Porlamar, Nueva Esparta, Venezuela

🇻🇪 Porlamar is is a city and major seaport in the state of Nueva Esparta, Venezuela. It is situated on the southern coast of Margarita Island, one of three islands in the Caribbean Sea off the South American mainland which make up the state of Nueva Esparta, at a distance of 6 miles (10 km) from the state capital of La Asunción. Porlamar is the capital of Mariño, the most populous of the eleven municipalities into which the state of Nueva Esparta is divided.

History The city was founded as Puerto de la Mar (now Porlamar) on the south-east coast in 1536, less than 40 years after Christopher Columbus first sailed through. In 1561 it was briefly captured by the Latin American conquistador and rebel Lope de Aguirre. Aguirre and his men executed several of the town's residents, including its governor, and looted the royal treasury. Even after Aguirre's demise on the mainland, the beach in which he first landed on the island is still referred to as playa del Tirano (Tyrant's beach).

In 1680 the Council of the Indies ordered Margarita born Juan Fermín de Huidobro to build a fortress with four bastions and a watchtower known as San Carlos Borromeo. Porlamar was a quiet fishing village until the arrival of air travel. Since then, it has become the central hub of the island with shops, restaurants and nightlife supported mostly by European and Venezuelan tourism.

Demographics Porlamar is home to about one-third of Margarita Island's population.

Economy Porlamar is Margarita Island's centre of commerce. Since it was granted free-port status in 1973, its boutique-lined avenues have been crowded with tourists. In the late 1990s, the economic downfall hit Porlamar.

Transport Del Caribe International General Santiago Marino Airport (PMV) in Porlamar has charter services to Europe and Colombia as well as scheduled passenger flights to destinations in Venezuela. It is located 20 km (12 mi) south-west of the city center.

Geography Porlamar is situated on the south-east coast of Margarita Island on the bay of Guaraguao, which is shielded from north-east winds by Cabo El Morro. The city is bisected by the seasonal El Valle river.