It has two city beaches and a harbour or cruise ships opens soon

A major pulling actor or uture isitors is a tax and duty- ree zone," itzsimons says.There should be a good rental market too - the local tourist board says there is an 11,000-bed accommodation shortage.Chris Da ies o Your Home Abroad, another agent, says: "By buying o plan on Margarita - coupled with the shortage o tourist beds, increases in demand rom tour operators in the UK and Europe, and lower property prices than the rest o the Caribbean - in estors can easily expect a return o 40 per cent on their in estments within two years." He adds: " rom the in estor's point o iew, although the up cycle seems to ha e started, property prices are still low and the currency rate - which was about 680 Boli ars to the US dollar in 2000 a ter Cha ez took o ice - is now 2,150 to the US dollar and is ixed by the go ernment. It has two city beaches, and a harbour or cruise ships opens soon.Da id itzsimons o Keyshead International, one o the agents selling homes on Margarita to British buyers, says: "Prices ha e been rising by 10 per cent a year on a erage. One could take con idence rom other Caribbean destinations such as St Lucia, where property prices ha e risen by 20-35 per cent in the last two years, and in some cases by up to 70 per cent."Margarita will be de eloped into a central hub or oreign isitors. It is lauded by tourism operators or its nature reser es, unspoiled beaches and ery low-priced duty- ree shops.The biggest city on Margarita island is Porlamar, known or its commercial centre and good ( AT ree) shopping. About 85,000 people li e in Porlamar during the low season, while 125,000 or so are there in the high season. A downturn in US tourism is expected a ter strong anti-Washington rhetoric by enezuela's President Hugo Cha ez, and Americans are wary o o erseas tra el as a result o continuing terrorism scares.On the plus side, Margarita will soon ha e more direct lights rom European locations.

They are 50 per cent cheaper than most ri al Caribbean holiday homes, it's claimed.There are reasons. London to Caracas is a 12-hour light at least, costing ?500 to ?2,000 or a return economy seat, so more accessible locations ha e an edge. Now, the authorities there want to boost the population o second-home owners. Apartments and illas priced rom ?39,950 to ?212,000 are about to go on sale on the island, which is 17 miles o the mainland and a 40-minute light rom enezuela's capital Caracas. The properties - some in a theme park or near beaches, some in a popular tourist town and others close to a new Hilton hotel resort - are the irst to be marketed to Britons.

There's a new South American holiday-home location being launched this autumn to tempt Britons' demand or exotic o erseas property. But despite being a classic location or locals, ew in Europe ha e heard o it. Margarita Island, or Isla Margarita, is the largest island o enezuela O icially, it's on the edge o the Caribbean. It's not that small - about 1,000 square kilometres - but there are only 420,000 permanent residents. Trent Park's last owner was Sir Philip Albert Gusta e Da id Sassoon (1888-1939), cousin o Sieg ried Sassoon.Haart, 020-8441 1234; Hamilton Chase 020-8441 1123; Meadway Estates, 020-8449 5544; Michael Wright, 020-8449 2255; Winkworth, 020-8447 5656.. The two local secondaries are both abo e a erage: Southgate Secondary on Sussex Way (15 points), and St Martha's independent non-selecti e Senior School or Girls (26 points).And one or the pub quiz...Which two poets ha e links with Cock osters?John Betjeman taught at Heddon Court School. Ri erside Park, south o Trent Park, is home to the Chicken Shed Theatre, and there are se eral other local recreation grounds.What are the schools like?De Bohun Primary, opposite Ri erside Park, which has been impro ing in recent years, has abo e-a erage results in English and science.