Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine October 2017 | Page 356

LOS ROQUES - ISLANDS FOR QUIET GET-AWAYS
Although the Los Rogues archipelago,
which consists of 350 islands, cays, and
islets covering an area of 40.61 square
kilometers is located only 80 miles
north of La Guaira on the Venezuelan mainland,
the 70,000 people that visit the islands each year
are assured a quiet and peaceful get-away as the
islands themselves have a total population of less
than 2,000.
The main attraction of Los Roques is the
Archipelago de Los Roques National Park which
covers an area of 225,153 hectares of sea and
land, including 40 islands and over 250 coral reefs.
This means that although the islands may be
quiet, there is never a shortage of activities, which
include snorkeling at the many beaches and
scuba diving, which some divers have described
as being a paradise. Windsurfing and kite-surfing
can also be done over the shallow waters of the
smaller islands located close to Gran Roque. In the
evenings or mornings, a short hike up a hill close
to ‘town’ will provide some excellent views of the
sunset or sunrise over the beautiful Caribbean
waters.
One of the reasons the islands provide a quiet get-
away for tourists, is the fact that although some
yachts do stop there, no ferries will take you to the
islands, so all visitors must take a 40 minute flight
from the mainland on small planes to a small
airstrip on Gran Roque.
The peaceful surroundings does not mean that
you cannot enjoy one of the great pastimes that
visitors to some of the larger, busier islands in
the Caribbean enjoy. By all means, you can sip
a delicious mojito whilst sitting on a beanbag
inches from the sea, at one of the beach bars at
Gran Roque.