Archipiélago de Los Roques National Park, Marine national park in Caribbean Sea, Venezuela
Archipiélago de Los Roques National Park is a protected marine area in the Caribbean Sea off the northern coast of Venezuela. The area includes numerous small coral islands, white sandbars, and turquoise lagoons surrounded by reefs.
Indigenous groups lived on the archipelago before Spanish explorers arrived in the 16th century. The Venezuelan state declared the area a national park in 1972 to protect the coral reefs and wildlife.
Fishermen from coastal settlements sell their fresh catch directly from their boats in the morning, while visitors snorkel in the shallow lagoons. Salt pans at the eastern end reflect a tradition that has used seawater to produce salt for centuries.
Small planes fly daily from Caracas or Maracaibo to the main settlement Gran Roque, from where boats depart to other islands. The best time to visit is between December and April, when the sea is calm and rainfall is low.
The atoll formed through the uplift of a marine platform, not through volcanic activity like most Caribbean islands. Sea turtles return to the same beaches each year to lay their eggs, which scientists have been observing for decades.
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