Venezuela is going through very hard hours. The earthquakes of June 24 hit the north-central mainland with force, and our first thoughts are with the families of La Guaira, Caracas and the other affected areas. We are writing this note because many guests are asking, rightly, how the island is doing: Margarita is fine, and we want to say so with facts.
What happened
Shortly after six in the evening, two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 shook the country less than a minute apart. The epicentres were in Yaracuy state and off the coast of La Guaira — more than 300 kilometres west of Margarita. They are the strongest quakes recorded in Venezuela in over a century, and the serious damage is concentrated in that region of the mainland.
The island is fine
On Margarita the tremor was felt — it was noticed in all eleven municipalities of Nueva Esparta — but the Civil Protection assessment reported no damage and no injuries on the island. The tsunami alert was officially ruled out for our coast the same evening. Electricity, water, shops and tourist services are running normally; life in Pampatar and Porlamar keeps its usual rhythm.
Why Margarita stayed outside the affected area
Distance explains it: the epicentres are more than 300 kilometres away, at the opposite end of the Venezuelan coast. At that range a strong quake is felt as a long sway, not the destructive jolt the nearby areas suffered. The island, separated from the mainland by open sea, remained completely outside the damage zone.
If you have a trip booked
Your accommodation and the island await you as normal. The thing to check is your arrival route: Maiquetía airport (Caracas) was damaged and suspended operations, so if your plan was the Caracas–Margarita air bridge, check your flight status and the alternatives — direct flights from other Venezuelan cities and the usual international connections. The east of the country, where the ferries to the island depart from, is not in the affected zone.
Margarita standing with the mainland
The island is not just fine: it is helping. Nueva Esparta’s Civil Protection sent rescue teams to the stricken areas, like so many Margariteños who have stepped up with donations and support. If you visit in the coming weeks you will find an island at peace and grateful to receive you — tourism is its engine, and travelling here is also a way of supporting Venezuela.