Frequently Asked Questions

General Operations

What makes Los Roques different from the rest of the Caribbean?

Los Roques is the Caribbean's closest experience to a private, Pacific-style atoll. It is a coral archipelago of some 350 islands, cays, and sandbars, protected as a National Park since 1972, with no resorts, no cruise traffic, and no commercial waterfront. Water clarity regularly exceeds 30 metres, and the outer cays are often untouched.

Is Los Roques suitable for superyachts?

Yes. We regularly host yachts of 70 metres and above. Every anchorage we use has been confirmed for large vessels, and all are sand-bottom positions, never over seagrass or coral.

Is Los Roques outside the hurricane belt?

Yes. Its position in the Southern Caribbean, outside the main hurricane belt, makes it a strong choice for vessels looking for a quieter, protected cruising ground.

Is there a charter fee or charter tax in Los Roques?

No. There is currently no charter fee or charter tax in Los Roques, a clear advantage over many Caribbean and Mediterranean destinations.

Planning Your Visit

How far ahead should we plan our visit?

As early as you can. National Park regulation permits four vessels over 200 GRT in Los Roques per month, with no exceptions and no permits for a fifth. The rule limits the load large vessels place on the reef and keeps real space between anchorages, which is what preserves the solitude the archipelago is known for, the seclusion that brings owners here in the first place, and the feeling that these islands are yours alone.

Priority is given to vessels of 65 metres and above, and to yachts returning to us. We recommend two to three months ahead. Permits take 10 to 15 days and visas about a week, so last-minute visits are possible. Contact us to check availability and reserve your slot.

How do we start?

Contact us by phone, WhatsApp, or email. We will talk through your dates, your itinerary, and what your guests are looking for, answer your questions, and build the visit around them. Paperwork comes later, and we will guide you through it.

How do we reserve a slot?

Slots are confirmed with a 30% deposit, due no later than 60 days before arrival. It is refundable until 30 days before arrival. Bookings made within 30 days are paid in full at confirmation.

Trust, Safety & Who We Are

Is Los Roques safe?

We could answer this with reassurances, but we would rather answer it with facts and let you draw your own conclusion.

Vessels of this caliber do not return to places their captains have any doubt about. M/Y Barbara came back for a second visit of more than twenty days. M/Y Ecstasea stayed fourteen. Guests, owners and crew move freely between the cays, the village and the water throughout.

Los Roques is a protected National Park, 80 nautical miles offshore, with one small fishing village and no through traffic of any kind. Every visit is planned in advance, every movement is supported, and someone who knows these waters is alongside you the whole time. We would be glad to put you in touch with the captains who have already been, so you can hear it from them rather than from us.

Why should we trust an agency in Venezuela?

Because Los Roques is not a place we visit, it is where we live. Alejandro Linares has been based in the archipelago for 29 years and has worked directly with all six park and government authorities for most of that time. Those relationships, and a network built across Venezuela over three decades, are what turn a complex process into a simple one. We do not learn the ground as we go. We are the ground.

Who will actually be looking after our vessel?

Alejandro personally. He is a captain himself, and he is with the yacht from arrival to departure, on the water, not on a phone from another country. Every detail, from clearance to the last dinner ashore, passes through one pair of hands.

Which vessels have you hosted?

We have hosted yachts including M/Y Barbara, M/Y Ecstasea, M/Y Felix, M/Y Rio, M/Y Talitha, and S/Y Douce France, among others. M/Y Ecstasea spent fourteen days in the archipelago, and M/Y Barbara has now returned for a second visit of more than twenty days.

What do captains say about you?

Our strongest references are the captains themselves, and we are happy to put you in touch directly with masters who have brought their vessels here.

Getting Here

Do we need to stop in Curaçao?

No. Curaçao is optional. Yachts can arrive directly from Grenada or any island in the chain. Curaçao is useful only as a technical or fuel stop if needed.

Do we have to go through the Venezuelan mainland?

No. Vessels arrive directly at Gran Roque. The clearance team flies in and boards the yacht, so there is no mainland transit.

Clearance, Visas & Permits

How does clearance work?

Los Roques is not an official port of entry, so all six Venezuelan authorities clear in the vessel onboard. We are proud to offer the fastest clearance in the Caribbean It usually takes 30 to 45 minutes. We coordinate everything beforehand so the process is smooth and quick.

