Where is Socotra?

Socotra, also spelled Soqotra, is a small archipelago of four islands in the Indian Ocean. The largest island, Socotra, is about 95% of the landmass of the archipelago. Socotra lies some 240 kilometres east of the Horn of Africa and 380 kilometres south of the Arabian Peninsula.

Socotra is considered the jewel of biodiversity in the Arabian Sea. In the 1990s, a team of United Nations biologists conducted a survey of the archipelago’s flora and fauna. They counted nearly 700 endemic species, found nowhere else on earth; only Hawaii and the Galapagos Islands have more impressive numbers. One of the most striking of Socotra’s plants is the dragon’s blood tree (Dracaena cinnabari), which is a strange-looking, umbrella-shaped tree. Because of this biodiversity the island was recognised by UNESCO as a world natural heritage site in July 2008.

Yemen: Jewel of Arabia

Map

TravelTipsPlus Google Map of Socotra

One Great Reason to Visit Socotra

One great reason to visit this travel destination is to the magnificent dragon’s blood tree.

Socotra, Yemen

For More Information

• Wikipedia
• Yemen Tourism Site