Los Roques: It's heavenly
Author: By Adam Pertman, Globe Staff
Date: SUNDAY, November 8, 1998
Page: M14
Section: Travel
LOS ROQUES, Venezuela -- The name of this string of keys, a half-hour
plane ride from Margarita Island or the mainland, translates as ``the Rocks.''
But they aren't craggy, mountainous, or even a bit rocky.
The closest thing to stones on these perfect, nearly virgin beaches are
the tiny fragments of decayed shell and coral reef that make up their sand.
Indeed, the Venezuelan government has designated all of Los Roques as a
tightly protected natural preserve. Tourists are permitted in small groups,
but some areas are restricted except to researchers.
To get here, you fly into the speck of an airport on the main island,
where charming rooms in beautifully painted homes are available if you want to
stay overnight. Then you take a small fishing boat to your catamaran, on which
you sail from one pristine beach to another perfect one, as you gaze at the
sparkling blue-green sea and watch pelicans dive for their lunch.
And every once in a while, you plummet into the water yourself, to
snorkel (gear included in all tours) in waters crammed with exotic fish
gliding through a maze of coral reefs. The food on board is really good, too.
If Los Roques sounds heavenly, it is.
Gary and Jilly Shiman, a well-traveled couple from Bridgewater, N.J.,
classified the snorkeling as among the best they've experienced in the world.
But they reserved their highest praise for the scene outside their window on
the evening they spent on the big island at Los Roques -- the pelicans diving,
the fishermen fishing, the excellent food, and especially the romantic sunset
they watched from the roof of their little hotel.
``It was colors I'd never seen before, I'm telling you,'' Gary Shiman, a
financial-data publisher, effused. ``It went from your typical yellow to
orange to orange-mauve to this amazing bright pink.'' His wife, an attorney,
added: ``It put Hawaii to shame. It was magical.''
A day trip to Los Roques runs about $135 and requires quite a commitment
-- but it's worth it. A travel agent's van generally makes the rounds of
hotels, picking up tourists between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. to get to the airport by
6 for a 7 o'clock flight. You return at about 7 in the evening.
The Shimans paid $325 per person, which covered their round-trip flights
from Caracus, where they were visiting friends, plus two days of catamaran
touring, one night's lodging, and all meals. Prices are generally lower from
Margarita, especially for those Spanish-speakers who are willing to explore
for their own accommodations once they get here.
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