The cays
White sand.
Jorge Paparoni — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mafer Armijo — CC BY-SA 3.0 · AndreaC11 — CC BY-SA 3.0
Morrocoy National Park is a cluster of sandy cays and mangroves on Venezuela's Caribbean coast. Soft white beaches meet shallow turquoise water, with coconut palms leaning out over the sea. It was declared a national park on 26 May 1974 and covers 32,090 ha of land and sea. It holds mangrove forest and many cays, including Sombrero, Sal, Borracho and Muerto, and beaches such as Boca Seca and Playuela. Its highest point is Chichiriviche Hill at 285 m. Its coral has declined sharply in recent years because of human activity. You take a boat from Tucacas or Chichiriviche out to the cays, swim in the calm water, sit in the shade of the palms and pass through the mangrove channels. The centre of the park is about 8 km in a straight line northeast of Tucacas. Rain is heaviest from August to December. The cays are crowded during holidays, so go on a weekday, and take your rubbish with you. The UK advises against all but essential travel to Venezuela, so check current advice before you go.
White sand.
Quiet channels.
Over the water.
Golfo Triste, near Tucacas and Chichiriviche, Falcón State
By boat from Tucacas or Chichiriviche.
January to April, on a weekday.