Cabarete vs. Margarita

dre1536 · Joined: 23 Dec 2000 Posts: 29

Planning 10-14 day trip late Feb/early March. Would like to hear comments from sailors who have visited both places. Never been to Margarita. Been to Cabarete 2x. Almost skunked in Cabarete first trip but still fell in love with the place. Great people and night life. Found the place and people extremely welcoming (not sure if that’s a word??). Understand Margarita has more reliable winds. Cab has waves. Not the type of waves I’m used to but great chop/swell.
How do they compare???
Thanks for the feedback!

djpels · Joined: 06 May 1991 Posts: 1

I havent been there in a few years (marriage and kids have kept me state-side)... I was in Margarita about 4 years ago (for the second time) and Cabarete about 5 years ago (only visit)... Cabarete impressed me with the easy travel and inexpensive lodging... the sailing was a little difficult for me as my wave sailing is not that strong so I could only nail my jibes on the inside but got trashed on the outside... Margarita is better for my ability (high wind and chop - no waves)but harder to get to. No American carriers go direct so you have to travel through Caracas connecting to a domestic flight. I beleive its AeroPostal that runs that route and they dont have a very good reputation for being on-time... the negative side to this is that you may have to spend the night in Caracas which is not in your best interests (safety) and you may lose a night at the margarita hotel that you prepaid... Another small tidbit is that there was a shark attack in Margarita last fall... a very uncommon thing there... and could happen anywhere... Also There has been a lot of political turmoil in Venezuela due to President Chavezs socialistic views... this has led to a lot of protests and violence... SOOO, knowing what I know
If I was going travel today I would pick Cabarete.... best of luck and Buen Viaje
-Dave
dpels@cfl.rr.com

jp4wind · Joined: 10 Apr 2000 Posts: 12

Hi ! Ive been to both Cabarete + Margarita twice...Personally, for the windsurfing aspect, I REALLY liked Margarita better. Yes, the people IN Cabarete are friendly + good nite life, but I prefer a better chance of wind. In Margarita, they have consistent + stronger side shore winds....Margarita doesnt have the ocean waves, but with the higher winds, there is nice swell action on the outer fringes in front of the windsurfing areas.
If you stay in the windsurfing areas in El Yaque...youll be ok..
My friends flew there last summer + had an escort( from one of the windsurf places they stayed at) help escort them thru Caracas...it can be intimating if youre not used to it.....but personally if i had to choose between one or the other....Id go with Magarita...all depends on what you want....have fun!

lasbrisas · Joined: 28 Mar 2000 Posts: 210

Margarita is safe. I spent last winter there in the midst of the strikes and the turmoil, and there were no problems at allon the island. We did have that beer shortage, but that has been resolved. There are numerous flights to the island from Caracas, probably more than 20/day. We have had very good luck with Aeropostal being on time, Laser is another airline that is also very reliable. Also, keep in mind that the Caracas airport is not in Caracas, it is a 45 minute drive to the other side of a mountain range to get to the city. Even if you did have to overnight in Caracas, there are hotels within 5-10 minutes of the airport. (but it is very easy to arrange you flights so that you do not have to stay overnight.) Margarita is your best bet for wind especially in February/March. And dont be discouraged by the lack of nightlife, the reason there is not much nightlife is because all the sailors are exhausted from sailing all day. Give us a few days of light wind and the partying at night picks up quite a bit. And if you really want to party, go to Porlamar. The discos heat up at midnight and go until dawn. The Dominican Republic has also been having its share of political unrest right now, so that may be another thing to consider. (

alvargs · Joined: 11 Sep 2000 Posts: 65

Ive been to Margarita twice and Cabarete once and I much prefer Margarita over Cabarete even though Margarita can be a hassle to get to.

If I am taking a week off work and flying 1000s of miles to go windsurfing, I want there to be good reliable wind. At Cabarete you dont get that, especially at that time of year. In Margarita the wind blows all day and all night. In Cabarete, if the wind does blow, it usually starts at 1pm.

Cabarete does offer better night life and more things to do, but if you want a pure windsurfing holiday, Margarita is a no brainer for me.

This might be an issue for some and not others, in Margarita you typically jump to port whereas in Cabarete you, you typically jump to Starboard. Since at home I always jump to port, I had a hard time jumping in Cabarete.