky: thieves and con men lurk around these machines. We were told that Banco Provinciale accepts foreign credit cards, but we couldn’t get cash from their machines or from anyone else.

AVES DEL BARLOVENTO, VENEZUELA

Approach

There are more coral patches than charted in the approach to the obvious anchorage, NE of the light tower. These are easy to avoid in good light, but a serious hazard in overcast conditions.

Anchorage

Anchor in 4 to 12 m, sand.

The anchorage is used by fishing boats. There is a shallow well in the middle of the island, with fairly brackish water. It is situated about 300 m W of the light tower.

An alternative anchorage is in the lee of the reef, further E or behind the most W sand cay.

The channels among the mangroves are home to hundreds of red-footed boobies. Many of these were nesting, when visited in March, with chicks in all stages of development. Non-breeding birds also roost in the mangroves. The island is worth visiting if only to see the boobies.