An unusual destination, this week’s, but definitely one to put on your ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ travel list. There really is everything on Isla de Coche, a strip of land barely 55 square metres in size that emerges from the Caribbean Sea: good food, history, entertainment, relaxation, water sports, but above all, the slowness and awareness of still being far from the classic destinations of mass tourism.
The island belongs politically to Venezuela. In particular, it is part of the country’s only island state, Nueva Esparta, which also includes the boisterous and lively Isla Margarita, a favourite destination for tourists from all over the world, just 20 km away by sea, and the small and almost uninhabited Cubagua. On the opposite side, however, the island ‘looks over’ the rich Peninsula of Araya, in the State of Sucre, famous for its salt ‘mines’ and the cultural liveliness of its cities, including Carupano, where, every year, the most beautiful and sumptuous Carnival in all of Venezuela is held.
The itinerary we propose this week takes you precisely to discover this small island with its white beaches and crystal-clear waters, a paradise for those who wish to spend a completely relaxing holiday, far from the ‘madding crowd’ and in harmony with nature.
Discovering San Pedro de Coche
The territory of the small Isla de Coche is mainly flat and enjoys a rather dry climate. The most beautiful salt marshes and beaches are concentrated in the west, while in the north, the landscapes are beautiful wind-drawn rocky canyons that have inspired painters and poets. To the south is the capital, San Pedro de Coche. The southern part of the island is connected to the northern part by a paved road that can also be travelled by bicycle.
Precisely the ‘two-wheeler’ is the best way to visit the island. The small size of the Coche makes it possible to visit the main attractions in about two hours. We begin our itinerary from San Pedro, the capital.
San Pedro is a typical tourist town, quiet, colourful, overlooking one of the most beautiful seas in the Caribbean, dotted with delightful little shops and small restaurants, where you can enjoy fresh fish, shellfish and other specialities of the local cuisine. The centrepiece of the capital is Plaza Bolivar, overlooked by the Church of St Peter, the city’s patron saint.
One of the capital’s most visited attractions is the unique Pietra del Piache, a natural cave topped by a large stone, which serves as a roof. The cave also houses a statue of the Madonna. A rather ominous legend has it that on the day the stone falls to the ground, the entire island will be swallowed up by the sea.
Another beautiful excursion is to the Oyster Cemetery, located in the natural harbour of El Bichar. It is a very unique place, characterised by small hills of bizarrely shaped shells, the result of the work of a shellfish breeding and processing company. Once the animals have, so to speak, ‘left’ their shells, these are piled up to form, over time, the bizarre hills.
Relaxing on the Coche’s most beautiful beaches
Moving northwards along the coast from the capital, one crosses a rather arid landscape, with vegetation reduced to cacti and a few shrubs. At the western end, there is the beautiful Playa de La Punta, the largest on the island, an expanse of white sand, overlooking a transparent sea and, due to the tranquillity of its waters, caressed by sea breezes, it is the ideal place to practice water sports, such as kitesurfing and snorkelling.
Continuing in a clockwise direction, we come to the picturesque lagoon of the salinas, in the past, as in the present, a source of livelihood for the island’s economy, along with fishing and tourism. Behind the salt pans is a breathtaking landscape of deserted plains, which, as you approach the town of La Uva, becomes a bas-relief of hills of incredible colours, ranging from terracotta to silver and purple.
Almost like a diamond set among these soft hills, the wild Playa de El Coco is a precious jewel of nature. Smaller, in size, than La Punta, it offers, intense visual impressions, for its sudden emergence from wind-sculpted cliffs. Here one can enjoy the vision of fiery sunsets and infinite horizons, where the sky and the sea touch, until they seem to be one.
Not far away, there is also the small and romantic Playa El Amor, which, as the name seems to suggest, is very suitable for honeymooners due to its intimate and cosy atmosphere. The beach is surrounded in a double embrace by cliffs and an iridescent sea, ranging from azure to deep blue.
Continuing along the circumnavigation of the island, you will come across, in succession, the small towns of El Guamache, El Amparo and Guinima.
Taste of salt, the fascinating history of the Coche salt flats
The economy of Isla de Coche, today as in the past, is essentially based on the natural reserves that, in the case of the small island, are represented by the sea and the salt pans. A well-chosen combination that has allowed the development of both the fresh and preserved fish trade, on the one hand, and the salt trade, on the other. The salt pans are located in the north-eastern part of the island, a few kilometres from the capital, San Pedro, and the quality of their salt is famous throughout the country. Special boats transport the salt, freshly extracted from the lagoon, to the mainland, where it is purified and left to dry, before being packaged and prepared for trade. However, in the past, it was precisely salt that sparked a real fight for possession of this ‘white gold‘.
