Socotra: Hoq Cavet
High up in the mountains of the southeastern Socotra there is a spectacular cave – Hoq Cave – that goes around 3km from the entrance into the depth of the limestone gorge. It takes about 2 hours to hike from the sea level to the entrance to the cave, gaining nearly 1000 vertical feet on a very steep hike through the exotic Socotran flora of bottle trees and frankincense. The cave starts with a massive opening, that has some spectacular rock formation, trees, and dripping waterfalls. Going deeper into the cave, you encounter countless stalactites and stalagmites and columns, often massive and grand. There are also soda straws, cave popcorn, travertine pools, underground lakes and streams, cave drapes and other “classic” spelunking attractions. But there’s also some very unique and bizarre formations here, like the “lions’ tales” hanging from then ceiling, as if being some medieval weapons of some prehistoric cave dwelling giants. Hoq Cave was absolutely incredible and definitely one of the top must-see attractions of Socotra!
