[1] It excludes two mountain areas of the Paria peninsula, which are in the Cordillera de la Costa montane forests ecoregion.

From here a line of hills extends to the east, with their highest point formed by the 1,104 metres (3,622 ft) Cerro San José.

In the coastal region from the center of the Araya-Paria Peninsula to Cumaná there are wet seasons from June to August, and around year end.

Open communities of short salt-tolerant herbs are found in depressions that are often flooded by the sea, including species such as Atriplex pentandra, Batis maritima, Heterostachys ritteriana, Salicornia fruticosa and Sesuvium portulacastrum.

Low open to dense communities of herb cover sandy dunes with species such as Cakile lanceolata, Cyperus planifolius, Euphorbia buxifolia, Ipomoea pes-caprae, Portulaca pilosa, Scaevola plumieri and Sporobolus virginicus.

Common species around the mainland Turimiquire massif include Bauhinia aculeata, Bourreria cumanensis, Bursera simaruba, Pereskia guamacho and Tabebuia billbergii.

Common species on the Paria Peninsula are Cynophalla hastata, Diospyros inconstans, Jacquinia revoluta and Maytenus sieberiana.

[2] Plants of the Cerro Copey range on Margarita Island closely resemble those of the Cordillera de la Costa montane forest.

Common species include Aspidosperma vargasii, Bursera simaruba, Clusia rosea, Coccoloba coronata, Croton xanthochloros, Machaerium robiniifolium, Maytenus karstenii, Neea anisophylla, Tabebuia billbergii, and Ximenia americana.

Common species include Bactris setulosa, Dendropanax arboreus, Euterpe precatoria, Guapira ofersiana, Inga macrantha, Margaritaria nobilis, Myrcianthes compressa, Nectandra coriacea and Tabebuia chrysantha.

Endemic flora in the Cerro Copey range include Argythamnia erubescens, Blakea monticola, Clerodendrum margaritense, Croton margaritensis, Inga macrantha and Mikania johnstonii.

The subspecies Margarita blue-crowned parakeet (Thectocercus acuticaudatus neoxena) found in the mangroves around the La Restinga lagoon, is also threatened by pet trade.

The north coast of the Paria Peninsula is the main nesting zone for the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) in Venezuela.

Adventure tourists drive vehicles along the protected beaches of La Restinga National Park and destroy turtle nests.

The 18,862 hectares (46,610 acres) Laguna de la Restinga National Park on the northern Macanao Peninsular protects mangroves and some adjoining arid areas.