When I flew into Caracas recently, the cliffs along Venezuela’s eastern coastline were scarred in the aftermath of the deadly mudslides plaguing the region at the time, which had forced President Chavez to declare a state of emergency. The week before I left, I’d been afraid my trip would be cancelled without a refund; I learned early on in my jaunt that there are both benefits and perils to the package tour that initially seems to be a jaw-dropping bargain.

I’d discovered the deal ($1,120 for airfare to and from Venezuela and to and from Caracas and Margarita Island; hotels for two nights in Caracas and five nights on Margarita Island; all airport transfers; and food and drinks in Margarita), as most mixed blessings are discovered in these days: on the Internet. Traveland.com offers a host of deals from several cities in America to several cities in Latin America, but I chose the Venezuela package because of the dual promise of five relaxing days on a beach in the Caribbean, couched on either end by a day in a South American city.

Venezuela has been overlooked and consciously avoided by many American travelers since Mr. Chavez’s tenure as president began in 1998; his increasingly authoritarian regime and 2002 military ouster and subsequent reinstatement made the place an unappealing destination. Attacks on private property and frequent and sometimes violent strikes in Caracas, the country’s capital – along with a murder rate that is among the highest in Latin America – have become standard fodder for newsreels.

Margarita Island, however, is a mountainous tropical paradise, free of the strife found in the rest of the country. Situated off the northern coast of Venezuela in the Caribbean, since 1974 it’s been a Duty Free port, making it as pleasing to the wallet as it is to the eyes.

Travel in and out of Maiquetia Airport, the international airport serving Caracas, should be done in daylight hours to avoid the bands of thieves that reportedly roam it at night. (The part of Venezuela that tourists should absolutely avoid is the 1,000-mile border between Venezuela and Colombia where terrorist groups habitually kidnap tourists for ransom, and often murder them. In addition to the terror threat, the 50-mile wide swath of land along the border is controlled by the Venezuelan military, and American citizens are subject to search and arrest.)

Despite the bleak political situation, I was looking forward to my short stay in Caracas – but my eagerness to explore the city was stymied as soon as I left the airport. Caracas is a city of roughly 3.6 million, and unemployment is at about 15.5%, according to the Central Bank of Venezuela, and it shows.

Certain parts of Caracas are enchanting, especially the Capitolio Nacional, or National Capitol, a neoclassical structure built in 1870 that sprawls across an entire city block, and the Parque Central, a gray urban park surrounded by high-rise buildings with 53-story octagonal towers. Most of the rest of the city is a blighted urban landscape, hemmed in by shantytowns teetering on the mountains that surround the city, and covered in poorly executed graffiti urging residents to vote Mr. Chavez out of office.

My driver also pointed out the city prison, plopped inside city limits and surrounded by strands of barbed wire and a series of concrete walls. Several unfinished skyscrapers tower ominously over Caracas, with plastic sheeting flapping from their gaping windows like tattered white flags signaling surrender.

Cumberland Hotel (Segunda Avenida de Las Delicias de Sabana Grande, 582-762-9961; rooms start at $55) was modest, but perfectly acceptable, and stocked with all of the expected amenities. Very few people spoke English, and my boyfriend and I speak very little Spanish, but we managed to communicate, and they even changed money for us.

Visitors should come to Venezuela armed with enough cash and/or traveler’s checks to last their entire stay. In 2003, Venezuela instituted stringent foreign exchange controls that have limited the number of ATMs that accept American debit cards. The official exchange rate is 1,900 bolivars for every $1. The black market exchange rate is 2,200-2,400 bolivars for every $1. Almost every taxi driver and individual involved in the tourism industry will cheerfully exchange bolivars for American currency at the black market rate; incidentally, the practice is not officially illegal, it’s merely frowned upon.

After exchanging our money and getting settled, we ate a simple dinner at the hotel. Our 6 a.m. wake-up call to head out to Margarita Island the next day never arrived, but luckily someone within earshot of the hotel had a rooster on hand, which woke us up at 6:15 a.m.

We soon found that Margarita Island is worlds away from Caracas both aesthetically and in spirit. The island has about 300,000 year-round residents; the eastern half of the island is well developed, with two main beaches, Playa El Agua and Playa Parguito. The western half of the island is a mountainous and undeveloped region called the Macanao Peninsula. Between the two areas are three main towns: Porlamar, Pampator, and La Asuncion. Our package included a stay at the Portofino Resort in Playa El Agua (Prolongacion Playa El Agua, 095-490544; rates $40-$65 a night depending on time of the year).

Margarita Island was the first region in Venezuela conquered by the Spanish in the early 16th century. It quickly became the first entry point to Venezuela and was frequently assaulted by pirates; the Spanish Royal Crown defended the island by building small castles and forts around the coast, many of which still exist today.

After the War of Independence ended in 1817, Margarita Island became part of Venezuela’s Estado Nueva Esparta, or New Spartan State, and is represented by one of the seven stars on the nation’s flag.

The all-inclusive Portofino Resort is a sprawling complex located on the beach with an intimidating array of distractions and amusements: five restaurants, three of which are buffet-style, four bars, a “disco,” two game rooms, and innumerable activities.

The facilities are comfortable but simple, the tropical drinks are excellent, and the food is horrifying. Luckily, there are phenomenal restaurants in abundance in Playa El Agua that are just a short walk from the resort.

The standout restaurant is the Marlin (www.restaurantmarlin.com, 249-0361-0390), where my boyfriend and I ate so many times that the main waiter took to driving us back to the complex at night. Such gestures are common on Margarita Island, and generally safe to accept since crime is practically nonexistent there.

The restaurant specializes in rich seafood dishes: sampling the lobster is an absolute must. The Marlin has a roughly 150-square-foot lobster tank filled with the spiny monsters – I am ashamed to report that on one particularly greedy night we consumed not only a 7-pound crustacean, but a 7-pound crustacean smothered in melted Parmesan cheese. The Marlin prepares lobster more than 20 different ways, and they all inspire and stoke the gluttonous instincts. The average meal with an appetizer, entree, and drink will cost about $25, but the lobster dinner will run from $40-$55 a person, depending on size.

During the day, the beach beckons. The water is clear blue and teeming with beautiful fish, and there are scores of coconut filled palm trees dotting the golden beach.

The Portofino staff also arranges horseback riding trips, scuba diving and snorkeling adventures, Jeep tours to the western side of the island, and kayaking outings. Each activity costs about $60 a person.

Three small towns are a $10-$15 cab ride away from Playa El Agua. The tchotcke-ridden Porlamar isn’t worth the trip, but La Asuncion is a charming little hamlet worth visiting. The main square with the obligatory statue of Simon Bolivar, the Plaza Luisa Caceres de Arismendi, is flanked by a tiny Catholic church built in 1571, a folk art museum called the Museo Nuevo Cadiz, and a crumbling, shuttered monastery.

Pampatar is an ancient port also worth exploring. Off the town’s main square, dedicated to Simon Bolivar, is a small run-down castle, Castillo San Carlos Barromeo, built in 1664. It is in the midst of being renovated, but is open to the public.

The tourist shops lining the square in Pampatar looked more promising than anything else I’d seen on the island. Unfortunately, we visited the town during its siesta, which typically lasts from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., but can slop over unpredictably on either side.

The islanders’ approach to their siesta mirrors their general approach to life. Visitors quickly learn – while waiting in line for food at a restaurant, or for a taxi – that everything moves at its own pace on Margarita Island. What they’re waiting for may not come quickly, and it may not come in the form that they anticipated, but it will come eventually and it will almost always be just what they needed.