Yemen · YE

Shoab Beach

Shoab Beach is one of Socotra's most breathtaking stretches of coast, and it keeps its secrets: there is no road to simply drive up to, no row of cafés, no crowd. To stand on its fine white sand you take a small boat from the fishing village of Qalansiyah on the island's northwestern tip and sail past rocky headlands into a bay that feels untouched. The reward is a sweeping beach framed by dark, steep cliffs and washed by warm, gin-clear turquoise water so transparent you can see straight to the sandy floor. Set far off the Yemeni mainland, Socotra has evolved its own alien world, and Shoab is a highlight of its remote coastline. The short boat ride over often delivers its first surprise: pods of dolphins riding the bow wave. Once ashore, the sheltered bay is excellent for snorkelling among coral, the sea stays calm through the morning, and with no shops or hotels on the beach, the only soundtrack is lapping water and wind over the dunes.