Mangroves
Along the shores.
Khaled Zangoti — CC BY 3.0 · Saudi Press Agency (SPA) — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Saudi Press Agency (SPA) — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Richard Mortel — CC BY 2.0 · Khaled Zangoti — CC BY 3.0 · Khaled Zangoti — CC BY 3.0 · أسامة الكاشف — CC BY-SA 4.0 · أسامة الكاشف — CC BY-SA 4.0
An archipelago in the southern Red Sea about 40 kilometres off the Jazan coast: nearly 200 islands and islets, most of them coral. Only three are inhabited, Great Farasan, Sajid and Qummah, and a bridge links Great Farasan with Sajid. The islands have been a stop for shipping since Roman times: a Latin inscription from 144 CE found on Great Farasan points to a Roman naval presence. Farasan town has many remains, including an Ottoman fort, decorated pearl merchants' houses such as the Al-Rifai House, the Al-Najdi Mosque, and Himyarite inscriptions and old wells in Wadi Matar. The islands were the Kingdom's first protected area, and UNESCO named them a Biosphere Reserve in 2021. They are known for mangrove forests, sandy beaches and rocky headlands such as Ras Shada, and for flamingos and the migratory birds that winter here. A free ferry from Jazan port takes about an hour, and seats must be booked in advance, per visitor guides. On the island you need a car to get around; winter is the best season, and the sun is strong all year.
Along the shores.
Beach and rocky cliffs.
Flamingos and winter migrants.
Red Sea, about 40 km off the Jazan coast
By the free ferry from Jazan port, about an hour; book your seat ahead, per visitor guides, and hire a car to get around the island.