La Restinga Lagoon

La Restinga is the lagoon behind the sandbar joining the two halves of Margarita, a national park of mangrove and shallow water separated from the sea by a long beach of broken shell. Boats run visitors through channels cut into the mangrove, narrow enough that the branches close overhead, out to the beach on the seaward side. Scarlet ibis, herons and flamingos feed in the shallows, and oysters grow on the mangrove roots.

What you actually see

• The mangrove channels - narrow cuts through the roots with branches closing overhead.
• The shell beach - the long bar of broken shell separating lagoon from sea.
• The waterbirds - scarlet ibis, herons and flamingos in the shallows.
• The root oysters - oysters growing on the submerged mangrove roots.

When to go

December to April is driest. Mornings are best for birds and calm water. Boats run through the day from the park jetty.

Honest expectations

Boat prices are set per boat and solo travellers pay for the whole vessel or wait to share. The trip is short. Vendors on the beach side are persistent.

Nearby

Porlamar is east, and Playa El Yaque is south.