Laguna de Las Marites Natural Monument, Protected lagoon in Nueva Esparta, Venezuela.
Laguna de Las Marites is a brackish lagoon along the coast of Margarita Island in Nueva Esparta, Venezuela, flanked by red and black mangroves that form a dense fringe around the water. The lagoon is shallow throughout, and the tangled roots of the mangroves rise directly from the surface, making the boundary between land and water hard to define.
The lagoon was designated a natural monument in 1974, when the Venezuelan government moved to protect the area from uncontrolled development as tourism on Margarita Island was growing fast. Before that, the mangroves and waters had long been used by local fishing communities with little outside interference.
Fishing has been part of daily life in the villages around the lagoon for generations, and small boats can still be seen moving through the mangrove channels. The water is not just a landscape but a working place for the people who live nearby.
Fishing and boating require permits from the local park authority, so it is worth arranging these before you arrive. Visiting in the early morning gives the best conditions for seeing wildlife and moving through the mangrove channels by boat.
The lagoon is one of the few places on Margarita Island where the scarlet ibis can be spotted, a bird whose deep red feathers stand out sharply against the green of the mangroves. This species has become rare across much of the Caribbean, and the lagoon is considered one of the last places where it can be seen with regularity.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
