← Culture & towns
San Carlos Borromeo fort
A seventeenth-century fortress on the water, in the island’s prettiest bay.
- Best time
- At sunset
- Area
- East coast
- Duration
- 1–2 h
Pampatar’s fort was raised to defend the island from pirates who came for the pearls, and it still stands over the bay with its cannon pointed out to sea. Half an hour walks you round it, and from the walls you see the whole inlet with the fishing boats at anchor. Pampatar is also the island’s most pleasant town to wander with no plan at all.
- Fort
- History
- Viewpoint
- Sunset
East coast
AdventureCanyon abseiling
Ropes, green water and stone walls in the island’s wet interior.
- Morning
- 4–6h
- Demanding
- Abseiling
- Uncrowded
AdventureJet ski across the bay
Half an hour at full throttle over turquoise water, fort in the background.
- Afternoon
- 1–2h
- Easy
- Jet ski
- Family
AdventureSunrise paddleboarding
A sea flat as glass and pelicans fishing beside you.
- At sunrise
- 1–2h
- Easy
- Paddleboard
- Sunrise