The peninsula is connected to the rest of Isla Margarita by a thin strip of land in Laguna de la Restinga National Park.

[1] The peninsula has an area of 330 square kilometres (130 sq mi), rising from sea level to 745 metres (2,444 ft) at the peak of Cerro Macanao.

[9] Admiral Garcia Álvarez de Figueroa, governor of Margarita Province between 1626 and 1630, was known for his enjoyment of the trade in pearls from Cubagua and the Macanao peninsula.

Divers prefer Punta Arenas beach at the far west, where the water is warmest and where giant starfish may be found.

The only protected area is a small part of Laguna de La Restinga National Park.

The proposed Macanao Wildlife Reserve, containing the Chacaracual Community Conservation Area (CCCA), may provide better protection.

[15] Conservation threats include high levels of illegal hunting and trafficking of wildlife and plants, and open cast mining.

They are being mined for sand and gravel to be used in construction, and in some areas the parrot is hunted, considered a pest that robs jocote orchards.