The Morrocoy National Park (El Parque
Nacional Morrocoy) is a hidden aviary and nature paradise for ocean lovers,
located between the towns of Tucacas and Chichiriviche, approximately a 3-hour
drive from Caracas. The national park was created in 1974 to protect the
extensive mangrove channels-- home to many marine birds-- and the ecosystems
found on its 30 coralline islands and cays.
Tucacas
is the first gateway to the park you'll encounter on your drive from Caracas or
Valencia. Just a few years ago it was a small sleepy village of fishing homes
and small vacation homes lined with coconut trees. Today it is flanked by
numerous Florida-style condos and marinas facing the sea. Most of these
complexes are self-contained resorts with little connection to the town.
Chichiriviche, an hour's drive north across the peninsula, is a dusky town where
ponies and donkeys still run freely. Growing pains are apparent in both of these
towns as they struggle to accommodate development with their fishing and coconut
plantation heritage.
That
being said, don't be discouraged by the seemingly chaotic nature you'll first
observe when visiting these towns. What lies just off the coast is truly a
unique natural treasure to be enjoyed by nature lovers, as well as those simply
looking to sun and play on the beach. In the towns of Tucacas and Chichiriviche
you'll find plenty of resources for comfortable lodging, as well as numerous
services like restaurant offering delicious and cheap seafood dishes, boat
transfers to cays, scuba/snorkeling, kayaking and windsurfing. Tucacas also has
a casino with many options for gaming and nightlife entertainment. Camping is
permitted in four cayos. Permits ($1.40 per person per night) are available from
Inparques, Venezuela's national park service, in Tucacas.
About The Park
The Morrocoy National Park is one of the most popular coastal tourist
attractions in the country. The park offers sterling white beaches massaged by
sky-blue waves. The 81,500-acre refuge covers an area with coral islands and
cays with such names as Cayo Borracho, Cayo Pelón, Punta Gorda, Cayo Sal, Cayo
Peraza, Cayo Sombrero, and Cayo Pescadores. The area also includes numerous
mangrove channels, a mountain refuge called Mount Chichiriviche, and many islets.
Traditionally, the eastern coast of the state of Falcón where the park is
located has been recognized as a destination for tourists seeking beach and sun.
However, savannas, swampy mangroves, and semi-deciduous forests offer nature
enthusiasts a wonderful opportunity to observe diverse fauna and flora as well.
Even though this region is predominantly dry, the vegetation is diverse with
several species of fern found here. The most common trees are mangroves and
seagrape. In Mount Chichiriviche's semi-deciduous forest you can find howler
monkeys, matacan deer, crab-eating foxes, opossums, and pacas. Eighty percent of
Venezuela's hundreds of species of birds are represented in El Parque Nacional
Morrocoy. Among these you will see flocks of scarlet ibises, pink flamingos,
frigate birds, terns, lapwings, ducks, great blue and white herons, plovers,
various hawks, vultures, boobies, and pelicans.
Of anthropological significance, gouged into Mount Chichiriviche is a 250-foot
sinkhole named "the Cave of the Indian," with petroglyphs dating to 3400 B.C. -
the mysterious beckonings of a people called the Caquetios.
In another nearby cave you'll find dozens of tiny statues of the Virgin del
Valle, patron saint of Venezuela's fishermen, and other saints adorning its
pockmarked walls. Here and there are you will also see offerings or photos of
loved ones. Each July, the Cave of the Virgin - formally known as the Maritime
Sanctuary of Our Lady Mother of the Rock - hosts a procession of fishing boats
that have been blessed by the local bishop.
The park is a popular destination for Venezuelan tourists who travel here en
masse on weekends and on holidays. In recent years, the unregulated traffic and
unfettered development appeared to threaten the balance of the refuge's fragile
ecosystems. However, local and national governmental organizations have launched
numerous programs to educate residents about the area's fragility and the need
to develop eco-tourism, now the region's lifeblood, and the signs look very
promising
El Parque Nacional
Morrocoy (Español)
El Parque Nacional Morrocoy se encuentra
en la región costera centro-norte de Venezuela, en el área geográfica conocida
como golfo Triste entre las poblaciones de Tucacas y Chichiriviche en el estado
de Falcón.
