The Blues of Margarita
- October 12, 2026
By Julia Henríquez
Photos: Demian Colman
Margarita Island, Copa Airlines’ newest destination, is much more than just another Caribbean island. The island is its people, its diversity, and a surprising palette of landscapes. Yet its greatest stars are its beaches, vast and washed by a sea that shifts from deep blue to turquoise. A collection of colors and shades that captivated me and that I’d like to invite you to discover.
Margarita: much more than sun and beach
As soon as we landed on Margarita Island, we felt the intense heat that would stay with us throughout our stay. It wasn’t an exhausting heat, nor that kind of sun that stings the skin: it was the just-right temperature that makes you smile because you know you’ve arrived at your destination purely to have a good time.
Just a few minutes later, we discovered that here, Caribbean warmth doesn’t come only from the sun. Margarita also has a deeply human warmth. Its residents seem to go about without too many worries, with smiles on their faces and an eagerness to spoil the tourists who trickle in.
Here, the heat doesn’t come only from the sun; it’s also found in the warmth of its people.
The island is geographically divided by La Restinga Lagoon National Park. Besides protecting an enormous lagoon surrounded by mangroves, its channels also split the island into east and west. In the northeast are the beaches facing the open sea, perfect for surfing. In the southeast, the sea is much calmer and the beaches are ideal for stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), kayaking, or simply floating aimlessly. And finally, in the west, are the beaches with local flavor; wide sandbanks; and a bold palette that plays with the sky, the water, and the desert.
Cubagua
The first beach we set foot on was Cubagua, which we reached after a 45-minute crossing on Infinity’s catamaran. This 24-square-kilometer island was the starting point of the Spanish colony in Venezuela back in the 1500s. It was key to the trade of the era, since the famous pearls that would later earn Margarita the nickname “the Pearl of the Caribbean” were extracted here.
The landscape of Cubagua, as a sign at the entrance reads, is “the paradise we deserve.” The huge soft-sand beach and the hue of the sea, which is totally calm and makes me feel as if I’m floating among the clouds, transport me to that state of disconnection one seeks on vacation.
Cubagua’s tones shift on the other side of the island. We cross a small desert to reach the ruins of Nueva Cádiz, where our guide tells us the story of the Guaiqueríes and the Spanish. As we listen, I lose myself in the play of turquoises the sun creates as it reflects off the algae: a marine palette entirely new to my eyes.
Playa Guacuco
The tone of Guacuco Beach is surfer-chic. A deep blue sea crashes forcefully onto the beach while, in the distance, chill-out, tropical house, reggae, and other rhythms set the mood for sunny days.
We walk along Guacuco from club to club, passing loungers, beach tents, and sofas that blend into the landscape, wood-and-straw structures, and green palm trees that complete the harmony of colors.
Here, time isn’t counted in minutes, but in waves, cocktails, and laughter. It’s the spirit of Caribbean enjoyment we’ve so often seen in photographs and movies.
Playa Puerto Cruz
Our time at Puerto Cruz Beach was far too short, since we , quite literally, made a grand entrance. The Sunsol Ecoland hotel gives the beach a family-friendly, festive tone. Sunsol is part of an all-inclusive hotel chain specializing in the kind of family vacations where the simple goal is to rest and have fun.
It’s a kilometer of beach equipped with loungers, pools, games, dancing, and entertainment for adults and kids alike, and, above all, a deep blue sea that invites you to play in the waves.
Playa El Yaque
As soon as we arrived at El Yaque Beach, we noticed the tone here was different. Small boutique hotels allow for a much more relaxed atmosphere. We visited the Kokua hotel and its beach club for lunch by the sea. Although we could see other options in the distance, calm reigned at Kokua’s tables.
Every so often, a windsurfer would appear among the waves, adding a splash of color to the horizon right where the sea gradually blends into the sky. Growing more present by the minute, feet in the sand, we let ourselves be carried away by the cocktails and the Caribbean rhythm that reminds us that, to soak up more of life, we often have to stop and simply take it in.
Playa Punta Arenas
On our last day in Margarita, we visited Punta Arenas, at the western tip of the island. As its name suggests, the palette here is defined by the vastness of a beach that seems never to end.
We take the opportunity to walk to what seems like the end of the world and swim almost alone in transparent waters. For lunch, we head to the beachside shacks that are gradually filling with families arriving to spend the day. Punta Arenas has a more informal, local feel: small, open-air restaurants serving traditional dishes, always paired with freshly-made tostones.
And although I’d like to stop time and always have the Margarita Caribbean right outside my window, the moment comes to pack up and return to reality.
Many more beaches remain to be discovered: Playa Moreno, with its downtown restaurants; the 17 kilometers of La Restinga lagoon connecting both parts of the island; and Playa Manzanillo, decorated with fishing boats that dance with the current as they wait for the fishermen who head out with the sun in search of the day’s catch.
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We say goobye to Margarita, but her blues and her people are coming along with us.
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There’s still so much of Margarita Island left for us to explore, and so many free days needed to enjoy its tones and its rhythms. What is never in short supply is the human warmth we felt every day, and now, the wish to return. So, with one last glance from the plane at that sea of incredible colors, I make myself a promise: this is only a “see you later,” Margarita.
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