Venezuela travel blog by Mark Berman -
August 2014
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Wow! If you are a beach and nature lover and you want to be in the most beautiful and amazing place full of secluded (or semi-crowded) beaches with crystal clean
waters, then Morrocoy National Park is your ticket! I did a day trip to Morrocoy from Moron where I had spent the night and also returned there for a night
after the day in Morrocoy. It's 40 minutes by bus each way and a hell of a lot cheaper than staying in Tucacas which is the town at Morrocoy. I had just
spent a few days 4hrs north / west at beaches in Coro and Adicora which was really nice but Morrocoy was totally mind-blowing and pristine in comparison!
Arriving in Tucacas
I arrived at the bus terminal in Tucacas where there were a few people walking around selling boat tickets and tours at prices higher than what you pay at
the waters edge, do not buy a ticket from these people. Next I took a taxi a few minutes to the boats at the dock.
Tour or Private Boat?
It works like this: Each boat can have a
maximum of 7 people in it. The price to each island or beach is fixed and is split between however many people there are in the boat. They charge black
market prices so you need to change your money on the black market. Generally it costs between $15-30USD per boat to go to each beach / island and return. If
you divide that cost between up to 7 people it makes for a very cheap day in paradise indeed! You can hire a private boat for less than $50USD for 4hrs to
take you on a little tour around some of the islands and beaches before you decide which beach or island you want to spend a few hours at. Then the boat comes
back to return you to Tucacas later on. There is also a 5hr private boat option for around $65USD with the tour including several more islands and beaches.
Islands and Beaches
The islands of Morrocoy are known as cayos, the beaches are called playas. Islands you can visit by boat are Cayo Las Animas, Cajo Paicla, Cajo Boca Seca,
Cajo Pescadores, Cajo Sombrero, Cajo Los Juanes and Cajo Los Muerticos. The most popular beaches to visit are Playa Mero, Playuela y Playuelita, Playa Sur
and Playa Norte.
Boat Tour of Morrocoy
I chose to take a 4hr private boat tour (with my girlfriend). We powered off from Tucacas and headed firstly to the island of birds (Isla Los
Pajaros) where we saw birds in the trees above from the boat. We had a quick look, then powered off to Playa Azul to see all the people enjoying themselves
there. We didn't stop but headed next to see the Cave of the Santisima Virgen, a shrine next to the water. A few minutes later we arrived at Cajo Los Juanes
where I jumped into the water and cooled off. This was quite a fun place, not a beach, just the edge of an island with shallow waters and a few boats with
people. Vendors walked around waist high in water selling seafood and drinks from on top of floating polystyrene boards. The water here is just amazing
to swim in! Next we headed off and had a quick look at Playa Los Alemanes before arriving at nearby Cajo Sombrero. At this point the boat driver asked which
beach or island we had liked the best of the ones we had seen and which one would we like to spend the next 3hrs at before he came back to collect us.
Cajo Sombrero (Shady Beach)
We
decided that Cajo Sombrero where we had just arrived looked pretty good. There were lots of people, was quite large and looked fantastic for swimming and
exploring. Like most if not all other places at Morrocoy National Park, at Playa Sombrero you are hit with pure white sands, palm trees and crystal clean
emerald and turquoise colored waters all around. In these shallow waters away from the sandy beaches lay coral reefs and complex ecosystems. I explored
around the island. There are very few people once you get away from the main beaches. I love nature! Afterwards I headed back to the main beach. Well
there are 2, one on each side of the island, can you say colored umbrella?
Feelings of Joy
Swim time, just gorgeous, refreshing, paradise on earth, wow what a backdrop,
floating on my back, this can't be real. I don't want to leave. I want to come back... OK, all things must pass. The boat arrived on time, we headed back
to Tucacas and took a taxi to the bus terminal for a bus back to Moron.
Bus to Barquisimeto
The next day a bus 2hrs 15mins from Moron to
Barquisimeto.
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Looking across the clean waters to the beach at Cajo Sombrero, Morrocoy National Park.
Umbrellas on the islands and beaches at Morrocoy National Park.
Pure white sands and emerald waters at Cajo Sombrero at Morrocoy National Park.
Cajo Sombrero at Morrocoy National Park, a nearly deserted island in parts.