Morrocoy
fue fundado en 1974, ocupa poco más de 32 mil hectáreas y comprende una zona
costera y un área mar adentro dotada de islas, islotes y cayos. Sus
espectaculares paisajes costeros hacen del mismo uno de los principales destinos
turísticos del país, particularmente por los propios venezolanos durante las
vacaciones. Desde Caracas, la capital venezolana, se emplean 3 horas para llegar
por carretera.
Muchas de las islas están cubiertas por
desiertas playas de arenas blancas, rodeadas de arrecifes de coral y bañadas por
tranquilas y cristalinas aguas azules, ideales para la practica del buceo, el
snorkeling, el windsurf y otras actividades acuáticas. A pesar de sus escasas
lluvias, el parque goza de una excepcional vegetación (helechos, mangles,
cocoteros, robles, etc.).
Una
característica sobresaliente del parque, es su gran población de aves, la cual
incluye: fragatas, ibis, cuervos marinos, pelícanos, flamencos, patos de ala
verde, alcatraces, garzas reales, etc.
Estas habitan sus islas y manglares en forma estable o
temporal, siendo algunas zonas un verdadero refugio de vida silvestre (Refugio
de Cuare). En el área del Cerro Chichiriviche es posible ver, entre otros
animales, monos, zorros y venados.
Tanto en Tucacas como en Chichiriviche
hay facilidades para alojarse (precios muy accesibles), en las islas solo es
factible acampar, y también pueden contratarse excursiones para explorar el
parque ya sea por tierra o por mar.
En
cuanto a sus recursos marinos, probablemente este sea su capital más importante,
ya que las numerosas islas, cayos y mangles brindan el espacio adecuado para el
florecimiento de su riqueza biológica con una generosa diversidad de peces,
crustáceos, moluscos y variadas formaciones de coral (cerebro, cuerno, acropora,
gorgonias, etc.)
La poca profundidad sus aguas y los
fondos de arena blanca favorecen una excepcional visibilidad, que, sumada a su
agradable temperatura y a los cientos de peces de arrecife han contribuido a
hacer muy popular el snorkeling y el buceo deportivo en toda la zona.
Entre otras variedades es común encontrar: peces loro y ángel, barracudas,
grandes meros, rayas, pargos, congrios y morenas.
Una
de las islas más visitadas, particularmente los fines de semana, es la popular
Cayo Sombrero, con hermosas playas y arrecifes ideales para la práctica del
buceo. Entre los Cayos Medio y Sur, hundido en un fondo arenoso a 23 m de
profundidad, yacen los restos de un barco pesquero, en un sitio con una
visibilidad promedio de 10/15 m.
Cayo Norte destaca por su visibilidad y la increíble riqueza de flora y fauna
marina, siendo un excelente lugar para realizar inmersiones nocturnas. Otros
sitios interesantes con atractivos escenarios submarinos para conocer son: Playa
Mero, Playuelita y Boca Seca.
Por último vale la pena mencionar, que es necesaria una actitud más firme por
parte de visitantes y autoridades, a fin de hacer viable el mantenimiento del
equilibrio ecológico de la zona y la preservación de este hermoso parque para
nuestros descendientes
Tucacas
is the first gateway to the park you'll encounter on your drive from Caracas or
Valencia. Just a few years ago it was a small sleepy village of fishing homes
and small vacation homes lined with coconut trees. Today it is flanked by
numerous Florida-style condos and marinas facing the sea. Most of these
complexes are self-contained resorts with little connection to the town.
Chichiriviche, an hour's drive north across the peninsula, is a dusky town where
ponies and donkeys still run freely. Growing pains are apparent in both of these
towns as they struggle to accommodate development with their fishing and coconut
plantation heritage. 
That
being said, don't be discouraged by the seemingly chaotic nature you'll first
observe when visiting these towns. What lies just off the coast is truly a
unique natural treasure to be enjoyed by nature lovers, as well as those simply
looking to sun and play on the beach. In the towns of Tucacas and Chichiriviche
you'll find plenty of resources for comfortable lodging, as well as numerous
services like restaurant offering delicious and cheap seafood dishes, boat
transfers to cays, scuba/snorkeling, kayaking and windsurfing. Tucacas also has
a casino with many options for gaming and nightlife entertainment. Camping is
permitted in four cayos. Permits ($1.40 per person per night) are available from
Inparques, Venezuela's national park service, in Tucacas.
