Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Why Choose Caracola Beach and Spa Resort for your Next Vacation?

If you are looking for the perfect Caribbean vacation, you need to check out Caracola Beach and Spa!

Resort Amenities

• Three themed restaurants
• A nightclub
• Convention hall with capacity for 2000
• Mini-market
• Duty-free high-end retail shopping
• Salon
• State-of-the-art sport and fitness center
• Luxury spa
• Beachside activities center
• Four infinity pools, complete with water slides, lazy river, and tropical swim up bar

Beaches

With over 70 unique beach on Isla Margarita, you are bound to fine the perfect one that suites you. Below are the five must check out beaches:

1. Playa Caribe - It offers a quiet and relaxing atmosphere with quite a few good restaurants along the coastline, plus some nice caves for exploring near the end of the beach.

2. Playa El Agua–This beach offers many activities including several water sports, micro plane rides, concerts, nightlife and many hotels.

3. Playa Parguito –Here you will find some restaurants which open early and serve breakfast, while others open from noon until early evening. If you walk down to the ends of the beach you will find great lookout areas that give a nice overview of the area.

4. Playa El Yaque – This beach attracts people from all over the world to surf, kite, or swim because of the shallow, warm water that extend several hundred meters from the shore.

5. Playa Manzanillo- It is a small beach but never very crowded. It is 900m long and 25m wide and its quiet waters offer an ideal swimming location.

Activities

The Resort’s location on the Caribbean Sea provides an abundant amount of outdoor activities where guests can enjoy the beautiful scenery, as well as the fairly consistent 80 degree temperatures throughout the year.

Caracola Beach and Spa Resort, located on Isla Margarita, offers:

• Remarkable golfing locations
• Numerous hiking grounds from mountainous rain forests to sand flats
• High end duty-free shopping at locations such as Tommy Hilfiger, Benetton, and Tiffany’s
• Horseback riding
• Extraordinary scuba diving and snorkeling locations with abundant and diverse underwater life
• Uninhabited islands for exploring
• National parks, forests, lagoons, and beaches
• Historical forts
• Windsurfing

For more information about Caracola Beach and Spa Resort, please visit www.CaracolaBeachSpaResort.com.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Enjoy One of the Top Excursions on Isla Margarita

Excursions on Isla Margarita are definitely the best way to see the island, its surrounding areas, and the overall experience and enchanting beauty of the Caribbean when visiting Caracola Beach and Spa Resort.

Here is a list of the top 8 excursions:

Los Roques- The clear, calm waters and white sand beaches will surround you in this true paradise. The National Park of Los Roques is comprised of more than 350 islands and a number of coral banks, keys, and small desolate islands for enjoying and exploring.

La Blanquilla- Here you will be able to swim under cliffs and find backwaters of interior beaches whose pearly white sands and clear waters have made this destination a must see site. You will also find the perfect cliffs for wall diving in this area.

Coche- Spend your whole day kitesurfing on the super flat waters with a consistent offshore wind in this ideal location. Those who have visited Coche, believe it is one of the most idyllic and tranquil places in the world to sail!

Cubagua- Thanks to the influence of a nearby ocean trench, the water of the bay stays in the upper 60s to low 70s year round, and it is still possible to find oysters here. Ruins from the past can be found on the eastern side and provide guests with a perfect opportunity to explore the history of Cubagua.

Araya- The Araya Peninsula is famous for its salt production and in 1622, during the Spanish domination, a castle was built to protect what was then called "white gold". Visitors can experience the ruins of the Castle of Araya and enjoy its white beaches, take a stroll on the salt crusts of the Laguna Madre with its contrasting colors, and overall enjoy this incredible landscape.

Canaima- This is one of the more impressive tourist destinations around the area. The Canaima Lagoon is fed by several small waterfalls, and all of which can be enjoyed from a Curiara (a long canoe) to provide you with a closer view. Something really surprising about this area is the color of the water and the sand. Due to the abundance of minerals, the water takes on red color, and the sand is a beautiful light pink because of the presence of quartz.

Delta del Orinoco- An extensive swimming region with an intricate vegetation growth of mangrove trees and tropical forest offers adventurers the opportunity to get acquainted with nature and with the indigenous communities.

La Gran Sabana- Landscapes of impressive beauty are what the tourist will find in this vast natural conservatory. The region is one of the more privileged places in the world with the famous Tepuys (flat top mountains), the oldest mountains on earth, and the world’s highest waterfalls, The Angel Falls. More than 9,000 feet of height and 300 million years of age is enough reason to visit this unforgettable place.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

New Year’s Eve at Caracola Beach and Spa Resort

New Year’s Eve is a worldwide celebration and carries many different traditions depending on your location. In Venezuela, it is custom to celebrate New Year’s Eve with your family and friends over a big feast, and usually, many champagne toasts are given.

Here is a list of traditions and customs celebrated in Venezuela.

