Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine July 2017 | Page 375

Well-Kept Secret . . .
Many decades ago, Italians discovered this
paradise and quickly purchased property
here. Now, the inns dotting the Los Roques’
landscape are mostly owned by Italians
and Italian food is quite easy to find. Some
refer to it as the Caribbean’s Little Italy.
Those who chose Los Roques to live and
vacation do so because they love solitude-
of sorts. These islands are far removed from
urbanization. Bare foot, care-free existence
amidst an Italian/Spanish setting, where
your greatest disturbance may be the
sound of laughter, is satisfying for those
who venture here. It is this calm, laid-back,
simple life which attracted Italians here
and enticed them to stay.
Los Roques is indeed a well-kept secret.
Tourists do visit and take day trips to the
islands from Caracas, Venezuela, but not
in quantities that is likely to interrupt the
calm, pristine environment. Most of its
visitors go to El Gran Roque which is the
only populated island of about 1,500.
Comprised of over 350 islands, cays and
islets, the rich aquatic life and wide variety
of birds which inhabit that area led the
Government of Venezuela to declare Los
Roques a National Park in 1972.
Photo Credit: Alessandro Caproni
LOS ROQUES ISLANDS