Photo
Kitesurfing at Playa El YaquePhoto: Juan Manuel Llanos De Sousa / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Venezuela
Venezuela's five spots split between Isla Margarita, the Paraguaná coast and the remote Los Roques cays.
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El Yaque anchors the country: a shallow, waist-deep lagoon minutes from Margarita's airport that built its reputation as a windsurf-teaching ground decades ago and still runs on steady easterly trades. Isla de Coche adds flat, butter-flat freestyle water nearby, while Adícora on the Paraguaná Peninsula pairs a reef-protected novice zone with rougher water further south.
Cayo de Agua and Crasqui, reachable only by boat from Gran Roque, are freeride cays for riders already in Los Roques rather than a stand-alone trip.
Seasonevery monthsomewhere in the country
How we count
- Places
- 1 town and 3 single spots
- Beginners
- where a spot record says a beginner can ride; the Beginners page also asks for a school there, so it lists fewer
Best forFlat water3
When to go
month by month, from the towns' own wind series
The windiest town in season each month: its share of windy days
Nothing has been measured or modelled for this place: twelve months and no figure in any of them.
No place here is in season in August and September, so those months carry no figure rather than a zero.
Which place is yours
Grouped by region, the most spots first
How this list is ordered
The places are in the order of how many spots each place holds. None of them carries a wind score: the atlas scores wind reliability one spot at a time, against a named weather station and the distance to it, and a place that groups several spots has no single station to stand behind one number.For wind by month, see When to go above.
Standalone spots
Single spots with no town of their own
By region
The country's regions, the most spots first
Best for
Pages that pick the places in Venezuela for one kind of riding
Destinations
All 4 places, by name
Destinations
All 4 places, by name
Every place in the lists above, by name only, in the order the country guide keeps them.
Visa & entry
EU passport90 days visa-free for tourism, extendable by another 90 days; visa-exempt entry applies only when arriving by air (as of 2026).
US passportUS citizens were removed from Venezuela's visa-exemption list on 3 March 2015; a Venezuelan e-Visa must be obtained before travel. Fee not published.
UK passportSame as EU: 90 days visa-free, extendable +90 days, air arrival required.
Digital nomad visaNone. Venezuela has no dedicated digital-nomad visa program (2026).
NotesAs of the UK government's 1 July 2026 advisory, all travel is advised against to: within 80km of the Colombia border, within 40km of the Brazil and Guyana borders, all of Zulia state, the Orinoco Mining Arc area of Bolívar state, and southern Delta Amacuro; and all but essential travel elsewhere in parts of the country. Isla Margarita/El Yaque is not inside these excluded zones but check the live advisory before booking.M7.2 and M7.5 earthquakes hit near La Guaira/Caracas on 24 June 2026 with ongoing aftershock risk.
Money
CurrencyVenezuelan bolívar (VES, the 'digital bolívar' Bs.D introduced 1 Oct 2021, after multiple redenominations). US dollars are widely quoted and accepted in tourist businesses.
Card acceptanceHistorically very poor for foreign-issued cards, given Venezuela's isolation from the international banking and card networks; cash, preferably USD in small denominations, has been the practical default for tourists. Unconfirmed for 2026, so confirm locally.
ATMs and feesForeign ATM/debit cards frequently fail to work in Venezuela; where machines do dispense, bolívar withdrawal limits are eroded quickly by inflation. Current (2026) network names, fees and limits are unclear.
Paying by phonePago Móvil — the ubiquitous domestic instant bank-transfer system used for everyday payments (taxis, small vendors). It is tied to a Venezuelan bank account and a Venezuelan mobile number, so short-term foreign tourists generally cannot use it.
Scams
- Armed robbery, mugging, carjacking and burglary, sometimes with extreme violence, are common in parts of the country; avoid public transport, where multiple armed robberies have occurred (2026).
- Criminals specifically target arriving/departing travelers at Caracas Maiquetía airport, especially at night; use pre-arranged transport or licensed taxis only, not strangers' offers (2026).
- Police/military checkpoints: reports of bribery attempts, including for minor or invented traffic violations (2026).
TippingAbout 10% in restaurants when it is not already included; unconfirmed.
Cash tipsyes
SIM & internet
Operators, best coast coverage first
- Movistar Venezuela
- Digitel
- Movilnet (state-owned; generally the least reliable)
ID needed for a SIMA passport is typically required to register a prepaid SIM in Venezuela.
