Dom & Mike's Excellent Windsurfing Vacation

Items to take

• Read travel comments from Rocky at Casa Viento

• Duct Tape for your hands
• Windsurfing gloves
• Harness
• Small gym bag to carry your "stuff" to the beach
• Pink "Baby" sunscreen 30 pfs
• Cash - no atm machines or banks in el Yaque and it's a $35 round trip cab ride to Polomar to find an ATM machine. There is an ATM machine at the airport - but it wasn't always functional.
• Advil for the muscle aches and the hangovers.
• As their are no tv's or radios in the rooms (at Casa Viento) a CD player or radio would be nice.
• If your a man - bring a woman.
• If you're a woman - bring gringo repellant.

Travel Tips

• Excange rate March 1999 - 580 Bols to the US Dollar. Do not exchange money in Miami at the airport - they are theives. Caracas airport is a good place if your flying that route.

• Avoid Caracas if possible. Aeropostal has direct flights from Miami to Margarita Island - your travel agent will have to search to find them.

• Pack light, other than long pants if you nightclubing in Polomar you only need t-shirts and a couple pair of shorts. It's very laid back in El Yaque.

• We've heard you can get some great travel rates with World Trade Travel in NYC. We used MacNair travel in Alexandria and were pleased with their service.

• Expect to pay 1,000 bols ($2) departure tax when leaving Margarita and 16,000 bols ($28) when leaving Caracas. They only take cash so be ready.

•

Restaurants

Most every restaurant in town is located on the beach. Remember you're in the islands and everything is laid back - including the service. If you're in a hurry pack your own lunch. A service charge of 10% is automatically added to each bill.

• Mike's El Yaque Beach Bar (Hopefully renaimed Margarita Mike's) is the place to go for happy hour after a hard day of sailing. Polar Beers and other liquors are half price from 5 -7 pm. (Polar was running normally 500 bols ($1). They also offer a great sandwich at lunch time the B.E.L.T.C.H. (bacon, egg, lettuce, tomato, cheese and ham). Mike's is located next to the Vela Center (see map). Our favorite bartenders were Anna and Elizabeth (see photo).

•Sotavento best seafood restaurant in El Yaque.

• Gabby's. BBQ and blues bar. Great bbq coupled with classic blues when you need a latino break. Saturday night they have a all you can eat bbq with an all you can drink bar for 10,000 bols ($17 US) from 7 - 10pm. This restaurant is owned and operated by Minnesoto transplant Miguel and his local wife Gabby. Gabby also offers massages (for those sole windsurfing muscles) at $35 per hour. Dom claims she's the stongest woman he has ever met.

• Beach Bum Bar, on the beach in front of the Windsurf Paradise Hotel. Only open for lunch with great chicken sandwiches on french or pita bread. 1,800 bols ($3.50 US)

• Mare Mare, about the only place without a beach view. Food was good and according to our Cape Cod friends the dish to order was the mixed seafood grill.

• Lobster House - Polomar City. Reported to be one of the best restaurants in Polomar. Our food was great but pricey. Dinner for two with wine was 42,000 bols ($72 US). Save your money and the cab ride and eat in El Yaque. Besides the beach is the reason you've traveled 2000 miles.

• Mambo's Ice Cream - operated by Dario's (windsurfing instructor at the Happy F2 Center - his sister is also a national windsurf competitor) Mother it offers great soft Italian ice cream. Pass on the dessert at the restuarant and stop here instead on your way up the hill to Casa Viento.

• terrazo Italiano - in the Hotel El - Yaque. Good pizza right out of wood fired oven but we had two partially sleepless nights from some spice in the pasta sauce - better to stick with the pizza. They also offer an outdoor beach bar right next to Mike's.

Sailing Tips

• In the mornings sailing conditions are usually 6.0. With the wind picking up at 1:00 in the afternoon. We sailed 4.4 > 5.3 every afternoon. (We were also there during peak season which we're told starts around February 15th)

• You're excited about your first day on the water - but try to pace yourself. Dom and I sailed 5-6 hours the first day and 4 -5 hours the second day and our hands we're shot. Best to take it easy until you calasses start to form. Wear gloves with duct tape covering your sensitive spots.

• Take a lesson. These guys are great teachers and lessons can be had for $40 per hour.

• Some of our group sailed over to the next island Coche. An eight mile sail across a lot of chop. Flat sailing can be found at Coche and their are equipment rental places on the island. Vela has a site there. Beware we've heard that there is flat spot in the wind about a mile off Coche island which can present a problem.

Lodging

There four hotels in town and a couple of bed and breakfast. We opted for Casa Viento, a small three building property, overlooking El Yaque. Although 200 yards from the beach we found this a great place to stay. Rocky, the proprietor, is on site to provide directions, restuarant recommondations and even sailing tips. You won't find this level of service at the hotels. Not being on the beach was not a big deal as we would walk down every morning to the windsurfing shack. We brought our bag and left it at the shack sailed all day then hit Mike's for happy hour until 6:30pm grabbed our bag and headed up the hill. The other benefit to the bed and breakfast is the comraderie generated by the small physical plant. You met everyone at breakfast on the roof top and discussed the days sailing plans. We were fortunate in meeting a great group from all over - Cape Cod, Seattle, Canada, and California and ended up dining (and drinking Polars) together at the local restaurants. To that degree this rarely happens in a Hotel setting.

With that said if you have your heart on staying at the beach we rec ommend either the Windsurfs Paradise Hotel or the new Hotel Windsurf Oasis (opened in January 1999).

