Coche Island facts for kids
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Native name:
Isla de Coche
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A beach of the island
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 Coche
Location in Lesser Antilles
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Coche
Location in Venezuela
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| Geography | |
| Location | Caribbean Sea |
| Coordinates | 10°46′38″N 63°55′52″W / 10.77722°N 63.93111°W |
| Area | 61 km2 (24 sq mi) |
| Length | 11 km (6.8 mi) |
| Width | 6 km (3.7 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 28 m (92 ft) |
| Administration | |
| State | Nueva Esparta State |
| Municipality | Villalba |
| Largest settlement | San Pedro de Coche |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 8756 (2010) |
Coche Island (Isla de Coche in Spanish) is a beautiful island in the Caribbean Sea. It is one of three islands that make up the Nueva Esparta State in Venezuela. The other two islands are Isla Margarita, which is the biggest, and Cubagua, the smallest. Coche Island is also known for its strong fishing traditions.
The island covers an area of about 55 km2 (21 sq mi). It is about 11 km (7 mi) long and 6 km (4 mi) wide. Around 8,200 people lived there in 1999. The highest point on the island is about 60 metres (197 ft) above sea level. Coche Island has a tropical climate. The average temperature is usually between 27 to 38 °C (81 to 100 °F).
The main town on Coche Island is San Pedro de Coche. Other towns include El Bichar, Guinima, El Amparo, El Guamache, and La Uva. The island's economy mostly depends on tourism.
Contents
History of Coche Island
Coche Island was first found in 1498 by Christopher Columbus. At that time, the island was home to the Waika Rio indigenous people. The first attempts to settle on Coche Island happened in the early 1500s. Some people who had to leave the city of Nueva Cádiz on Cubagua Island, after a big storm destroyed it, came to Coche. Most of these settlers were pearl divers. However, all the settlers left Coche Island by 1574.
A new group of people successfully settled on the island in the 1800s. Since then, Coche Island has been continuously lived on. The island is part of the Villalba municipality. San Pedro de Coche is the capital town for both the island and the municipality.
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Getting to Coche Island
Coche Island has its own airport. It is called Andrés Miguel Salazar Marcano Airport. You can find it near the main town of San Pedro de Coche. The airport helps people travel to and from the island.
Fun Things to Do in Coche
Coche Island is a great place for special kinds of tourism. It's not for huge crowds, but for people who want unique experiences. On the west side of the island, the conditions are perfect for windsurfing and kiteboarding. There are strong winds, often over 50 km/h, and the sea is calm without big waves. This makes it one of the best spots in the world for these sports.
You can see how strong the winds are by looking at the island's plants. They are often sparse because of the constant breeze. Cycling is another fun activity you can do on the island's roads. Just remember to use sunscreen, as there are not many clouds throughout the year. Even though the temperature can be high, the fresh sea breeze makes it feel pleasant, especially in the afternoon.
Coche Island has good hotels that offer everything tourists need for a nice stay. You can also go on boat rides and land tours to explore the island. Coche Island stays connected with Margarita Island and the Venezuelan mainland in Sucre State for tourism.
Coche Island in Stories
Coche Island was the setting for a novel called "Robinson's Island" (Wyspa Robinsona). This book was written by the Polish writer Arkady Fiedler in 1954. The main character, Jan Bober, was a pioneer from Virginia. He escaped from the government on a pirate ship. But the ship crashed near Coche Island.
Jan and his two friends, Arnak and Wagura, were the only ones who survived. They lived on the island in 1725–1726. Later, a group of escaped slaves from Margarita Island joined them. Together, they defeated Spanish slave hunters and took their ship. Jan and his followers then left the island on the captured ship. Their adventures continued in two more of Arkady Fiedler's novels: "Orinoco" (1957) and "The White Jaguar" (1980).
See also
In Spanish: Isla de Coche para niños