1. At the start of the New Year, the people in Venezuela follow a custom of eating 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight. This New Year’s Eve custom is believed to bring good luck for the coming year.

2. The people in Venezuela follow the custom of carrying a suitcase around the house for those who want to travel during the New Year.

3. Wearing yellow underwear is a custom that is followed by the people of Venezuela on New Year. This custom is believed to bring the people of Venezuela good luck in the year ahead.

4. Wearing red underwear is another custom that is followed and is believed to bring the people of Venezuela love for the year ahead.

5. Yet another New Year custom followed by the people of Venezuela for the New Year is the writing of letters asking for many wishes. In order to make sure that nobody can read what is written in these letters; the papers are all put together and burned when the New Year is approaching.

6. If someone is looking for money in the coming year, he or she must carry with them a high value bill on New Year’s Eve.

7. Another custom is to listen to radio specials which broadcast the countdown and announcement of the New Year and various musical traditions are followed through these special programs. Traditionally songs of sadness are broadcasted at the end of the year. Some of the popular songs are "Cinco pa' las 12" ("Five minutes before twelve") by singers like Nancy Ramos, Nestor Zavarce, and Jose Luis Rodríguez El Puma, and another song is "Viejo año" ("Old year") by Gaita group Maracaibo 15.

8. The song "Año Nuevo, Vida Nueva" ("New Year, New Life") by Billo's Caracas Boys is played in the first minutes of the New Year and has become the unofficial hymn.

These customs have ancient roots and most of the customs are still followed by the people in Venezuela on New Year’s Eve. The people in Venezuela regard New Years as an important celebration which will bring them the things they are looking for in the New Year.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Feliz Navidad from Caracola Beach and Spa Resort!

Last Minute Shopper?

Check out these shopping locations for everyone on your list.

1.La Vela Mall

La Vela Mall offers three levels (Arena, Mar y Sol) to ensure its visitors the most incredible experiences of shopping, entertainment, and enjoyment. The mall offers some of the most prestigious brands worldwide, service shops, and a large area devoted to food.

The mall offers stores such as Adidas, Armani Exchange, Hugo Boss, Custo Barcelona, Kenneth Cole, Lacoste, Clarks, Converse, Diesel, Guess, Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica, Technomarine, Paul Frank, Karsten, Victoria's Secret, La Senza, Mac, Crocs, and Xoxo. The mall also offers stores that specialize in accessories, jewelry, shoes, sports, and optics.

2.4 de Mayo

Avenida 4 de Mayo is populated with boutiques and shopping centers which carry the best lines of all sorts of merchandise including clothing, electronics, cosmetics, perfume, liquor, etc. Many of these items carry exclusive manes like Gucci, Fendi, Cartier, Nike, etc. Avenida 4 de Mayo also houses many international goods, fast food joints, and restaurants.

Enjoy The Holidays on the Beach!

Check out these beaches for an enjoyable, relaxing day during your holiday stay.

1.Playa Caribe - This beach offers a quiet and relaxing atmosphere with quite a few good restaurants along the coastline, as well as some nice caves for exploring near the end of the beach. Facilities on this beach include food, drinks, toilets, sunshades, and sunning beds.

2.Playa El Agua– This beach is the most famous and popular beach on Isla Margarita. It’s populated with around 50 restaurants, kiosks and small beach bars, and the boulevard along the beach provides visitors with shops, restaurants, and internet cafes. This beach offers many activities including several water sports, micro plane rides, concerts, and nightlife. Despite all that is going on, this beach is still big enough to give you some space on your own.

3.Playa Parguito –Like Playa El Agua, this beach also has some waves, making it one of the best beaches for surfing on Isla Margarita. Jorge Hautmann (or Pakayola), runs a surf school here, and offers both surfboard rentals and surfing lessons to travelers. If you walk down to the ends of the beach you will find great lookout areas that give a nice overview of the area.

4.Playa El Yaque – This beach is one of the most famous places for kiting and wind surfing. Therefore, the beach is full of kiters and surfers all year around. Young people from all over the world gather here to surf, kite, or swim because of the shallow, warm waters that extend several hundred meters from the shore. There are many hotels, including Caracola Beach and Spa Resort, and restaurants on this beach.

5.Playa Manzanillo- This beach is located near the northern tip of Isla Margarita, not far from Playa El Agua. It is a small beach but never very crowded. It offers quiet waters and is an ideal swimming location. This area also has several restaurants that will rent beach chairs and umbrellas, as well as serve food and drinks.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Christmas Traditions around Caracola Beach and Spa Resort

Holiday Decorations
Most people decorate both the inside and outside of their homes with bright lights. And it is also very common for them to put up a Christmas tree as well, but the most authentic Venezuelan custom is to display a nativity scene (Nacimiento). Venezuelan nativity scenes are very descriptive and usually represent the entire region including the mountains, hills, plains, and valleys, all centered around a replica of the manger at Bethlehem. Many modern day versions even include electric trains, boats on the sea, and cartoon figures, along with the traditional shepherds, pilgrims, kings, and the Holy Family.

