The Los Roques islands are a federal dependency of Venezuela, consisting of about 350 islands, cays or islets. The archipelago is located 80 miles directly north of the port of La Guaira, and is a 40-minute flight away from the mainland of Venezuela. Being almost an untouched coral reef, it attracts many "high-end" visitors, some of whom come in their own yachts and anchor in the inner, protected shallow waters. However, development and tourism are controlled.