Los Roques - The largest marine park in the Caribbean
The Los Roques Archipelago National Park is located about 175 km north of Caracas, outside the central coast of Venezuela, at the coordinates of 11 ° 50 'lat Norte and 66 ° 55' Largo Oeste. The entire park has an area of 2,250 km², covers 46 km from east to west and 27 km from north to south. It is made up of more than 50 small islands (Cuis) of ancient coral origin, and miles of straits of sand, which describes an oval shape around a flat central lagoon. The climate is mostly dry, due to the influence of the intense winds from the East, with an average annual temperature of 27.7 ° C and almost 9 hours of sunshine per day. The rain usually appears in the form of short drizzles, most noticeable in November.
Los Roques is an area of exceptional beauty and with an enormous ecological diversity here you can find: around 61 species of corals, 200 species of crustaceans, 140 species of mollusks, 45 species of echinoderms, 60 species of sponges, and 280 species of fish In addition, 92 bird species can be found in the park, 50 of which are migratory. There are 4 species of globally endangered Sea Turtle that nest specifically on these Islands, including the Eretmochelys Imbricata. The impeccable coral reefs of Los Roques, the wealth of birds and marine life, the beautiful white and transparent sand beaches, warm blue-green waters, make Los Roques a paradise for Diving, Kitesurfing, Windsurfing, Sailing and Fishing.
The local population has developed slowly since the mid-20th century, when some fishermen and their families experimented with settling in the Islands. Currently, the permanent population reaches 1,250 inhabitants, including families of fishermen, tourism operators and the staff of the National Park.