These often become a real work of art.

Holiday Traditions around Isla Margarita
The religious celebrations begin on December 16th where an early morning mass (Misa de Aguinaldo) is held every morning leading up to December 24th when mass is held at midnight (Misa de Gallo).

On December 25th, Christmas Day, children awaken to find gifts around the Nativity Scene or Christmas tree. And their tradition has it that it is the Child Jesus who brings gifts to the Venezuelan children instead of Santa Claus.

The Christmas festivities officially come to an end on January 6th, the Day of the Reyes Magos, when children again will receive toys and candies. Christmas is the main holiday when all Venezuelan families come together and celebrate.

Traditional Holiday Meals
During this time, families get together to enjoy the traditional holiday meal which includes: hallacas, pan de jamon, and dulce de lechoza. Hallacas are typically a mixture of chicken, pork, beef, capers, olives, and raisins wrapped in cornmeal dough, bound with string within plantain leaves and boiled or steamed before eating. Pan de jamon is a long bread filled with cooked ham and raisins, and dulce de lechoza is a dessert made of green papaya and brown sugar.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Caribe Genuino Features Caracola Beach and Spa Resort

Caracola Beach and Spa Resort was featured in its own special edition of Caribe Genuino, and if you haven’t seen it yet, you should! This 152-page special edition magazine provides readers with various topics of information all relating to the areas around Isla Margarita and, the much anticipated, Caracola Beach and Spa Resort.

The magazine takes readers through all the popular destinations around Isla Margarita including the amazingly beautiful beaches of Playa Caribe, Playa El Agua, Playa Parguito, and Playa Yaque, as well as the top attractions including Diverland, Waterland, Ranchero Macanao, and Jeep Safari.

The magazine also includes information, as well as photos, on Caracola Beach and Spa Resort. It features information on all the amenities offered, including various restaurants, spa facilities, and a gymnasium, to name a few, as well as information on the management company that will run the daily operations of the Resort, Geneva Hospitality.

This is one magazine you’ll want to check out, whether you’re interested in the Isla Margarita area, are looking for a great vacation destination, or are interested in owning a room at Caracola Beach and Spa Resort on Isla Margarita! To take a look at this magazine, be sure to visit http://www.globalsolutionsrealty.com/briefcase/38127_615200982002AM74263.pdf

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Locations Visited During Team Geneva Hospitality's Visit to Caracola Beach and Spa Resort

During a recent visit to Isla Margarita, home to Caracola Beach and Spa Resort, Team Geneva Hospitality visited many beautiful locations in the area. Below are just a few of the locations the Team visited.

El Castillo de San Carlos Borromeo

The most visited site in Porlamar, by both national tourists and international ones, is the El Castillo de San Carlos Borromeo. It was built in 1824 and rebuilt several times after due to destruction by pirates. Ancient artillery pieces are exhibited here, as well as paintings and artifacts from the Independence War.

San Carlos de Borromeo is Margarita’s largest fort. Overlooking and dominating the bay, it was built of coral rock on a star plan with salients radiating from the four angles of the central square, each with a lookout tower.

Puerto Porlamar

One of the most beautiful constructions in Porlamar is the “Puerto de la mar” (Port of the Sea). It is a private initiative that was constructed to be an entry gate for tourists who visit Isla Margarita through a cruise ship. The plan to build Puerto Porlamar was proposed in 1991 to bring life back to the core of the City by creating an invigorating new energy thru the cruise passengers arriving in Polrmar.

Puerto Porlamar has become a part of the City and is directly connected to it. Through this port, cruise passengers arrive at the heart of the City and find a nice and convenient environment where they can stroll, shop, or visit one of the many cafes, restaurants, or bars located around the main plaza and the waterfront. By having passengers arrive through the Puerto Porlamar, they get the feeling and impression of the local culture, traditions, and tastes.

La Vela Mall

La Vela Mall is inspired by the marine elements of the island and the design of the building pays tribute to the small fishing boats typical to Isla Margarita, harmoniously inserted in the urban environment.

La Vela Mall offers three levels (Arena, Mar y Sol) to ensure its visitors the most incredible experiences of shopping, entertainment, and enjoyment. The mall offers some of the most prestigious brands worldwide, service shops, and a large area devoted to food.

The mall offers stores such as Adidas, Armani Exchange, Hugo Boss, Custo Barcelona, Kenneth Cole, Lacoste, Clarks, Converse, Diesel, Guess, Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica, Technomarine, Paul Frank, Karsten, Victoria's Secret, La Senza, Mac, Crocs, and Xoxo. The mall also offers stores that specialize in accessories, jewelry, shoes, sports, and optics.