Do guests and crew need a visa?

Only U.S. passport holders need a Venezuelan tourist visa. UK and EU passport holders do not, including when arriving by yacht. For those who need one, we process the visa directly in Venezuelan waters, with no embassy visit required.

What documents do you need?

Vessel registration, crew and guest lists, passports, insurance with Los Roques cover, last port clearance, and occupation, residence, and phone number for each person. Please send clear scanned PDFs, not phone photos.

How does departure work?

Departure clearance is prepared ashore by our team, and the zarpe, the official departure document, is delivered onboard by tender at the Master's chosen time. The authorities work to your schedule, not the other way around, Captain is not needed to be present to clear out, its manage by YSLR.

Privacy

Is our visit kept confidential?

Yes. Every official who boards signs a non-disclosure agreement before boarding, and no photography or social media is permitted. Our helicopter pilot is also bound by confidentiality.

What happens in a medical emergency?

We work with the same medical evacuation provider used by foreign embassies in Venezuela for their own emergency protocols.

Navigation & Anchorages

What are the navigation rules in the park?

Daylight navigation only, with no movement before sunrise, around 06:15. Vessels use approved anchorages only and keep AIS on at all times. For vessels over 200 GRT, every movement is supervised by radio from Gran Roque through our Remote Pilot Supervision.

Which charts should we use?

NGA chart 24444 offers the best detail. Electronic chart offsets vary by location, so all navigation inside the park is by eye in daylight. We provide google earth anchorage map for +65 meter vessels.

Guest Experiences

What does a typical visit look like?

We work from a proven 5 to 14 day programme, built around water rather than land: clearance day at Gran Roque, a diving day on the southern barrier reef, a private beach setup in the mid-archipelago, a day at Cayo de Agua and its sandbar, and departure clearance onboard. It is a framework, not a script, and we shape it around your guests.

What can guests do in Los Roques?

Diving on walls and coral gardens, snorkelling, kite surfing, paddleboarding, sandbar landings, private beach setups with lunch or BBQ, and private dinners on any island with a local chef. We pioneered water sports in Los Roques over 25 years ago and still run every operation ourselves.

Can guests kite surf across the park?

Yes. We plan and support full crossings of the national park, with route planning, safety boats, and local guides, always in water where your guests will have it entirely to themselves.

What fishing is available?

Two completely different experiences. Deep-sea sport fishing, starting a couple of miles beyond the reef, for blue marlin, white marlin, sailfish, wahoo, tuna, and mahi-mahi. And flats fishing in shallow water for bonefish, permit, and tarpon, where Los Roques ranks among the best in the world.

Where do guests dine ashore?

Los Roques has no conventional restaurant infrastructure. What it has instead are the posadas, the small island lodges, and the best of them are genuinely excellent. We work only with those kitchens, overseeing menu and detail ourselves. We can reserve a private terrace or beachfront deck, or set up dinner directly on the beach of any island with a local chef cooking fresh.

Are jet skis allowed?

No. Jet skis are not permitted in the National Park. All other water toys are welcome.

Can guests stay connected?

Yes. We provide local phone lines, eSIMs, and portable Starlink units on request.

Aviation & Logistics

Can you arrange private flights and helicopters?

Yes. We coordinate private jets, helicopters, guest transfers, and crew changes. Flights between Curaçao and Los Roques make a short immigration stop in Caracas, about 20 minutes.

Can provisions be delivered to the yacht?

Yes, including fresh local fish and lobster in season, delivered to the vessel at anchor wherever conditions allow.

Conservation

Can our visit give something back to Los Roques?

Yes. Through Blue Legacy Los Roques, owners can sponsor coral reef recovery by protecting parrotfish, the fish that keep the reef healthy. Sponsors receive monthly reports with photographs showing the progress.

Beyond Los Roques

Can Los Roques be part of a longer journey?

Yes. Through the Blue Corridor, we work with trusted partners in Panama and the Galápagos to offer a seamless passage between two of the world's rare protected marine parks.

Commercial

How are services priced?

Every quotation is built for the specific vessel, based on size, GRT, itinerary, and length of stay. Agency services and third-party costs are shown separately, so pursers can review everything clearly.

Yachtservice Los Roques. Over 25 years on these waters. Your trusted partner in the Caribbean's last private atoll.