The islands' pristine coral reef attracts many wealthy visitors, especially from Europe, some of whom come in their own yachts and anchor in the inner, protected shallow waters.

Its first settlers were the Caribbean aborigines who visited the islands to collect botutos, fish, hunt turtles and extract salt.

But the permanent occupation arises with the arrival of fishermen from Margarita Island, who were bringing their families and settling in Los Roques.

In 1871 the Venezuelan president Antonio Guzmán Blanco created by decree the Territorio Colón (Columbus Territory) which included Los Roques and other adjacent islands.

At the beginning of the 20th century an epidemic of bubonic plague in La Guaira caused the Venezuelan government to authorise the use of the island of Gran Roque as a quarantine site.

Because of the wide variety of seabirds and rich aquatic life, the Venezuelan government declared Los Roques a National Park in 1972.

[6] After its declaration as a national park, the Los Roques scientific foundation (Fundación Científica de Los Roques) was created, which established its laboratories and facilities on the island of Dos Mosquises, to carry out works on archeology, fish, turtles, mollusks, corals, sponges, fishing and oceanography.

In order to give greater dynamism to its administration and promote the sustainable development of the islands on 2 November 1990, according to Presidential Decree 1214, the figure of the Single Authority of Los Roques Area (Autoridad Única de Área) was created, which would continue as part of the Federal Dependencies but with a special administrative status.

[9] In September 2019[10] a new airport was inaugurated in Los Roques, with an expanded runway, new facilities with a national and international area, waiting room and other related structures.

[11] The major islands of the archipelago have an atoll structure, with two external barriers formed by coral communities, and an inner lagoon and sandy shallows.

As a result of its declaration as a national park in 1972,[15] a protection plan was created, which establishes certain regulations on the island to preserve the state of these ecosystems.

These zones are: There are several mangrove species: Rhizophora mangle, Avicennia germinans, Laguncularia racemosa and Conocarpus erectus, extensive seagrass meadows (Thalassia testudinum), halophyte species such as glass grass, red purslane or beach bell (Sesuvium portulacastrum), cacti such as a prickly pear cactus or guasábara (Opuntia caribea) and a crop or melon cactus (Melocactus caesius).

[19] The most representative animals are the green sea turtle, pink queen conch, spiny lobster, typical coral reef fish and 92 species of birds.

Between 1990 and 2011 the central government appointed a director for the Single Area Authority (Autoridad Única de Área) within the Federal Dependencies, but that last year the central government created the figure of the Miranda Insular Territory (Territorio Insular) that encompasses not only Los Roques but La Orchila and Las Aves Archipelago.

[8] The archipelago is sparsely populated, having about 1,500 permanent inhabitants; however it receives approximately 70,000 visitors a year, many of them day-visitors who come from Caracas and the mainland.

Currently there are more than 60 hostels, 50 travel agencies and six airlines all concentrated on the island of Gran Roque, which is part of the recreational sector where it is authorized to carry out this type of building.

The warm, clear water offers excellent visibility allowing divers of all skill levels the opportunity to see the great diversity of fish species and colorful aquatic plant life, both during the day and during night dives.

From El Gran Roque most visitors that arrive, go to the port and travel to the keys in small boats called "peñeros" from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.

[22] Activities include fishing[23] (bonefish, barracuda, tarpon, jack, and Spanish mackerel), birding, snorkeling, diving, paddling, windsurfing, and kitesurfing,[24] and there is a sea turtle research center located on Dos Mosquises.