Isla Margarita

Isla Margarita is a Caribbean island no one knows about – except Venezuelans, for whom this semi-desert island has long been a favorite getaway. Located just 25 miles off the South American coast and roughly halfway between Trinidad and Bonaire, Isla Margarita is anything but an undeveloped, back-of-beyond backwater – not with casinos, five-star hotels, a championship golf course, and a disco-rich nightlife in the main city, Porlamar. The resort-rich eastern part of the island has been called "Cancun South," but even that popular Mexican getaway must envy Margarita’s amazing collection of white-sand beaches (more than 50 of them), world-class windsurfing (at El Yaque), and some of the best diving in the southern Caribbean. Want more? Duty-free shopping has long been a standby here for Venezuelans, who favor the imported cheeses, perfumes, and liquors. (Foreign visitors tend to search out buys in handicrafts such as hammocks and pottery.) Charter a deep-sea fishing boat? No problem. Ride a horse on one of those majestic beaches? Saddle up. More than 300,000 people live here, so why isn’t Margarita better known? Beats us.