Caribbean

The headland of Punta Ballena encloses the bay, creating a sheltered expanse of water. Within this protected maritime basin, the Caribbean 9.6 challenges open water swimmers in the sea of Bahía de Pampatar, situated on the coast of Pampatar in Nueva Esparta on Margarita Island. Organized by Lidy Rengifo, an open water swimmer and swimming coach rooted on the island, the event anchors its main competition around a 9,600-meter marathon swim scheduled in March. Setting out into the sea here means finding exceptionally calm, shallow waters cradled by the bay, where swimmers settle into a steady rhythm without the turbulence of the open sea. The program also provides shorter ways to explore these Caribbean waters.

Past editions have featured a 5-kilometer point-to-point race departing from Bahía de Pampatar and finishing along the sands of Playa La Caracola, alongside a 3-kilometer contest launched directly from the Bahía de Pampatar Beach Bar. Swimmers have also taken to the water after dusk for a 1.6-kilometer night circuit within the sheltered bay, sighting off navigation markers under the evening sky.

Isla Blanca: coral reefs and the submerged Virgin

Out in the bay, southeast of Margarita Island, lies Isla Blanca, a small rocky islet rising directly from the Caribbean Sea. Coastal birds congregate in flocks across the crags of the islet, wheeling above the water. The waters surrounding Isla Blanca are renowned for their nearby coral reefs, where patches of living coral thrive in the clear coastal shallows. Resting on the seabed in the waters that encircle the rocky islet, a submerged statue of the Virgin of the Valley watches over the deep, adding an underwater sanctuary to the natural marine topography of the bay.

Castillo San Carlos de Borromeo: pirate raids across the bay

Looking back toward the mainland from the waters around Isla Blanca, the gaze falls directly north toward the San Carlos Borromeo Castle, which sits commanding the southeast tip of Margarita Island. In 1593, the English pirate William Burg launched an assault against the port of Pampatar, exposing the vulnerability of the anchorage. Decades later, in 1625, the Dutch privateer Hendrick Bawdoin struck the harbor again and captured the early coastal fort. To protect the harbor against persistent seaborne incursions, the Spanish Crown began construction of the Castillo San Carlos de Borromeo in 1669, erecting a 17th-century military fortress built of stone and standing right at the edge of the bay.

The fortified port later developed into a bustling maritime trading post, visited in 1799 by Alexander von Humboldt, who recorded the regular export of salt from its quays. War returned to these sheltered shallows on April 7, 1815, when General Pablo Morillo landed his royalist fleet directly at the port during the campaigns for independence.

La Caranta seafront: fishing boats, oysters and colonial terraces

Pampatar developed as a quiet fishing port, and that traditional relationship with the sea remains unbroken today as boats continue to work the sheltered bay. Back from the shoreline, the historic town center lines the calm waters with low-rise, brightly colored colonial houses topped with red-tiled roofs and traditional wooden balconies. After completing a long course through the bay, the waterfront promenade offers a relaxed vantage point where visitors gather to watch the sunset paint the sky above the sea. Along the shore, the seaside sector of La Caranta concentrates a row of waterfront dining spots that serve the daily catch. Swimmers can spend the afternoon on shaded terraces enjoying fresh local seafood, sampling freshly shucked oysters, octopus, and grilled fish while watching the calm ripples of the race venue lapping gently against the shore.