Venezuela has more miles of Caribbean coast than all the islands of the Caribbean put together. Apart from the resort island of Margarita and a few parts of the mainland, most of its coast is untouched by major tourism.

Paria Peninsula

Our favourite part of the coast is the Paria Peninsula, described in its own section . It takes a little getting to, but is well worth the effort. You would normally fly from Caracas to Carupano from which you would be collected for the hour's drive to Hacienda Bukare, for example, or you can be collected by car from Puerto Ordaz or Ciudad Bolívar (4-5 hours drive).

Los Roques

Los Roques is a coral archipelago, the only one in the Caribbean, and lies a 30 minute flight north of Caracas. It is seriously beautiful. The waters around the islands are a clear deep turquoise and the beaches are dazzlingly white, with soft sands. You stay in small guest houses, all of which are on the main island of Gran Roque, most of which are neat, clean and comfortable. Boats go to different beaches each day. There are many areas of good coral and the archipelago is brilliant for snorkelling and for scuba—see our  section. If there is a drawback it is that the sun on Los Roques is very strong; once out on the beach there are few places to lie in the shade.

Mochima

To the west of Paria, Mochima is a beautiful and largely unspoilt marine national park of rocky islands, bays and small beaches. It has a good choice of sandy beaches, including several that are accessible only by boat. Boats can reach good snorkelling spots where it is easy to see a wide range of brightly coloured fish, anemones and corals. Most accommodation is quite simple.

Some parts of this coast have become more crowded in recent years and Mochima village itself has become noisy at week-ends. The best beaches remain in good condition, however.

Choroní

On the other side of Caracas, Choroní is a firm favourite. Tucked between the mountainous cloud forests of Henri Pittier National Park and the Caribbean, it is a four hour drive from Caracas, and so is a practical proposition for a 2-3 day stay. Several houses in this pastel-coloured fishing village have been converted to a formula of simple but comfortable full-board accommodation. Most rooms have private bathrooms. There is a local beach and others which are reached by boat. These are idyllic to relax on, but the surf can be rough for swimmers. Although sleepy and tranquil in the week, the village becomes very lively at week-ends as party-lovers from Maracay and Caracas come to enjoy the beaches and the evening tambores—local dances accompanied by drums. Monday is a day of clearing up before calm is restored. Nearby Ocumare de la Costa is less fashionable and less lively, but does have a small snorkelling area reached by boat and has access to more of the national park.

Morrocoy

Morrocoy, 6 hours west of Caracas, is a marine national park of mangroves, canals and lagoons with beautiful coral islands a little way offshore. Each day you hire boats to one or other of the islands, where you can laze around on soft white sand or swim in clear blue water—a recent coral die-off has badly affected the amount of underwater life however. At the week-ends the whole area gets very busy, particularly the nearer islands which are cheaper to get to. Tucacas, just outside the national park, is developing rapidly into a major resort destination like Margarita and is to be avoided. There are a few places to stay in the national park area, none of which are currently acceptable, but there are others nearby which are better. Call us for our current recommendations.

Go to our page for a selection of beach extensions that would work well with our if you have extra time to spend in Venezuela.

Venezuela´s Eco Regions (15)