LOS ROQUES "The national Park of the Caribbean" 2010 - 2011

Few places on the planet can offer human eyes such an extraordinary and singular beauty as that of Archipelago Los Roques National Park.
An air view allows us to enjoy the varied range of blue tonalities of its crystal clear waters, only altered by the white sands and the deep green of the mangrove swamps which are present in the keys. Under the water the contrast of white sand with the green of the marine herbs and the various colors and shapes of the coral reef can be easily seen. Los Roques is describes quite well with this singular setting pointing out that: The factor which gives Los Roques its characteristic seal is the brightness. The second one is the clarity of the blending of colors: the intense and pure blue of its deep waters; the blinding white of sand beaches; the intense green of mangrove swamps. There are no mild or stumped transitions. Over the sandy bottom the crystal clear transparency of the water is very bright, over the vegetable prairies it is opaque, dark.
The existence of numerous keys provides a variety of marine settings which go from sand beaches, rock beaches with strong surf, bays with still water, coastal reef or barrier, mangrove swamp areas, lagoons and salt mines, among others. There is no doubt that the marine setting of Los Roques is one of the most beautiful and special of the Caribbean and of the world and that its coral reefs are among the best preserved. The archipelago is protected by two reef barriers: One that goes from north to south by some 24 kilometers and protects the archipelago from eastern currents and a second barrier that runs some 32 kilometers from east to west.

Los Roques is similar in size to that of the complete Northern Caribbean Virgin Islands.    

Los Roques is located 156 kilometers north of Venezuela's central coast, between 11°43’ and 11°58’ latitude north and 66° 53’ and 66° 57’ longitude west. The entire park has an area 2.251 KM2 spreading 46 kilometers from east to west and 26.6 kilometers from north to south. Los Roques is similar to coral atolls of the Pacific Ocean. It is made up of 75 keys of old coral origin, and  thousands sand bars, all peacefully arranged in a oval shape around a shallow central lagoon.

Map of Los Roques.