El Yaque is on the south-east coast of Margarita Island, Nueva Esparta state, ten minutes by car from the airport. It is the beach on Margarita that appears on the international windsurf and kitesurf calendar, and that shapes everything else about it: who goes, what is set up along the shore and what time it fills.
The combination that explains it is specific: constant wind over shallow, calm water. The shore is soft sand and the water stays shallow a long way out, which turns a fall into a formality rather than a fright. That is why it works equally well for a first-timer and for someone competing.
What to do on the water
Windsurfing. The discipline that made the beach’s name. Sustained wind, a wide beach to rig on and a forgiving bottom. It has hosted international competitions repeatedly.
Kitesurfing. Same conditions — sustained wind and flat water — with enough space to manoeuvre. The schools on the beach teach it alongside windsurfing.
Paddleboarding and kayaking. The quiet options, for the low-wind hours — usually early morning — when the water goes flat.
What El Yaque is not: a beach for swimming and lying about. With any wind, the shore fills with boards and kites, and swimming in the sailing area is a bad idea. For that there is Playa El Agua, on the north coast, which is the island’s sunbathing beach.
What there is on land
The whole village lives off the same business, so the services are concentrated along a short beachfront and you do everything on foot:
- Schools for windsurfing, kitesurfing and paddleboarding, with beginner courses.
- Equipment hire, if you are not travelling with your own board. It is the reason a lot of people pick El Yaque over other Caribbean spots: you do not have to check in your kit.
- Accommodation at every level, from small guesthouses to hotels with a sport package included.
- Restaurants and bars on the seafront, which hold the village’s social life in the afternoon. El Yaque has a reputation for long meals.
- Convenience shops and a taxi service for getting around the island.
Getting there
By air. Santiago Mariño International Airport is in Porlamar and it is as close as you can land: about 10 minutes by car or taxi to the beach. For a weekend with hired kit, it is the obvious route.
By ferry. From Puerto La Cruz or Cumaná to the port of La Isleta, on Margarita. From there, about 20 minutes by car to El Yaque. Cheaper than flying and it lets you bring your own vehicle.
Once on the island. From Porlamar take the road south towards the airport and follow the signposted turn to El Yaque. Another 10 minutes.
What is under the water
The sailing area is sand, but the surroundings have living bottom: tropical fish, starfish, sea urchins, sponges and crustaceans associated with the hard and soft corals nearby. Pelicans and gulls fish along the shore daily, and the beach receives sea turtles, which in some cases come up to nest.
That last point is the reason for the one rule that is not optional: if you find a turtle track or a marked nest, do not walk on it and do not shine a light on it at night.
Looking after it
- Your rubbish leaves with you. Single-use plastic above all: bottles, bags and straws are the beach’s main source of pollution.
- Do not take shells or coral. They are part of what keeps the sand where it is.
- Do not chase marine wildlife or damage the dune plants: they hold the beach together.
- Respect the local signage on vehicles, fires and restricted areas.
Who El Yaque is for
It is the right call if the trip revolves around water and wind, if you want to learn kitesurfing without the trauma, or if you are after a small place where you have dinner with the people you sailed with. It is not, if you want a long quiet beach, diving, or nature without infrastructure.
In that case the island has alternatives: the comparison is in the Margarita Island guide, and the full map of the country’s islands in islands of Venezuela. For sand without wind, beaches of Venezuela.