Mochima National Park

Mochima runs along the coast between Cumaná and Puerto La Cruz, taking in dry cactus-covered hills, a set of deep fjord-like bays cut into them, and a scatter of islands offshore. The water is clear and cool, upwelling brings nutrients that support a good deal of marine life, and dolphins are common in the channels. Boats run out from Mochima village and Santa Fe to island beaches, and the coast road between the two towns is a viewpoint in itself.

Background

The park spans the states of Anzoátegui and Sucre on Venezuela's northeastern coast and covers 94,935 hectares. Its western sector is entirely sea, the middle takes in the coast and waters of the Gulf of Santa Fé and Mochima Bay, and a mountain sector protects the watershed of the Turimiquire Dam. It was created on December 19, 1973 to guard the montane forests of the Turimiquire range together with the seascapes of the country's eastern Caribbean, and around 500,000 people visited in 2005.

Source: Wikipedia, "Mochima National Park"

What you'll find

• The bays - deep inlets cut into dry hills along the coast.
• The island beaches - white sand cays reached by boat from the mainland villages.
• The dolphins - common in the channels between the islands.
• The coast road - the cliff road between Cumana and Puerto La Cruz.

When to go

December to April is driest and clearest. Water is cooler here than elsewhere on the Caribbean because of upwelling. Holiday periods fill the beaches and boats.

Before you go

Boat prices to the islands are negotiated and quoted high. The islands have no facilities and everything must be carried. Water is cooler than most Caribbean visitors expect.

Nearby

Cumana is east, and the Paria Peninsula is beyond it.

Key facts