Cayo Yonquí
Cayo Yonquí (also spelled Cayo Yonki or Isla Yonqui, and alternatively called Guanaguanare) is an uninhabited island in Venezuela that forms part of the Los Roques Archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. Geographically situated south of the Lesser Antilles, the island is administratively organized under the Francisco de Miranda Insular Territory, a specialized administrative subdivision within the Federal Dependencies of Venezuela. The key is located approximately 17.3 kilometres (10.7 mi) southwest of Gran Roque Island, which serves as the primary population center of the archipelago and houses all essential public services as well as the regional airport. Etymologically, it is widely believed that the modern name of the key stems from a phonetic Spanish corruption of the English name "Young Key."
Geography
Yonquí is an islet with no permanent human population located in the northwestern region of the archipelago, lying directly north of the Gran Ensenada de Los Roques, an underwater area also referred to as the Bajo de los Corrales. Within the local geographical layout of Los Roques, Cayo Yonquí is positioned south of the Los Canquises keys, west of the islands of Sarquí, Espenquí, and Visquí, east of Cayo Carenero, Cayo Brujusqui, and Cayo Remanso, and directly north of Isla Larga and Mosquitoquí. The island encompasses a total land surface area of 6.74 hectares (16.7 acres or 67,373.99 m²) and features a coastal perimeter measuring 1.08 kilometres (0.67 mi), with a maximum elevation ranging between 3 and 5 metres (9.8 and 16.4 ft) above sea level.
The internal physical structure of the island is notably defined by the presence of a shallow interior lagoon or coastal lagoon, partially enclosed towards one of its ends and connected directly to the open sea via natural inlets protected by stretches of white sand and rocky or fossilized coral formations. Towards the interior of the key, low insular vegetation thrives, consisting of coastal shrubs adapted to high salinity alongside dense patches of halophyte vegetation that stand out prominently against the arid, dry tones of the surrounding terrain.
The surrounding marine environment of the key features a marked color graduation in its waters, transitioning from bright turquoise shades within the shallow coastal margins and inner lagoon to an intense cobalt blue in the outer areas where the seabed drops off sharply. The natural interplay between the protective reef crests and the incoming wave action creates calm water conditions ideal for supporting thriving benthic marine life.
The island is fully protected under national environmental legislation as part of Los Roques National Park, where since 1991 Cayo Yonquí has been officially categorized as a sector within the Managed Natural Environment Zone (Zona de Ambiente Natural Manejado). Under these specific administrative and environmental regulations, human activities permitted on and around the key are strictly regulated to minimize ecological impact, primarily limiting visitation to recreational boat tours, wildlife photography, and controlled aerial overflights.
See also
- Geography of Venezuela
- List of islands of Venezuela