The
Valley of the Holly Spirit (El Valle del Espiritu
Santo) is a pretty, tree shaded colonial village. Surrounded by green hills,
this small village was Margaritas first Capital, founded by Isabel Manrique de
Villalobos in 1529. In front of the shady Santiago Marino Plaza, is a
flamboyant, Neo-gothic Church which houses the image of a 16h century Virgin
venerated by fishermen and boatmen.
History tells that it was destined for Peru and mistakenly unloaded in
Cubagua Island. When the island of
Cubagua suffered earth tremors and tidal waves, people evacuated and brought
the Virgin to Margarita. Since then,
thousands of pilgrims have come to pray and ask favors on Her feast day (Sept.
8) even Pope John Paul II came to consecrate Her as the patron saint of the
Venezuelan Navy. Adjacent is the Diocesan
Museum where hundreds of religious silver and gold offerings and the
Virgin’s jeweled robes are displayed. Look out for a rare pearl in
the form of
a leg which was offered
by a fishermen who promised;
“I’ll offer the first pearl that I find if you will cure my leg” (which had
been bitten by a stingray). He recovered satisfactorily, and the biggest
surprise was that the first pearl he found was shaped like a leg! Location: 2.5 Km northwest of Porlamar.
Las
Marites Lagoon is the refuge for some of Margarita’s marine
bird species. Boatmen take you through
the mangroves, rich in plant and wild bird life (cormorants, heron, white and
scarlet ibis). This makes it a good spot for photographers and bird watchers, specially early in the morning and
late in the afternoon. It was proclaimed a National Monument on February 27, 1974.
It has an area of 3.680 hectares and is less crowded than the Restinga Lagoon. Location: South of Margarita, east of
El Yaque. |
New
Market of Los Conejeros is the shoppers
destination. T-shirts, shorts, towels, swimsuits, sandals and much more are
found along hundreds of small stalls. The eastern end is the clothing area, the western end, a lively center for fresh
fruits, vegetables, poultry, fish, food and dry goods. In the central area you
will find the fast food stands. Location:
west end of Avenida Jovito Villalba. |
