Socotra is a breathtaking virgin landscape with a warm climate, pristine white sand beaches, mysterious trees, majestic jagged-fanged mountains and vividly bright coral reefs. It is easy to understand why several ancient texts suggest Socotra is the original location of the Garden of Eden. Currently there is a travel advisory against travelling to Yemen or Socotra but we will keep this page up to date with the latest information.

Where in the world?
The mysterious and wild island of Socotra, famed for its unspoiled natural beauty, is part of an archipelago of four remote islands and two rocky islets. It lies in the northwest Indian Ocean, off the Horn of Africa. The island measures 132 kilometres (82 miles) in length and 49.7 kilometres (30.9 miles) in width.
Reasons to visit

Sea Life
The sea surrounding Socotra is teamed with life – turtles, leaping dolphins and whales. Located at the crossroads of several biogeographic provinces, the islands and surrounding marine region include species from the western Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, East Africa and the greater Indo-Pacific. Socotra is an ideal scuba diving and snorkelling location, boasting coral reefs rich with marine life, old wrecks perfect for exploring and visibility generally ranging from 10-40 metres.

Fishing
Fishing off Socotra is a unique experience for wild fishing anglers, with excellent popping, vertical jigging, light spinning and fly-fishing. Socotra may be considered one of the best wild destinations for GT (Giant Trevally) anywhere, with an average weight of more than 40 kg and often up to 60 kg.

Ecological Wonderland
Since it was first surveyed by UN biologists in 1997, Socotra has been considered one of the most biologically diverse and distinct places on Earth. Its isolation has blessed it with an array of unique birds, reptiles, trees and plants. A third of Socotra’s 825 plant species, 90% of its reptile species and 95% of its land snail species do not occur anywhere else in the world.

Hoq Cave
Socotra has many caves, more than 50, but the most famous and biggest is Hoq cave. After a walk of about one hour through some magnificent scenery, ascending 350m, you reach the mouth of the cave and vistas of the azure sea.

Wadis
Socotra has a number of stunning palm-tree lined wadis with refreshing pools, including Wadi Dirhur, Sirhin, Kalesan and Ayhaft. Most of these can be explored by canyoning, on foot, or simply enjoyed during a luxurious picnic and afternoon swim in the natural pools.

White Sandy Beaches
There are countless enchanting white sand beaches to discover, many with majestic sand dunes, scattered around the coastal circumference and one is quite literally spoiled for choice. These include Socotra’s highest sand dunes, fresh water streams and hot springs at Arher, the isolated and pristine Shuab Beach, only accessible by boat, with its excellent marine life spotting and fishing opportunities and finally Delisha and Kalansiya beaches.