A mangrove-fringed coastal lagoon linking the two halves of Isla de Margarita.
Laguna de La Restinga National Park
Laguna de La Restinga National Park is a protected coastal area on Isla de Margarita, the largest island in Venezuela's Nueva Esparta state. The park spans the narrow isthmus that joins the eastern and western portions of the island, in the municipality of Tubores, and protects one of the most important coastal lagoons in the Venezuelan Caribbean. Created in 1974, the park is administered by INPARQUES and is part of a network of eight protected areas within Nueva Esparta.
The defining feature of the park is a shallow coastal lagoon bordered by extensive mangrove forests, where navigable channels weave between the roots of red, black, white, and button mangroves. Beyond the mangrove fringe, dry coastal scrub and thorny woodland cover the sandy flats, creating a distinctive transition between marine and arid island ecosystems. The combination of mangrove habitat, open lagoon waters, and surrounding xerophytic vegetation makes the park a key refuge for migratory birds, marine turtles, and an unusually rich community of coastal fish and shellfish.
The lagoon is also the cultural and economic heart of local tourism on the island, with traditional motorized boats, known locally as tapaítos, ferrying visitors between mangrove channels and a sandy ocean beach. This blend of ecological significance and accessible scenery has made La Restinga one of the most recognized natural landmarks of Venezuela's Caribbean coast.