The history of Isla de Coche, in this sense, is very similar to that of the Peninsula of Araya, in the state of Sucre, which is located on the coast just opposite the island and has a vast salt lagoon. The first Europeans to arrive in the area, in 1499, were the Spaniards, attracted by the pearl deposits. The Coche salt marshes were also colonised, as the bottom of the lagoon was very rich in pearls. The Spaniards, however, did not focus their attention on salt, which was in great demand in Europe for food preservation.
On the contrary, the Dutch, more aware of the wealth they had at their fingertips, began salt extraction in the early 16th century under the eyes of the Spanish, who were too focused on pearls. The Dutch were joined by the English. When the pearl deposits finally ran out at the end of the century, the Spaniards began to realise both the importance of the salt pans and the fact that others had been using them for several decades. The situation gave rise to a series of battles between the European colonisers.
The Spanish then decided to build an imposing fortress on the Araya Peninsula in 1618, the construction of which lasted 50 years. Once completed, in 1726, a violent hurricane turned the salt lagoon into a gulf, effectively making salt harvesting impossible. The same fate befell the Coche salt pans, but the waters receded earlier than on land, allowing activity to resume.
The Spanish, having lost all economic interest, decided to abandon the area, not before having razed the fortress to the ground. Every attempt proved futile and, having run out of ammunition and gunpowder, they left the Real Fortaleza de Santiago de Léon de Araya to guard the ocean waters. Today, the salinas of the Araya peninsula, together with those of the Coche, produce around half a million tonnes of salt per year, the largest in the whole of Venezuela.
Indigenous and European flavours on the table
National dishes include arepas, corn fritters filled with any filling you can think of: cheese, beef, sausage, eggs, but also shrimp, octopus, salad or avocado.
Another hearty snack is the empanadas, dough dumplings filled with meat, cheese or chicken, which are fried in plenty of oil. Hervido, on the other hand, is a soup of chicken, beef, carrots, potatoes and other vegetables, which is also very rich.
Moving on to meat dishes, a real delicacy is lachon, a spit-roasted suckling pig stuffed with rice, pulses and minced pork. Muchacho, on the other hand, is roast beef in a sauce, while sanchoco, is a stew of beef, chicken, fish and vegetables.
The national dish, on the other hand, is the pabellón criollo, a single dish of beef, rice, cheese, black beans and tajada, fried ripe plantain. The Venezuelan parrilla, the grilled meat, is also very famous.
On the island of Coche, the lion’s share is taken up by fish dishes, such as sopa de pescado, the classic fish soup, pescado frito, a tasty mixed fry, árroz con mariscos, seafood risotto, and desserts, such as turron de coco, made with flaked coconut, and arroz de coco, sweet rice with flaked coconut.
Among the drinks, fruit juices are a real treat for the palate and to combat the heat. Sweet and full-bodied, chicha is a sweet, thick and milky drink made with rice and sugar, while papélon con limon is a thirst quencher made with sugar and lemon juice.
HOW TO GET THERE
From Italy there are no direct flights to Isla de Coche. One can fly to Caracas and, once there, take an internal flight to Isla Margherita and then a ferry to Isla de Coche. Airlines that fly to Venezuela include Iberia (www.iberia.com), Air France (www.airfrance.it), and KLM (www.klm.com ).
WHERE TO SLEEP
*Hotel Punta Blanca****S (Playa La Punta, tel 0058 424 1421831, https://hotel-punta-blanca.business.site/) Beautiful hotel directly overlooking Playa de La Punta. It offers 154 accommodations, including 124 doubles and 30 suites, spread around a lush garden. At guests’ disposal restaurant, bar, private beach, activities such as kitesurfing and windsurfing, transfer to and from Isla Margarita.*Hotel Coche Paradise**** (via San Pietro de Coche, Playa La Punta, tel 0058 501 4683500, https://paradisehoteles.com/coche ) Sea-view hotel with 114 different accommodations, including doubles, triples, quadruples and mini-apartments. Located on the beautiful beach of La Punta. It has a restaurant, bar, wellness centre and gym. It offers transport service to and from Isla Margarita, water sports and the possibility of organising excursions.
WHERE TO EAT
*Bohio de Doña Carmen, Calle la Marina, San Pedro de Coche, tel 0058 295 2991113. Located in the harbour of San Pedro, this is the oldest restaurant on the island, created for sailors who came and went. It offers Cochensean cuisine, including chicken in garlic sauce, fish dishes, prawns and fresh seafood.*La Gocha, Playa la Punta, at the entrance to San Pedro harbour. Characteristic restaurant, among the most popular on the island, created to welcome visitors disembarking at the harbour. Open for lunch and dinner, it offers excellent fish dishes, including soups, king prawns and lobster Catalan style, as well as pasta, grilled meat and salads.
INFOwww.venezuelatuya.comhttps://turismosucre.com.ve/araya/
