Cruising here needs to be approached with careful planning.

In recent years, Venezuela has seen a decline in the number of visiting yachts due to the steadily deteriorating safety situation. In certain areas (in particular Margarita and Testigos) there have been an increasing number of muggings, robberies and even knife attacks reported by visiting sailors, which have caused many to avoid this beautiful country and change their cruising plans for elsewhere.

It is not so much the number of attacks that cause concern, but the violent nature of these attacks. However, it is important to remember that with a coastline of nearly 1800 miles and 100’s of offshore islands, Venezuela is a vast cruising area, and whilst there are some parts that should perhaps still be avoided or at least approached with care, there are other areas that are safe to cruise where sailors do not encounter any problems.

A number of cruisers have reported visiting Los Roques over the last couple of years and have had no problems with the authorities.

For more information see Venezuela Security.

• Venezuela Security Reports