The pearl of the Venezuelan Caribbean - Margarita Island

Isla Margarita, pearl of the Venezuelan Caribbean, a small earthly paradise in the Caribbean Sea and the presumed final destination of the "Camino de la música". The island is the fourth stop since my arrival in Venezuela and certainly the most touristy;

although, as usual, I avoided (not entirely) the tourist clusters to delve into the true Caribbean essence of one of the most beautiful corners of the world. It's something I recommend to everyone: take a day to rent a car, or better a motorbike, and wander around the wonderful little villages in the interior of the island. With local friends I ended up in Ciudad de Juangriego in the Marcano municipality, where I met the real margariteños musicians, fishermen or artisans who play the galerón and Venezuelan merengue. The little village and the surrounding areas (to the north of the island) are famous for their ceramic crafts and straw sombreros. Getting lost among the narrow alleys of the villages is a continual surprise: the small, brightly coloured houses, besides carrying you into an atmosphere of lightheartedness and "distance", hide unique craft objects inside.

Then don't miss, among the many little food stands scattered here and there, the typical comida of the island: cachapa y cocada. The first is a sweet and savoury corn cake filled with cheese, the second a very sweet drink with a coconut flavour, but with plenty of other super-calorie ingredients inside. Given the excessively hot temperature of the island, a nice nap after the meal is recommended.

Another tip: if you get the chance to take part in a margariteño birthday, don't let this opportunity pass you by. A true madness of improvised and hilarious traditional songs (happy birthday they barely know it), the symbol of the eternally summery character of this Caribbean people in their blood.

If you take part in a birthday it means you've met someone local, so have them take you to the typical beach that "only they know" and enjoy the exclusivity and the view. A beautiful tourist spot? The beach bar, located near an inlet of the Caribbean Sea and close to a very beautiful fortress in the south of the island. And then well... the beaches, the hotels, the discos, the bars, the restaurants, the little boats,... the pelicans!!!