Mangrove tunnels
By boat.
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La Restinga is a wide salt lagoon ringed by mangrove forest on Isla Margarita. Calm channels wind between the tree roots, pelicans perch on the branches, and to the north a long bar of sand and shells separates the lagoon from the sea. The area became a national park on 6 February 1974. The lagoon covers 2,500 ha, with 18 km of channels and mangrove islands covering 910 ha. The sand bar runs more than 24 km from La Guardia to the Macanao Peninsula. The lagoon is on the Ramsar list of wetlands of international importance and is an Important Bird Area. You take a boat from the jetty through the channels and mangrove tunnels, seeing birds and shellfish on the roots, and come out on the long beach facing the sea. The lagoon is about 31 km in a straight line west of Porlamar. The climate is dry and hot, so bring a hat and water, and agree the boat price before setting off. The UK advises against all but essential travel to Venezuela, so check current advice before you go.
By boat.
On the branches.
Sand and shells.
La Restinga National Park, between Margarita and the Macanao Peninsula, Nueva Esparta State
By boat from the jetty with a local boatman.
Yes, it is an Important Bird Area.