Venezuela’s Los Roques Archipelago National Park was created in 1972 to protect a marine ecosystem of exceptional beauty and ecological value dominated by coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds. The park, located about 80 miles north of the port of “La Guaira” in Caracas, covers 546 acres, making it the largest marine park in the Caribbean. The coral reefs of Los Roques host some of the most beautiful underwater fauna and flora of the Caribbean. The park has exceptionally beautiful beaches of white sand and multicolor, crystalline warm waters which make it a diving, sailing and fishing paradise.

History (excerpts): The park area was previously known as an important fishing area that bustled around Gran Roque Island. It was not until the middle of the 20^th century that Venezuelan fishers started to inhabit the archipelago permanently. They came from Margarita Island and progressively brought their families with them. By 1941, Los Roques had a population of 484 people spread amongst eight islands (Gran Roque, Crasquí, Carenero, Cayo Pirata, Domusquí, Esparquí, Isla Fernando and Prestonquí). The population grew progressively throughout the years and now has approximately 1,209 permanent residents.

In 1996, Los Roques was declared a Ramsar site because of its importance as a reservoir of biodiversity and food resources. Historically, fishing has been the major economic activity in the archipelago but has been strictly regulated since the creation of the national park. About 300 fishermen take up temporary residence on the island during the fishing season.

Biodiversity: This national park protects one of the highest-quality coral reefs with respect to species diversity, area of live coverage, and low incidence of diseases in all the Caribbean. Los Roques harbors about 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, 50 of which are migratory, can be seen in the park. Four globally endangered sea turtle species nest regularly on the islands, including the most important nesting site for Eretmochelys imbricata in Venezuela.

Tourism: Over the past ten years, tourism has replaced fishing as the main economic activity. Locals were not involved in tourist activities until 1990. [. . . Now,] more than 50,000 tourists, who stay in any of 60 available inns, locally called posadas, visit the park yearly.

Activities: Los Roques Archipelago attracts a number of visitors that come to do many different activities. The natural beauty of the beaches attracts most tourists. Coral reefs are of special interest to professional and recreational scuba divers. Sport fishing and windsurfing are also practiced in Los Roques [. . .]. Among other tourist attractions are the Virgen del Valle celebrations in the second week of September, and the Lobster Festival at the beginning of the lobster-fishing season in November.

For more information on Los Roques Archipelago, see http://losroques.org/