TOP 10: Beaches in Morrocoy

MORROCOY NATIONAL PARK

When my mom was pregnant and I was in her little belly, she went to Morrocoy for the first time in her life, and she felt completely in love with it. So with her sandy toes and salty hair, enjoying from the beautiful Sombrero Cay, she prayed to God, asking him to let her visit that blissful paradise at least another 10 times more in her life.

She has now lost count of how many times she has been there, but God has allowed us to go and enjoy from that oasis every year since then (sometimes even twice a year).

My absolute favorite place in the world is in the west coast of Venezuela at the Falcon State, and is called the Morrocoy National Park, home of coral reefs, mangroves, and the islands with the most beautiful beaches in the entire Caribbean Sea (at least for me). They all have clear and calm waters with none swell due to the protection of the coral reefs. It is 4-hours away from my hometown, Caracas, which made it easier for me, and my family, to escape to this oasis every year, now I want to share some of my favorite cays from the park.

CAYO, translated to English as Cay or Key, comes from the taíno word, meaning small island. Morrocoy has dozens of them. It can be accessed to from piers in nearby towns like Chichiriviche or Tucacas, renting a yacht or scheduling a trip with a boatman at the pier.

I have been to many, but here are the TOP 10 on my list:

• CAYO SAL: Salt Cay is one of the most common cays to visit because it is close to the pier, which makes it cheaper to go to. People usually go to camp and spend the night.

Cayo Sal

• CAYO LAS ANIMAS: Spirits Cay has the most beautiful tones of blues ever found of them all. It is also great for kids because the water is shallow and calm. No need to worry about kids drowning.

• CAYO SOMBRERO: Hat Cay is the biggest and most popular one because its the closest one to the pier and the colors are stunning. It has many boats selling drinks and fishermen offering seafood. This cay has two different sides, one for the families and other for people partying.

Cayo Sombrero

Rashel on the Road at Los Juanes

• LOS JUANES: Talking about partying on the beach, Los Juanes, also referred to as the pool, its not really a cay. Its just a point in the sea where the water is shallow and people go with their yachts or sport boats to party. There are a few similar points that are called Bajos, they used to be plain cays, without any vegetation, but when their coral reef dies, they get sunk underwater.

• CAYO ALEMAN: The German Cay is a hidden gem, not many people go to this one or even know about it because it involves doing a little walking to get there. The boat leaves you at the dock that is behind the cay, and then there is a 10-minutes walk through the palm tree jungle to get to the beach. But it is absolutely worth it! The mangroves look so surreal and the beach is quiet and almost deserted.

• CAYO PAICLÁ: Another good one for the kids and people wanting to enjoy from seafood typical of the Venezuelan coast at the restaurants. Great for family trips because there are tables, chairs and canopies to rent.

• PLAYUELA AND PLAYUELITA CAYS: Two cays in one, the large one, Playuela, is where people access to in its dock. It has many restaurants, restrooms, and other services. Then next to it is Playuelita, where people go to by walking. The second one is PERFECT for snorkeling as it is very close to the coral reef.

Cayo Playuelita

Snorkeling at Cayo Borracho

• CAYO BORRACHO: I have only been to Drunk Cay once and I stayed there for a few hours. It felt like I was in heaven. This cay is completely virgin and deserted, there is not signal, the access is restricted because of the sea turtles spawning on the beach, and not many people know about it. Boatmen do not take tourists there as a permit is needed from the coastguards, but I could get in thanks to the contact from the inn I was staying at that time. Me and my family were alone at the cay, except for a private yacht with a couple diving on the other side of the beach. This experience was amazing, however I would not recommend doing it because that isolation is not safe at all.

• VARADERO: This beach has perfect white sand and crystal waters. Sadly, it has deteriorated a lot due to weather conditions, but I still have good memories of it.

Varadero Beach

• CAYO AZUL: Blue Cay does not have crystal waters, it has a vibrant and iridescent blue sea that looks as it someone threw a blue dye in it. Perfect for families and everyone looking for a peaceful day.

Cayo Peraza

• CAYO PERAZA: It was really hard to choose one, but my favorite cay of them all is Peraza. This one is a small virgin cay with the most beautiful scenery. It takes me about 20 minutes to walk around the cay and not many people like it because it does not have any restaurant or palm trees, so its never crowded, which I love. I have many special memories in this one and I feel like the peaceful environment really helps you to connect with nature and enjoy the most of it. It washes away all the sorrows.