# Porlamar

Porlamar (Spanish pronunciation:) is the most populated city, major seaport and major center in the state of Nueva Esparta, Venezuela. It is situated on the southern coast of Margarita Island, one of three islands in the Caribbean Sea off the South American mainland which make up the state of Nueva Esparta, at a distance of 6 miles (10 km) from the state capital of La Asunción. Porlamar is the capital of Mariño, the most populous of the eleven municipalities into which the state of Nueva Esparta is divided.

## History

The city was founded as Puerto de la Mar (now Porlamar) on the southeast coast in 1536, less than 40 years after Christopher Columbus first sailed through. In 1561 it was briefly captured by the Latin American conquistador and rebel Lope de Aguirre. Aguirre and his men executed several of the town's residents, including its governor, and looted the royal treasury. Even after Aguirre's demise on the mainland, the beach in which he first landed on the island is still referred to as playa del Tirano (Tyrant's beach)
In 1680 the Council of the Indies ordered Juan Fermín de Huidobro to build a fortress with four bastions and a watchtower known as San Carlos Borromeo. Porlamar was a quiet fishing village until the arrival of air travel. Since then it has become the central hub of the island with shops, restaurants and nightlife supported mostly by European and Venezuelan tourism.

## Demographics

Porlamar is home to about one-third of Margarita Island's population.

## Economy

Porlamar is Margarita Island's center of commerce. Since it was granted free-port status in 1973, its boutique-lined avenues have been crowded with tourists. In the late 1990s came the economic downfall hit Porlamar.

## Transportation

Del Caribe International General Santiago Marino Airport (PMV) in Porlamar has charter services to Europe and Colombia as well as scheduled passenger flights to destinations in Venezuela. It is located 20 kilometres (12 mi) southwest of the city center.

## Geography

Porlamar is situated on the southeast coast of Margarita Island on the bay of Guaraguao, which is shielded from northeast winds by Cabo El Morro. The city is bisected by the seasonal El Valle river.

### Climate

Porlamar has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh) with hot day time temperatures and warm night time temperatures year round. Rainfall peaks from June to August and from November to February. Average sunshine hours are very consistent year round.
Climate data for Porlamar (1991–2020, extremes 1976–2020) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 34.3 (93.7) | 34.7 (94.5) | 36.0 (96.8) | 36.9 (98.4) | 35.8 (96.4) | 35.2 (95.4) | 35.2 (95.4) | 36.0 (96.8) | 39.0 (102.2) | 36.0 (96.8) | 35.8 (96.4) | 35.3 (95.5) | 39.0 (102.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30.6 (87.1) | 31.1 (88.0) | 31.9 (89.4) | 32.9 (91.2) | 33.1 (91.6) | 32.3 (90.1) | 31.9 (89.4) | 32.6 (90.7) | 33.2 (91.8) | 32.9 (91.2) | 32.1 (89.8) | 30.9 (87.6) | 32.1 (89.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 25.9 (78.6) | 26.2 (79.2) | 26.9 (80.4) | 27.9 (82.2) | 28.4 (83.1) | 27.9 (82.2) | 27.7 (81.9) | 28.2 (82.8) | 28.7 (83.7) | 28.4 (83.1) | 27.7 (81.9) | 26.5 (79.7) | 27.5 (81.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 23.0 (73.4) | 23.2 (73.8) | 23.8 (74.8) | 24.7 (76.5) | 25.3 (77.5) | 25.1 (77.2) | 24.9 (76.8) | 25.3 (77.5) | 25.7 (78.3) | 25.5 (77.9) | 24.8 (76.6) | 23.7 (74.7) | 24.6 (76.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 19.0 (66.2) | 19.3 (66.7) | 19.2 (66.6) | 20.3 (68.5) | 21.4 (70.5) | 21.8 (71.2) | 21.9 (71.4) | 21.2 (70.2) | 20.9 (69.6) | 21.9 (71.4) | 19.9 (67.8) | 18.8 (65.8) | 18.8 (65.8) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 33.9 (1.33) | 19.8 (0.78) | 14.1 (0.56) | 10.5 (0.41) | 19.8 (0.78) | 58.9 (2.32) | 65.7 (2.59) | 77.7 (3.06) | 48.5 (1.91) | 58.8 (2.31) | 61.9 (2.44) | 57.2 (2.25) | 526.8 (20.74) |
| Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 6.6 | 3.6 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 2.8 | 7.9 | 9.0 | 9.2 | 6.3 | 7.0 | 8.1 | 7.3 | 71.4 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 87 | 87 | 85 | 84 | 86 | 87 | 87 | 85 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 86 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 285.2 | 259.9 | 282.1 | 255.0 | 260.4 | 237.0 | 260.4 | 279.0 | 270.0 | 272.8 | 270.0 | 269.7 | 3,201.5 |
| Mean daily sunshine hours | 9.2 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 8.5 | 8.4 | 7.9 | 8.4 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 8.8 | 9.0 | 8.7 | 8.8 |
| Source 1: NOAA ||||||||||||||
| Source 2: Deutscher Wetterdienst (humidity and sun 1976–1990) ||||||||||||||
Climate data for Porlamar, Margarita Island :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average sea temperature °C (°F) | 25.0 (77.0) | 24.0 (75.2) | 24.0 (75.2) | 25.0 (77.0) | 25.0 (77.0) | 26.0 (78.8) | 26.0 (78.8) | 27.0 (80.6) | 27.0 (80.6) | 27.0 (80.6) | 27.0 (80.6) | 26.0 (78.8) | 25.75 (78.35) |
| Mean daily daylight hours | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 11.0 | 12.16 |
| Average Ultraviolet index | 10 | 11+ | 11+ | 11+ | 11+ | 11+ | 11+ | 11+ | 11+ | 11+ | 10 | 10 | 11 |
| Source: Weather 2 Travel ||||||||||||||

## Twin cities

* Cancún, Mexico
* Cartagena, Colombia
* Miami, USA

## Notable people

* Jihad Ayoub (born 1995), Lebanese footballer