Socotra island is part of the Indian Ocean archipelago. It is so isolated that a third of its plant life cannot be found anywhere else on Earth. Today, 70% of the island's area is protected as a national park. The most striking endemic species of Socotra is the Dragon's Blood Tree, which can fend off the arid climate of the ecoregion by collecting water from its umbrella-like dense canopy.
The most striking endemic species of Socotra is the Dragon's Blood Tree
In 2010, a Russian archaeological team discovered the ruins of a city dating back to the second century on the island of Socotra. The island is also considered by some to be home to the pristine Garden of Eden because of its isolation, biodiversity and the fact that it is located on the edge of the Gulf of Aden in Yemen, which is associated with ancient Sumerian legends about a paradise called Dilmont.
Another surreal plant found only on the island of Socotra is the "Desert Rose" or Bottle Tree, so called because its massive trunk has adapted to store water during droughts.
Socotra also has stunning white sand beaches