Porlamar is the largest city on Isla Margarita, Venezuela

Most of the seafood restaurants have identical, overpriced menus, though one exception is Restaurant Cocadas Kathy, really just a shack on the sand open 9am–6pm daily. It serves calamari, jumbo shrimp and sopa de pescado (all $7.50–15), as well as refreshing cocktails and coconuts.

By air The airport is about 20km southwest of Porlamar; a ride into town costs $15. Several cities have flights to Margarita, including Caracas (several daily; 45min), Ciudad Bolívar (Fri; 1hr 20min), Maracaibo (2 daily; 2hr 30min with connection), Puerto Ordáz (3 daily; 1hr), San Antonio del Táchira (1 daily; 3hr with connection), and Valencia (2 daily; 2hr with connection).

By boat The cheapest way to get to Isla de Margarita is by boat; for details, see box, p.1004. Once you’ve arrived at the port at Punta de Piedras, walk 200m up the jetty to the cluster of restaurants and food stalls, where you can hop on a Porlamarbound bus ($1) until 7pm. After hours, catch a por puesto ($1–2.50) or taxi ($15) into town, roughly 27km northeast.