Hoq Cave

About this place

Hoq Cave is a limestone cave on the Yemeni island of Socotra, in the Hala area, about 1.5 km from the north-east coast. It lies at 350 m, clearly visible from the sea but hard to reach. It is among the great underground wonders of the island and rewards anyone who can manage the long climb up to it. The cave runs about 2 km deep, with a main passage averaging 50 m wide and 20 m high. Inscriptions from the 1st to the 6th centuries AD have been recorded deep inside, in Brahmi, Greek and Aramaic among others. They show Socotra as a major stop on sea trade routes, where merchants from all the coasts of the northern Indian Ocean met. You enter by a broad mouth where sunlight reaches about 200 m, then walk among huge stalagmites, stalactites and stone columns. The temperature holds between 25 and 27°C all year, and the humidity is very high. The cave is protected and home to rare creatures, so do not touch the formations or inscriptions, and bring a torch and sturdy shoes. It is about 39 km in a straight line from Hadibo. The climb to the entrance is long and very hot, so start early in the morning with a local guide and carry plenty of water. The UK Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to the whole of Yemen and tells anyone there to leave, so check official guidance before making any plans.