Have Fun.

Mike and Dom



Return to Home Page		Margarita Travel Tips Winter 1999
	Items to take • Read travel comments from Rocky at Casa Viento • Duct Tape for your hands • Windsurfing gloves • Harness • Small gym bag to carry your "stuff" to the beach • Pink "Baby" sunscreen 30 pfs • Cash - no atm machines or banks in el Yaque and it's a $35 round trip cab ride to Polomar to find an ATM machine. There is an ATM machine at the airport - but it wasn't always functional. • Advil for the muscle aches and the hangovers. • As their are no tv's or radios in the rooms (at Casa Viento) a CD player or radio would be nice. • If your a man - bring a woman. • If you're a woman - bring gringo repellant. Travel Tips • Excange rate March 1999 - 580 Bols to the US Dollar. Do not exchange money in Miami at the airport - they are theives. Caracas airport is a good place if your flying that route. • Avoid Caracas if possible. Aeropostal has direct flights from Miami to Margarita Island - your travel agent will have to search to find them. • Pack light, other than long pants if you nightclubing in Polomar you only need t-shirts and a couple pair of shorts. It's very laid back in El Yaque. • We've heard you can get some great travel rates with World Trade Travel in NYC. We used MacNair travel in Alexandria and were pleased with their service. • Expect to pay 1,000 bols ($2) departure tax when leaving Margarita and 16,000 bols ($28) when leaving Caracas. They only take cash so be ready. • Restaurants Most every restaurant in town is located on the beach. Remember you're in the islands and everything is laid back - including the service. If you're in a hurry pack your own lunch. A service charge of 10% is automatically added to each bill. • Mike's El Yaque Beach Bar (Hopefully renaimed Margarita Mike's) is the place to go for happy hour after a hard day of sailing. Polar Beers and other liquors are half price from 5 -7 pm. (Polar was running normally 500 bols ($1). They also offer a great sandwich at lunch time the B.E.L.T.C.H. (bacon, egg, lettuce, tomato, cheese and ham). Mike's is located next to the Vela Center (see map). Our favorite bartenders were Anna and Elizabeth (see photo). •Sotavento best seafood restaurant in El Yaque. • Gabby's. BBQ and blues bar. Great bbq coupled with classic blues when you need a latino break. Saturday night they have a all you can eat bbq with an all you can drink bar for 10,000 bols ($17 US) from 7 - 10pm. This restaurant is owned and operated by Minnesoto transplant Miguel and his local wife Gabby. Gabby also offers massages (for those sole windsurfing muscles) at $35 per hour. Dom claims she's the stongest woman he has ever met. • Beach Bum Bar, on the beach in front of the Windsurf Paradise Hotel. Only open for lunch with great chicken sandwiches on french or pita bread. 1,800 bols ($3.50 US) • Mare Mare, about the only place without a beach view. Food was good and according to our Cape Cod friends the dish to order was the mixed seafood grill. • Lobster House - Polomar City. Reported to be one of the best restaurants in Polomar. Our food was great but pricey. Dinner for two with wine was 42,000 bols ($72 US). Save your money and the cab ride and eat in El Yaque. Besides the beach is the reason you've traveled 2000 miles. • Mambo's Ice Cream - operated by Dario's (windsurfing instructor at the Happy F2 Center - his sister is also a national windsurf competitor) Mother it offers great soft Italian ice cream. Pass on the dessert at the restuarant and stop here instead on your way up the hill to Casa Viento. • terrazo Italiano - in the Hotel El - Yaque. Good pizza right out of wood fired oven but we had two partially sleepless nights from some spice in the pasta sauce - better to stick with the pizza. They also offer an outdoor beach bar right next to Mike's. Sailing Tips • In the mornings sailing conditions are usually 6.0. With the wind picking up at 1:00 in the afternoon. We sailed 4.4 > 5.3 every afternoon. (We were also there during peak season which we're told starts around February 15th) • You're excited about your first day on the water - but try to pace yourself. Dom and I sailed 5-6 hours the first day and 4 -5 hours the second day and our hands we're shot. Best to take it easy until you calasses start to form. Wear gloves with duct tape covering your sensitive spots. • Take a lesson. These guys are great teachers and lessons can be had for $40 per hour. • Some of our group sailed over to the next island Coche. An eight mile sail across a lot of chop. Flat sailing can be found at Coche and their are equipment rental places on the island. Vela has a site there. Beware we've heard that there is flat spot in the wind about a mile off Coche island which can present a problem. Lodging There four hotels in town and a couple of bed and breakfast. We opted for Casa Viento, a small three building property, overlooking El Yaque. Although 200 yards from the beach we found this a great place to stay. Rocky, the proprietor, is on site to provide directions, restuarant recommondations and even sailing tips. You won't find this level of service at the hotels. Not being on the beach was not a big deal as we would walk down every morning to the windsurfing shack. We brought our bag and left it at the shack sailed all day then hit Mike's for happy hour until 6:30pm grabbed our bag and headed up the hill. The other benefit to the bed and breakfast is the comraderie generated by the small physical plant. You met everyone at breakfast on the roof top and discussed the days sailing plans. We were fortunate in meeting a great group from all over - Cape Cod, Seattle, Canada, and California and ended up dining (and drinking Polars) together at the local restaurants. To that degree this rarely happens in a Hotel setting. With that said if you have your heart on staying at the beach we rec ommend either the Windsurfs Paradise Hotel or the new Hotel Windsurf Oasis (opened in January 1999). Have Fun. Mike and Dom