El Valle del Espíritu Santo is a community on the Isla Margarita in the north of Porlamar.
 Sanctuary of the Virgen del Valle | ||
| El Valle del Espíritu Santo | ||
| State | Nueva Esparta | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | unknown | |
no value for residents on Wikidata:  | ||
| no tourist info on Wikidata: | ||
| location | ||
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background
The community El Valle is the most important place of pilgrimage on the island. The high point is the annual procession on September 8th Virgen del Valle, she is the patron saint of western Venezuela and the navy. A small church was built in her honor, the current one Basílica Menor de Nuestra Señora del Valle was completed in 1940. The pilgrimage has its origins in the story of a pearl diver. He was injured in his leg by a ray that healed the festering wound after he had made a vow to offer the first pearl to the Virgin after his recovery. He then found a large pearl in the shape of a leg in an oyster, which then found its place in a miraculous image in the basilica.
Pilgrims visit the place all year round, and so during the day there is a fair-like hustle and bustle around the small church with numerous stalls that are not limited to religious objects.
getting there
El Valle is on a well-developed side street between Porlamar (5 km) and La Asunción (8 kilometers).
mobility
Tourist Attractions
- Basílica Menor de Nuestra Señora del Valle, on the outskirts of El Valle.
- Diocesan Museum. The exhibits are primarily sacrifices and thanksgiving gifts from the pilgrims.Open: Tue - Sun 9 a.m. - 12 p.m., 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.
- Birth house of General Santiago Mariño. He is seen as a hero in the liberation of Venezuela from Spanish rule. The house is a replica of the original building, with furnishings from the general's time on display. Also worth seeing is the garden with shady trees on which mangoes, noni and other tropical fruits ripen.
activities
shop
There are numerous souvenir stands around the pilgrimage church.
kitchen
nightlife
accommodation
health
Practical advice
trips
- Parque Nacional Cerro Copey. The Parque Nacional Cerro Copey with the highest point on the island is only about 5 km to the north.
