Isla Margarita, Venezuela - Excellent Vacation Spot for Teens

When planning your next exotic trip, whether with a small group of friends or as a big Spring Break party, consider Isla Margarita off the northern coast of Venezuela. This is a little known jewel in the Caribbean that has plenty to keep you and your friends entertained for a week or more.

Being an island, Margarita is of course surrounded by gorgeous beaches. White sand awaits you, with residents ready to attend to your every whim. Why get up from that relaxing beach chair when there are folks wandering around offering to bring refreshments right to you? The temperature is warm year-round here, and the water is like walking into a tepid bath. In short: bring your swim suit and tanning lotion even in the middle of winter. This island boasts over 320 days of sunshine per year.

Several of the tropical beaches on Margarita are lined with palm trees and offer pretty much any kind of water activity you could imagine. Now is the time to try out windsurfing or para-sailing; experience superior Scuba diving or snorkeling;

The prices on Isla Margarita are unbelievably low, too. This is a Duty-Free zone so there is no tax on anything. You can get outstanding accommodations for song & a dance here, not to mention a huge plate of delicious lobster for around 10 bucks. Food is in abundance, delicious, and cheap. Also, while they are trying very hard to become a major tourist destination they are offering travel packages including transportation to get there for prices so low you will think it was a typo. They have several all-inclusive packages leaving from just about anywhere and to suit pretty much any budget.

Porlamar is the biggest city on the island and is just bursting at the seams with great shopping and dining. It has plenty of beach along with clubs and a new Cruise Ship port. This is where you want make your base of operations for the easiest access to all of the tour excursions and mingling. They have Internet Cafes galore here so checking your email and sending pictures of your great time back home is not a problem.

Margarita is not just about shopping and beaches though. On the western end of the island you can explore the mountains and jungles on a guided tour. You will encounter some of the most stunning waterfalls in the world here so do be sure to bring a camera. You can opt to take a river cruise through the rain forest and meet all manner of delightful native animals along the way, or jump into a fun Jeep for a tour of the terrain. As inexpensive as everything is, you may as well plan to do it all while you're there.

Peninsula De Macanao is an outstanding place to rent a horse and explore to your heart's content; In Playa El Yaque you can find a spot for an intense game of Paint-ball, and Playa Parquito is home to International surfing competitions. There are plenty of opportunities for golfing, fishing, and some brilliant bird watching if that is what you are into.

If you tire of the mountains, forests, and beaches (as if...) You can take a side-trip into the desert area to get acquainted with the local Indians. They have lots of amazing hand-crafted items they would love to sell you for a little of nothing, and at times put on demonstrations of the local culture.

No matter which part of the island you decide to spend most of your time, you can expect to be sporting a huge grin for the duration of your trip. You just can't find a better bang for your buck than on Isla Margarita.

(My article appeared in the Spring 2009 edition of Teen Trend Magazine - all rights reserved)