Although we windsurfed in Margarita, the following information would be useful to kiteboarders as well.

La Isla Margarita is 10 miles off the coast of Venezula. We flew to Caracas, then took a small plane to Margarita. From there we took a cab to the middle of nowhere. We turned down a dirt road that lead to a strip of hotels. We arrived at El Yaque Beach Hotel and checked in.

It was a clean hotel with a view of the Caribbean. Breakfast was included. Vela's windsurfing rental was in the walk out basement. The equipment was great, but we have encountered friendlier hosts and staff. One cool instructor, however, showed us the best waterstarting trick we ever learned. I still use that trick every time I have to set up for a fast waterstart.

The wind was marginal on some days but most of the time it blew around 20 mph side-onshore. We were still learning to waterstart and jibe so we decided to spend our time there practicing these skills. The flat, warm water was ideal for this. After learning the trick and practicing for three days, we had our waterstarts down pat. The rest of the trip was spent jibing.

The restaurants on the island offered great food at very inexpensive prices. Next to Costa Rica, this is the best bargain we had for a windsurfing vacation. MikeÕs bar on the beach at El Yaque served great drinks and the young female bartenders were always smiling and happy. We still miss the smoothies and incedible Caipari–has, a local drink made from crushed limes, sugar and Pitu (a sugar based whiskey).