Portete Island

If you like complete tranquility and solitude, try Isla Portete a truly heavenly place. This is a small island south of Mompiche which is just under 6 km long north to south and 2 km wide at the widest point. It is situated directly south of the Royal Decameron Resort. From the north end of the island you can see the Decameron just a few hundred meters away.

Isla Porete is hardly an island at all, being separated from the mainland by a thin strip of water almost shallow enough to wade across at low tide. The beach on the north end of the island wraps around the tip, offering an exposed face to the ocean on the west side and a sheltered area on the east facing the mainland.

Portete beach is lined with coconut groves, and coconut along with fish, is the staple in the local cuisine. Food is cheap, expect to pay $2-3 for fried fish, and $5-6 for conch. Conch is popular and plentiful, as they grow in abundance in the mangroves.

Before you get to the beach there are several lagoons and salt ponds, which are a haven for birds. In fact the whole of the east side of the island is covered in mangroves, which is the main attraction for guided tours.

Playa Portete is a clean beach with crystal clear waters on a calm day. You can also surf here most days, in the morning, before it gets blown out by cross-shore winds. Then you can sometimes kitesurf in the afternoon in 10 knots, especially from Sept thru March when the winds are generally stronger and steadier, but you’ll need to bring your own gear.

There are no more than 40 houses and cabañas along the beach road to the north, and only about 70 or 80 houses in the town of Bolivar in the south of the island. Bolivar has a ferry crossing to the mainland, and it has its own shallow 1 km beach, which is not as beautiful or as clean as Playa Portete. The local families are most hospitable toward visitors, and will offer you a room to stay or invite you to eat at their table. The one restaurant in town is called Sandy’s.

You can visit the island on a tour, or just come here under your own steam and stay a while. Write a book, or whatever you want to do in your most peaceful moment. But come prepared with your own entertainment, other than savoring the natural beauty of the island by foot, kayak or boat, there is little to do here.

Beach activities include:

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