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Venezuela - Mainland & Out-Islands
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Click Photos To Enlarge
Isla Tortuga
Pelican Dive
Pelican Invasion Force
Mid-Day Nap
Anchored in Los Testigos
Gift From a Fisherman - Testigos
Sunset at Tortuga
The Captain Comes Ashore |
I first sailed into the out-islands of Venezuela only a few months ago (June 2005). From the first group “Los Testigos” I knew we had discovered the Caribbean of 50 years ago. Uncrowded, pristine, unbelievably beautiful. We continued on to the large island of Margarita and then farther West to Isla Tortuga and beyond. If I could cruise anywhere in this part of the earth it would be either Venezuela or the Azores, off the Portuguese Coast (more on the Azores later) Variations on sailing in this area are almost unlimited. For those who enjoy the open ocean, there are trips among the out-islands and/or to and from the mainland. For those who want more protected waters, there are the deep bays of Mochima and Cariaco on the mainland, as well as offshore islands and island groups, such as Tortuga and Los Roques, which are large and varied enough to serve as cruising grounds in themselves. We will help you custom design your own trip. Here are examples of some destinations. All begin at the arrival airports of Caracas or Isla Margarita:
(1) Los Roques An area of about 14 X 25 miles of lovely small islands, reefs, and protected water. You can easily spend two weeks in this group alone. Cannot be beat if you love nature and don't love crowds. Spend one week or more. Sheltered waters. Getting There Fly into Caracas and either travel directly to Los Roques by small plane (30 minutes) or we can have the boat on the mainland, in which case we taxi you to the boat and overnight sail to Los Roques. We will discuss the various options with you and arrange as you prefer.
(2) Isla Tortuga Another lovely island with several superb anchorages and possibly the most beautiful beach in the world --- pure white sand and crystal clear water. A great place for kids. Especially good for a short stay, 1-2 weeks. Sheltered waters. Getting There Same as for Los Roques, including option of flying in.
(3) Golfo de Cariaco This Gulf runs about 35 miles along the Venezuelan Coast. It is often windy, and can have a chop, but is totally protected from the ocean swells. There are numerous anchorages within the Gulf. One of them, according to an experienced friend, "the most beautiful anchorages anywhere." It is difficult to avoid the superlatives when writing about this part of the world. 1 week or more. Sheltered waters. Getting There Fly into Isla Margarita, taxi to the boat, and daysail to Golfo de Cariac0. Or, fly into Caracas, take local flight to Barcelona from where we sail to the Gulf.
(4) Some Passage Combinations All passages have legs on the open ocean. Many involve at least one overnight sail. For some this is heaven, but everyone does not enjoy being quite so "out there." For the latter, take a look at the many options for sailing within a given area, such as the three previous. For those wishing a passage, here is a great way to go: (a) Trinidad or Grenada-Testigos-Margarita-Cubagua-Tortuga-Puerto La Cruz-Blanquilla-Los Roques These are suggested major stopovers on what is a truly amazing trip through a relatively undeveloped, tropical paradise. There are so many wonderful variations on this trip that it is best to decide on how long a trip you want and then we can discuss the route. Although some legs might be done in a week, a two week minimum is more realistic, three weeks to do the entire voyage. It is unlikely you will want to rush away from these places once you experience them. Getting There A special note to Torontonians - As of this writing there is an Air Canada flight to Caracas and Port-of-Spain. This means that it is possible to fly to Trinidad to begin this route, and then to pick up the return flight from Caracas with no penalty. For other than the entire route, enter via Margarita or Caracas, or begin at the beginning and exit at Margarita, or Caracas via local plane.
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