Lesser Antilles

The islands off the Venezuelan coast include rocky outcrops and low coral cays surrounded by reefs. Los Roques, to the north of the mainland, has a broad lagoon protected by coral barriers and many sandy islets. Archaeological finds show that Indigenous visitors used its marine resources between about 1000 and 1500. These small islands form part of the southern Caribbean chain extending from Las Aves towards La Orchila and other islands farther east.