I took this pic of Bahia de Cata from the side of the road just before arriving in town

A little while ago my friends and I went to a lovely beach town and I keep forgetting to write about it. Here is a little #FlashbackFriday for Bahia de Cata!

One of the big reasons I have stayed in Venezuela (after the great job and the ability to pay off my student loans) is that Venezuela has some of the best beaches in the world.  While my favorite beaches are still found in Parque Nacional de Morrocoy, I like to explore and find new-to-me beaches too.  One such beach is at Bahia de Cata.

Unlike Choroni and Tucacas, there isn’t much going on here at night.  There are fewer people and it is quiet. These are things I look for in a beach getaway.  While I love a good boardwalk and cute night markets, I REALLY love quiet beaches with few people.

This is the type of place where you should go with a group of friends to create your own party.  Or maybe bring your romantic partner and have a whole other kind of party.  lol

I have friends that were lucky to just show up and find a posada without making any arrangements, but there aren’t very many posadas in Cata itself.  I recommend booking ahead, especially if you want to be close to the beach.  Friends who arrived a bit late were able to book a posada in a nearby town called Ocumare (try their rum if you like sweeter spirits!).

While the main beach at Cata is nice enough with plenty of umbrellas to shield you from the sun’s rays it is not my favorite place to spend the day.  There are many waves and the sand at this beach has quite a few pieces of sharp coral in it, so while it looks pretty from a distance if you are not a good swimmer you might end up getting a bit scraped up (speaking from experience here….).  Instead, you need to hop in a little boat less than five minutes across the bay to the small beach of Catica.

Shrine at Catica

Catica has the powdery white sand that I love!  It has very gentle waves too. Perfect for playing in on a relaxing weekend.  Also, there is a gorgeous shrine on one end of the beach that you can visit.

I stayed with friends at Posada Casa Ernestina which was about a block and a half from the water.  They have a pool, hot tub, and sauna.  We rented a suite with three rooms and paid about $10 each per night per room.  We talked to the lady working there and she made us dinner each night for a very affordable cost.  Highly recommend it!

This is what the posada looks like at about 7AM

I haven’t been there myself, but my friends rave about a beach nearby called Cuyagua.  One of my friends said it is her favorite beach in Venezuela. I plan on returning next year to find out for myself!

Have you been to Cata? Do you have any beach recommendations for me to explore this spring break in Venezuela?