Welcome to Socotra - alien island

Socotra Island is the complete opposite of anything that is considered “normal” for a landscape on Earth.

If you are looking to get away from planet Earth and not actually leave the planet, Socotra Island is that strange place to go to. It is a dream destination that shares a way of life which was lost millions of years ago. Socotra Island or ” Island of Bliss” is, in fact, the most alien-looking place on Earth.

This Yemeni Archipelago consists of 4 islands that rest deep in the Indian Ocean. It supposedly split off the horn of Africa about 6 million years ago, leaving it completely isolated from the rest of the world.

This archipelago consists of the main island of Socotra (3625 km2) and three small islands- Abd Al Kuri, Samha and Darsa. The island is well known for its unique and spectacular vegetation. It was recognized by UNESCO as a world natural heritage site and referred to as ‘Galapagos of the Indian Ocean’.

Like the Galapagos Islands, this island is teeming with 700 extremely rare species of flora and fauna, a full 1/3 of which are endemic, i.e. found nowhere else on Earth.

Socotra Island is one of the oldest inhabited regions in the world. Its isolation from the rest of the world has preserved the islands way of life, which hasn’t changed since the middle ages.

The beaches of Socotra Island rise to limestone plateaus, which are full of very deep caves. Above the caves are mountains that reach up to 1525 meters high.

Traveling around this strange place is difficult because the lack of transportation, but this does not seem to bother the natives. With all of the beautiful scenery, traveling by foot does not seem that terrible.

The current rush of tourism to this island has forced the natives to start building roads just two years ago.

The island still exists very much in isolation. Its 50,000 people are mainly subsistence farmers, shepherds, and fishermen.

Over the previous decade the island’s beautiful beaches, rugged mountains, unique biodiversity, and ancient culture attracted a burgeoning number of travelers—from 140 international visitors in 2000 to almost 4,000 in 2010. Some of Socotra’s admirers fear that the Yemeni government’s rush to bring the island into the 21st century may have already irreversibly damaged the very things those people came to see and could bring an end to a way of life that has endured for centuries.

Surface area: 3.6 km²
55,000 inhabitants
Capital: Hadib