Venezuela - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 873

Ì TREAT YOURSELF
An underwater extension of the Andes range, the Los Roques archipelago is Venezuela's
closest thing to desert-island paradise. Populated mostly by posada owners and boatmen,
the high cost of flying to Los Roques has helped keep them both exclusive and unspoilt.
Most Caracas travel agencies (p.870) and tour operators (see p.860) offer package trips, but
you'll save a lot of money organising things yourself.
Trips are cheaper during the week, and the major carrier for the archipelago, Aereotuy
( W tuy.com), offers return flights and a night's accommodation for BsF1600/person Mon-Fri.
Chapi Air ( T 0212 355 1965, W chapiair.com) serves Los Roques with two flights daily each way.
Two good posadas are El Botuto ( T 0416 621 0381, W posadaelbotuto.com; $85/person
with breakfast), which has great service and lovely outside showers, and Doña Carmen
( T 0414 318 4926, W turismodonacarmen.com; BsF300/person with dinner).
Camping is a safer option than on the mainland, although you'll need a permit from the
Inparques o ce (at the far end of town from the landing strip). Camping is restricted to a
designated area on Gran Roque and a few of the smaller, uninhabited islands, for a maximum of
eight days. Contact Libya Parada ( T 0414 291 9240, E [e-mail]) for tent rentals.
A boatmen's cooperative for transport around the islands operates out of Oscar Shop next to
the landing strip, which also rents snorkelling gear (BsF50/day). Arrecife Divers, near Inparques,
runs scuba-diving trips and courses. There are no ATMs , so take plenty of cash. Tourist
numbers and prices rise substantially in the June to September high season.

11

corner for a buseta to El Junquito (every 15min; 1hr).
Onward buses to Colonia Tovar (every 15min; 1hr) depart
from where the El Junquito bus stops. On weekends,
everyone else on the bus is usually heading to Colonia
Tovar too.
To return to Caracas, busetas leaving Colonia Tovar
depart 300m outside the village on the road to El Junquito;
many of them go directly to Caracas for BsF30. The last
buseta leaves Colonia at 6pm. If you want to move on to
the western coast, take a buseta to La Victoria from the
other end of town. From La Victoria buses leave regularly
for Maracay, the access point for Parque Nacional Henri
Pittier (see p.878).

sandwich de pernil (BsF65), all of which include a drink.
Fri-Sun 8am-5pm.

FESTIVAL DE LOS DIABLOS
DANZANTES
The otherwise nondescript town of
San Francisco de Yare , 60km southeast
of Caracas, is the site of one of Venezuela's
most famous spectacles, the Festival de
los Diablos Danzantes (“dancing
devils”). In observance of the Catholic holy
day Corpus Christi (in late May or early
June; check with Caracas tourism o ces
for exact dates), townspeople don
elaborate devil costumes and engage in
highly ritualized performances. While
similar festivals occur in other parts of
Venezuela, including Ocumare de la
Costa, Chuao, Naiguatá and Cuyagua,
Yare's is considered the definitive.
GETTING THERE
By metro and bus To get here from Caracas,
take the metro to the Nuevo Circo station and walk
one block to the bus terminal of the same name.
From here, buses (1hr 30min) leave every 15min
until 9pm for Ocumare del Tuy from the designated
stand. From the Ocumare terminal, frequent busetas
to Santa Teresa drop passengers at Yare's Plaza
Bolívar (20min). To return to Caracas, Ocumare-
bound busetas pass one block northeast of the Plaza
Bolívar. Buses from Ocumare to Caracas leave every
15min until 9pm.

TOUR OPERATORS
Douglas Pridham T 0416 743 8939, W vivatrek.com.
An expert paraglider who can get you airborne from the
steep hillsides around Colonia Tovar (BsF450). His outfit
also offers guided excursions into Parque Nacional Henri
Pittier (see p.878).
Rustic Tours T 0244 355 1908, E [e-mail].
One of several companies with stalls around the village,
which run jeep outings through the mountainous country-
side (2hr; BsF70).

EATING
Lunchería Schmuk 100m uphill from the church.
Specializes in German-style meats, which come in a
variety of forms ranging from simple hot-dogs (BsF20)
to the Plato Especial Schmuck sausage-fest (BsF75).
Daily 6am-9pm.
Zu Hause Next to the car park. Offers good-value break-
fasts, again involving sausages, and lunch combos such as