Palm Islands Nature Reserve

Palm Islands, sometimes called Rabbit Islands, are three flat limestone islands a few kilometres off Tripoli, declared a reserve in 1992. They are an important stop on the bird migration route between Europe and Africa, loggerhead and green turtles nest on the sand, and Mediterranean monk seals have been recorded in the caves, one of the very few places in the eastern basin where they still are. Landing is only permitted in July and August to protect the nesting seasons.

Background

The reserve lies 5.5 kilometres offshore, northwest of El Mina, and covers 4.2 square kilometres of islands and sea. Palm Island, the largest, spreads over 180796 square metres with a high point of only 6 metres, and its restored well waters 570 palm trees. Sanani Island lies to the southeast, and Ramkine, also called Fanar Island, the smallest, rises to about 12 meters to the northwest and keeps the remains of a lighthouse. The bedrock is mainly horizontally bedded marine limestone, interpreted as Miocene. The islands were listed as a Ramsar wetland in 1980, protected by law on March 9, 1992, and opened to the public in 1999. BirdLife International also counts them as an Important Bird Area.

Source: Wikipedia, "Palm Islands Nature Reserve"

The landscape

• The largest island - Palm Island itself, the only one visitors may land on.
• The seabirds - migrating and nesting birds using the islands as a stop.
• The turtle beaches - loggerhead and green turtle nesting sand.
• The clear water - shallow sea over limestone around the islands.

When to go

Landing is permitted only in July and August, outside the main nesting and migration windows. Boat trips around the islands run from April to October. The sea is often too rough in winter.

What to expect

Access is genuinely restricted and visitors arriving outside July and August cannot land. There are no facilities on the islands, no shade and no water. Litter washed up from the mainland is a persistent problem.

Nearby

Tripoli is on the coast opposite, and Enfeh is south.

Key facts