Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Socotra
05 / POP 160,000
The secret of eternal life shouldn't be something that's easy to stumble across and by clev-
erly hiding it out on Socotra the gods have certainly taken that thought to heart. At 3650
sq km Socotra is easily the largest Yemeni island and traditionally one of the most inac-
cessible. Lying 510km southeast of the mainland, the island has developed in near total
isolation from the rest of the world. Rumoured to have once been a refuge for dragons and
the Phoenix, it continues to provide a refuge for all manner of extraordinary fauna and
flora, much of which is found nowhere else. Because of the number of its endemic plants
and creatures, it's been described as the 'Galapagos of the Indian Ocean'. While this is a
little optimistic, there is no denying that Socotra is a unique and otherworldly island. It's
the kind of place where people speak a language unknown to anyone else, where the
knowledge of how to make fire by rubbing sticks together is still common and where the
elderly recall days when money didn't exist.
Sights & Activities
Explore the ramble of half-built streets in Hadibu, as well as the botanical gardens 2km
east of town, which contain examples of all the island's most important native flora.
