Nature and places of interest in the Natural Park of Los Roques.

Dos Mosquises Islands (The Turtle hatching islands).

These are approximately an hour and a half from Gran Roque depending on the boat used and the weather (with a sailboat allow 4 hours, and it is better to rent a sailboat (live aboard) for 2 or more days). Of these two keys Dos Mosquises Norte and Dos Mosquises Sur, the latter is the most interesting because the Los Roques Scientific Foundation, a park station and an archaeological whereabouts as well as a magnificent beach are all there.
From the seventies the foundation has been carrying on investigation and environmental education; its associates promoted the creation of the national park and their investigations range form the biology of coralline reef communities to fishing, anthropology and archaeology in the archipelago. There is a landing strip on the island for small aircrafts, laboratories, service areas, accommodation and a room for the raising of turtles which usually awaken much interest among visitors. In the breeding tanks one can see the three different types of species most common in the archipelago. On a trail that goes from the breeding area to the east coast of the island there is a place built with Botuto shells (big conch shells) where turtles become acclimatized before they are freed.
 

The leading evidence on pre Columbian life in the archipelago is found in Dos Mosquises Sur. Close to the area where the archaeological evidence was found an archaeological unit has been built to house and exhibit all the findings (although most valuable artifacts are in the national museum in Caracas).
The beach which borders the west side of the Dos Mosquises Sur is one of the nicest of the archipelago. There you can find most of the foundations’ constructions, park guard’s station and many coconut trees not very frequent on other keys of the archipelago. Diving is also a major feature in the reefs that border the key.