NotesNetwork reliability suffers with the broader infrastructure and economic crisis; coverage and data speeds outside Caracas can be inconsistent. Confirm before travel.
Insurance
Is kiting covered?yes
RecommendedSpecialist watersports/kitesurf travel insurance covering equipment plus medical evacuation, given the state of public hospitals (see health below).
Healthcare and evacuationPublic hospitals face frequent shortages of medicines and funding; the Venezuelan Pharmaceutical Federation reports an 80% shortage of medical supplies nationwide. Private clinics in major cities offer acceptable care for routine treatments. Bring sufficient prescription medication for the whole trip and carry evacuation-inclusive insurance (2026).
Health
VaccinesRoutine vaccines (MMR, Tdap, flu, polio, varicella) up to date; Hepatitis A recommended for unvaccinated travelers 1+ years old; Hepatitis B recommended for unvaccinated travelers under 60; Yellow fever recommended for most travelers (exceptions for certain low-risk areas incl. Isla Margarita); Typhoid if visiting areas with poor sanitation or staying long-term (CDC, checked 2026).
Mosquito-borne diseasesDengue and Zika are mosquito-borne risks; malaria risk applies to all areas under 1,700m plus Angel Falls, with chloroquine-resistant P. vivax and P. falciparum present. Isla Margarita/El Yaque is specifically NOT a malaria risk area.
Emergency numbers911 (national emergency/ambulance number, 2026). Private air-ambulance services (e.g. AeroAmb) are used for serious incidents requiring transport to major cities.
Hospital standardPublic hospitals: poor, with frequent medicine and funding shortages. Private clinics in major cities: acceptable for routine care but also affected by supply shortages (2026).
Pharmacy notesNationwide medicine shortages, with the Venezuelan Pharmaceutical Federation reporting a shortage of up to 80% of medical supplies; bring your own prescription medication for the full stay.
Driving
Road safetyPoor road maintenance, fuel shortages outside Caracas, frequent police checkpoints, and widespread drunk driving are known hazards; avoid driving at night and get local route advice first. Drivers must carry a spare tire and reflective triangles, and must have insurance documents, driving license, and passport on hand (2026).
Rental trapsCar rental available via Avis, Budget, Hertz and local operators; requires a current driver's license and passport. Check for hidden costs and make sure loss/damage insurance is adequate.
Police stopsCheckpoints are frequent nationwide, with reports of police and security services attempting to extract bribes, including over minor or alleged traffic violations (2026).
Regulation
Protected areasLaguna de La Restinga National Park lies on Isla Margarita near El Yaque; whether it imposes any restriction on the El Yaque kite beach itself is unclear.
Calendar & costs
Holidays that move prices
- Carnival (Feb/Mar, movable)
- Semana Santa / Easter week (movable)
- Christmas–New Year period
CurrencyVESSee Money
Year2026
Kite bag rules for your airline
Flying into VenezuelaType the carrier you are flying: what it charges for a kite bag, and the year of the policy that says so.
Every carrier, with limits and what riders report at the counter →
Where records disagree
- Dollarization status is contested across sources: informal/expat reporting for prior years describes USD cash as the dominant everyday currency, especially for tourists. But English Wikipedia (checked 2026) states 'In 2025, there has been a remarkable reversal in the dollarization of the economy outside tourist spots, with more than 80% of transactions in the country being made in bolívares,' while also noting prices are 'primarily priced in U.S. dollars, but payments may be made in bolívares' at the official BCV rate. For a tourist at El Yaque, practical reality could lean either way — carry both USD cash and be ready to pay/receive change in bolívares, and confirm locally.
- The bolívar/USD official exchange rate has moved fast (Wikipedia, checked 2026): >100 VES/USD in June 2025, >200 VES/USD in October 2025, 746.63 VES/USD by July 2026 — any bolívar price in trip reports predating mid-2026 is likely stale; convert using the rate on the day.
Still being checked
We have not verified these yet — tell us if you know.
Show the 6 open questions
- What do Copa Airlines, Avior or LATAM allow for a kite bag to Isla Margarita, and what do they charge?
- Whether an International Driving Permit is required/recommended for Venezuela.
- Current eSIM availability and Starlink legal status/availability in Venezuela.
- Tap water potability in El Yaque specifically.
- Whether any national or local kitesurfing-specific rules or launch/landing restrictions apply at El Yaque, and whether Laguna de La Restinga National Park's protected status touches the kite beach.
- What do a beer, a meal, a coffee and rent cost in Venezuela?
Last updated September 2026