Here's one for your travel bucket list. A place where the oceans are so turquoise you would think you have the 'vivid colours' setting on your camera turned on. A place where the beaches are whiter, the sand finer, than any island in the Maldives or Mauritius. A place where you sit in the ocean on your deckchair, while people party on catamarans around you, drinking the best rum in the world. Where, at night, you relax at beach bar watching a million stars brighter and closer than they have ever seemed before.
Archipelago Los Roques off the Caribbean coast of Venezuela, population only 1500, boasts white sand beaches, clear turquoise waters and fantastic snorkelling and diving. Most islands are uninhabited. Simple fishing boats buzz quietly along the crystal clear waters; luxurious catamarans sail the islands fuelled with Santa Teresa rum. You'll probably have the place all to yourself - few tourists come to Venezuela these days....but those who venture here are richly rewarded.
We had decided to go for the day - it's about a 20 minute flight from Caracas. We'd be home in time for tea. We were tired from an all night party in the Las Mercedes area of Caracas, but we soon came around on our early morning flight as our tiny 20 seater propeller plane served up the most incredible views from the windows. The sun was out, of course, the blue cloudless skies dazzling, the islands below looked like green tea ice-cream diluting and melting into the sea.....it was beautiful. We saw wonderful waters of emerald greens, turquoises, electric blues and sky blues, all separated as though they were different oils in a huge puddle.
We got off the plane and went through 'immigration'- a tiny shack manned by a village policeman. We were then met by our guide for the day - a sun-kissed woman from Caracas who had been living and working on the island for years, and spoke English and Spanish fluently, She took us to wait for a small speedboat to take us to a larger catamaran. As we waited, we watched huge pelicans diving for fish in the turquoise waters. We got a speedboat to a catamaran parked near a beach. It was beautiful, and looked like something Richard Branson might have parties on. Or 50 Cent. Surely this wasn't our boat. Excitement increased as we neared, and as it dawned on us all that this was indeed our boat, and we would be able to play rap star / movie star / billionaire businessman for the day. We had lunch in the huge belly of the catamaran. A group of around 12 of us were on it. We basked in the sun, and I took photos of the islands around, and the millionaire playboy yachts parked up with their millionaire owners on board supping champagne in the sun. Today we felt like one of them.
The colour of the sea was amazing, and the beauty of the area incomparable.....we've been to plenty of beautiful beaches in the world, but nothing like this. Our guide took us snorkelling for a while....the current was strong so we had to swim hard to avoid being swept into the coral, but the colour and diversity of the marine life was breathtaking. We walked back along the lovely beach, then waded through the sea to the waiting catamaran. We paused for a moment. Looked around. Took in our surroundings. This place is about as picture perfect as a place can be. Deep breath. Thank God for Venezuela! The catamaran then took us to a beach. It moored someway out, and we had to swim to the beach from the boat - not a problem in the calm and warm sea. It was a small and almost deserted island - a real desert island. We lay in the sun, drank rum, refreshed ourselves occasionally in the warm water. There was nothing else to do. Which is exactly what you want.
A full day had gone. Was it really time to fly back to Caracas already? Fortunately, when we got to to Gran Roque island, and to a hotel where we had to check in for the flight, the Gods of fate had decided to allow us to stay the night.
It was because too many people were here wanting to fly back (people with jobs or dentist appointments), and there were not enough planes to take everyone. In fact, there was only one plane. Everyone had a reason for wanting to get back on that one flight. We had a pretty good reason - we had a flight from Caracas in the morning to Canaima - an essential flight or we might miss Canaima, and then miss seeing Angel Falls. To appease everyone, somebody official looking said that the plane would fly to Caracas, then come straight back to pick up more passengers, as though it were a taxi. Everyone felt better. But the plane never bothered coming back! As always in Venezuela, a solution was found - the solution now was a plane at 6:30am the next day. People would still be missing work, and we would still be missing our flight onwards to Canaima, but never mind. They had offered us a free night's accommodation - and dinner, on this exotic Caribbean island. Things weren't that bad.
The free dinner was hearty. Afterwards, we strolled around the quiet streets of the only village in the archipelago, and found a bar with beanbags on the sand where we could gaze up at the stars and look out to the dark sea whilst listening to the strains of Coldplay's Chris Martin caressing us from the speakers. We felt at great ease here....and having not slept for over 36 hours, we were exhausted. What a day! Time for bed, bed on one of the world's most beautiful islands. Los Roques is one of those places that you think doesn't really exist, the colours are too vibrant, it's too beautiful.... stick this one on your bucket list!
