We visited Los Roques on our passage from St. Lucia to Bonaire in July 2019 and spent 15 days there. The experience was so nice that we want to share it with other sailors., particularly in a time where most sailors do not consider sailing anywhere near Venezuelan waters. We found the people on the archipelago are more than happy about any visiting yacht.

We visited Los Roques ten years ago, when it was not officially possible to clear in or out from Los Roques. At that time spent only a few days there and the run through the administration was not pleasant back then. We found the experience very different this time around.

Clearance

This time it was completely different. The six different offices that have to be visited (if you intend to not just pass in transit) were well prepared, efficient and very friendly. The stops are as follows:

• Coast Guard
• Imparque
• Customs
• Immigration/Police
• Parc Office
• Harbour Master

Anyone will happily show you around if you cannot find the offices on your own. All offices know (unlike 10 years ago) that sailors do not like to return upwind to Gran Roque to clear out, so they offer to give all necessary stamps and signatures you need to clear out in advance for only USD$20 higher cost at Customs. 

Costs

• Customs: $20 for two people
• Harbour Master: $20–10 per person for clearing in and out
• Park Office: Approximately $2.90 per foot (boat length) and $12 per person if you want to stay in the National Park. 

This allows you to stay for up to 15 days on Los Roques. The 15-day permit can be extended several times and we were officially told that we would only pay the cost for the boat again; however, the unofficial information we got suggests that an extension becomes exponentially more expensive. All payments can be made in USD. Expect to pay in cash as ATMs and POS machines may be out of order (they were when we were there). 

Domestic Cruising

During our stay, we visited: 

• Gran Roque
• Boca del Medio
• Crasqui
• Noronqui
• Sarqui
• Carenero
• Becqueve
• Cayo de Agua

You will receive a useful map showing most things you need to know (corals reefs, anchorages, routes, areal pictures of all islands, and a map of Gran Roque). We had a particularly good time with Carola and Eduardo’s family and Restaurante Aqua Clara on Crasqui.

Los Roques are still visited by Venezuelans from the mainland. Most fly in during the weekend and hop on a boat or visit the area from a posada on Gran Roque. Expect other boats (motor) during weekends and some party activity and noise near Grand Roque and Francisqui. The restaurants are all beautiful, serve good food but could use a few more clients. All people are extremely friendly and helpful.

The only island apart from Gran Roque with permanent inhabitants (between 20 and 30) is Crasqui. There are three places that operate as restaurants run more or less by the same family. They are very friendly and are happy about visitors.

What to Bring

During our time of visit there was a shortage of gasoline which brought may things to a halt. We recommend that you bring more gasoline than you need.

There is little fresh water on the islands, and none on offer for filling your water tanks onboard. Bring enough for personal use, and if you have a water-maker you would make people very happy by providing fresh water.

We were asked for dishwashing soap and rum. These things may still be available in the shops in Gran Roque but the prices seem to have risen ridiculously. Many other things you may want to share with people are also welcome and may lead to nice get-togethers where everyone contributes what they have.

Security

We felt secure at all times. We never thought a second about securing our dinghy or taking it in at night.

Summary

In our experience, Los Roques is a great place to visit with hardly any reason to worry about safety and security and offers a lot of nice things to do. This being said, it is clear that the situation in Venezuela and on the island may be subject to change and it is advisable to get updated, current information before visiting. 

Klaus and Elgard
SY September
www.sy-september.ch

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The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of Noonsite.com or World Cruising Club.