Cubagua Island

Cubagua is a low waterless island between Margarita and the mainland, and in the 1500s it was the centre of the pearl trade: Nueva Cádiz was founded on it and became the first Spanish town established on the South American continent, with several hundred stone buildings. The oyster beds were exhausted within decades and an earthquake and tsunami finished the town in 1541. Its foundations are still visible on the shore, and the island is otherwise empty.

What you actually see

• The Nueva Cadiz foundations - stone outlines of the first Spanish town in South America.
• The pearl history - the oyster beds that built and then abandoned the settlement.
• The empty island - flat scrub and beaches with no permanent population.
• The clear water - snorkelling off the shore around the ruins.

When to go

December to April is calmest for the crossing. There is no shade on the island and midday is very hot. Boats must be chartered as there is no scheduled service.

Honest expectations

There is no shade, no water and no facilities of any kind; everything must be carried. The ruins are low foundations and take imagination. Boats are chartered privately and cost accordingly.

Nearby

Coche Island is south, and Margarita is north.