Sightseeing of the island of Socotra. Where is Socotra Island?

The island of Socotra is a famous place in the Indian Ocean. This is one of the most amazing and extraordinary miracles on the whole planet. It is a real treasure of rare flora and fauna, a bearer of a unique culture and traditions.

Geography

Not everyone knows where the island of Socotra is and how to get there. But if you happen to visit there, then he will be remembered for life. This extraordinary place is an archipelago of 4 islands and 2 rocks in the Indian Ocean, near the coast of Somalia.

The structure of this archipelago includes 3 islands: Socotra, Abd al-Kuri and Samha, the uninhabited island of Darsa, as well as the rocks of Sabunia and Kal-Firaun. Territorially, it is divided into two regions: Hadibo and Calancia and Abd al-Kuri. Socotra is closer to Africa than to Arabia, which makes it a unique island of Hybrid Aroma.

An unforgettable picture can be seen if you fly by plane over this wonderful place called the island of Socotra. The sea is unusually rich in blue, but at the same time surprisingly clean water is washing its banks.

Flora and fauna

Even at the first expedition to Socotra, which was in 1880, British scientists discovered more than 200 species, at that time not known to science plants and animals (20 of which belonged to 20 new genera).

Due to the peculiarities of the climate (strong summer heat and mild climate in winter), a unique animal and plant world has arisen on the archipelago. The island of Socotra is the object of the World Organization of UNESCO. On the island there are about 825 species of plants and more than 500 species of animals, one third of which are endemic (that is, they are found only in this area).

Flora and fauna of the underwater world of the archipelago is very diverse around the island of Socotra. Islands, photos with incredible beauty of which can be seen in a variety of encyclopedias, as well as in the Red Book, are exceptional and that here the world's rarest black pearl is mined.

Amazing plants

There are a lot of unique trees on the island that impress with their unusual appearance. One of them is a "desert rose". Despite its beautiful name, it does not look like a rose at all. The plant is more like the flowering leg of an elephant. The rounded tree trunk serves as a storage for moisture, which is used during the drought period and can reach up to 2 meters in diameter.

Another "unusual" plant that covered the lower part of the slopes is a cucumber tree. Its fruits really look like cucumbers, but only with spines. Despite the fact that outwardly this amazing plant of the island of Socotra does not look like a vegetable at all, scientists attributed it to the family of pumpkin.

Another "attraction" of this island is dorsentia giant. This plant resembles a space alien who flew to earth. It has a thick trunk with a diameter of up to a meter and branches with small, slightly elongated leaves. In the archipelago dorsentia reaches 4 meters in height. Something like a "money tree", and flowers resemble sea stars.

The Aykhaft Nature Reserve

The glory of the island of Socotra, as one of the unique places on the planet, has spread due to indescribable beauty and unique nature. One of the most beautiful places is the Aykhaft Nature Reserve. This is a fairly long, green canyon. It is located near the airport near the island of Socotra.

At the end of the gorge there is a small lake, where tourists often spend their nights. The pride of this reserve are such specimens as giant tamarind and incense.

"Trees of the Dragon Blood"

The forest of dragon trees is considered the official preserve of the island of Socotra, which can only be traveled on foot. It is named after the trees of unusual shape, which have the appearance of a mushroom about 10 meters high with a green hat. Some of them are more than a thousand years old.

If you cut the bark of this tree, then from it flows a red juice. Still ancestors from ancient times used it in folk medicine, as well as for cosmetic purposes. And now it is used for these purposes, it is part of some cosmetics.

The capital of Yemen (Sana'a)

This city is on a mountainous hill, at an altitude of more than 2000 meters. It is surrounded by mountains on all sides. Long ago this part of the city was blocked by a fortress wall. She had seven gates, of which only one remained. Near them is a traditional oriental market.

At the end of the XIX century the city was one of the largest centers for the trade of coffee and spices. Its main advantage is a unique architecture. The buildings in this area are made in the style of "gingerbread" houses, which can not be seen anywhere else.

In the city there are about 50 mosques of different heights and sizes, for which Sanu in antiquity was called multi-tower. The symbol of Yemen is the palace of Dar al-Hajar or, as it is also called, the Rock Palace. It is built in the style of Yemeni architecture. This palace was erected in the early 20th century. Then it was restored and made of it a museum that tourists can visit.

Cave Hawk

This amazing beauty landmark is on the east side of the island of Socotra, about 1.5-2 hours drive from the city of Hadibo. On the slopes of the mountain you can see amazing bottled trees. They have soft to the touch barrels and pink flowers.

At an altitude of 500 meters, on the mountainside, in a place with an extraordinary view of the blue Arabian Sea, is the entrance to the largest cave in southwest Asia. The Hawk Cave is one of the deepest on the island (its depth is 3.2 km), and it is unforgettable that it contains a large number of stalactites and stalagmites of absolutely different sizes and shapes.

A little farther down the tunnel you can see rock paintings that date back to the III century, as well as a hall with a mirror lake (with a width of 4 meters, a length of 10 meters, and a depth of 3-4 meters).

It should be noted that Socotra is an island, tours to which are organized through Sana'a. The best hotels and hotels are located in the city of Hadibo, on the territory there is a shower, toilet and restaurant. It is convenient to take excursions and organize individual programs with visits to little-known places. Also nearby is Delisha beach with a white sand dune or, as it is also called, "sandy beach".

Unfortunately, tourism on the island of Socotra is just beginning to develop. For a year there are approximately 1500-2000 tourists, so they do not affect the state of the environment. Very wealthy people like to visit this place. Exotic atmosphere - the best way to diversify the usual leisure. Probably, soon the trip to the island will become more affordable and in demand.

And while this is not the most popular tourist destination, but I want to note that Socotra is a unique place, amazing and very unusual. Therefore, you do not need to think about whether to look at his beauty.