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
Christopher Columbus passed by the island on 14 August 1498. A large amount of pearls were discovered in the area in the 1500s and pearl hunting was conducted. Friar Francisco de Villacorta founded Porlamar on 26 March 1536. The city has gone by the names San Pedro Mártir, Villa del Espíritu Santo, and Pueblo de La Mar. Lope de Aguirre came to the island in 1561, and killed acting governor Sarmiento de Villandrando, seized the treasury in Porlamar, and burnt the harbour of Porlamar.
During World War I two extract factories for Tannin were constructed in Venezuela, one in Porlamar and the other in La Guaira.
Population
The 1891 census reported a population of 5,693 for Porlamar. Porlamar accounts for one-third of the population of Margarita Island.
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
Notable people
- Jihad Ayoub (born 1995), Lebanese footballer
