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.

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.

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