Why this ride
From Qalansīyah it runs 329 km to Qalansīyah; allow about 6 h 38 of riding. On the way it passes Socotra c, Darsa and back through Socotra c. The line favours views over speed.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Socotra a and Darsa
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 329 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 6 h 38
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
The recorded total and the leg detail need reconciliation. Inspect the leg notes before using this record for timing or navigation. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Socotra a
At the western tip of Socotra, near the fishing village of Qalansiyah, the island ends in a lagoon of almost unreal beauty. Detwah lagoon is a shallow basin of white sand and turquoise water, enclosed by dunes and limestone headlands, where fishermen pull up their boats on the beach and dolphins sometimes swim in the bay beyond. Socotra lies in the Arabian Sea, about three hundred and fifty kilometres off the coast of Yemen and closer to the Horn of Africa, and it has been isolated for so long that a large share of its plants and animals exist nowhere else on earth. UNESCO listed the archipelago in 2008 for its extraordinary biodiversity.
Read the complete Socotra a write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Socotra a is where the day begins. Next is Socotra c.
2. Socotra c
The dragon's blood tree looks like an umbrella turned inside out, with a dense crown of branches spreading from a thick trunk, and it grows almost nowhere else on earth but the island of Socotra, in the Arabian Sea between Yemen and Somalia. Its red resin was traded in antiquity as a dye and medicine. Socotra has been isolated for millions of years, and about a third of its plant species are found nowhere else, including bottle trees with swollen trunks, desert roses and frankincense trees. UNESCO lists the archipelago for its extraordinary biodiversity.
Read the complete Socotra c write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Socotra c comes up 96 km in. Next is Darsa.
3. Darsa
Darsa is a speck of rock in the Indian Ocean, one of the small islands of the Socotra archipelago, which lies about two hundred and forty kilometres off the Horn of Africa and belongs politically to Yemen. It is the sort of place that makes sense only on a map: a low, dry island west of the main island of Socotra, with few or no permanent inhabitants, visited by fishermen and by seabirds. Together with its neighbour Samha and the big island, it forms one of the most remarkable natural treasures in the world, which UNESCO listed in 2008.
Read the complete Darsa write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
191 km in you reach Darsa. Next is back through Socotra c.
4. back through Socotra c
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Socotra c write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Socotra c, late in the day. Next is Socotra a.
5. Socotra a
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Socotra a write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Socotra a. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Socotra a to Socotra c
Socotra a → Socotra c is 66 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Socotra c to Darsa
Socotra c → Darsa is 126 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Darsa to back through Socotra c
Darsa → back through Socotra c is 126 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
back through Socotra c to Socotra a
back through Socotra c → Socotra a is 66 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.