Farasan Islands
Saudi Arabia · Jazan · 5 m
Description
The Farasan Islands lie fifty kilometres off Jazan, a low coral archipelago reached by a free government ferry that takes about an hour. They are a protected area, the last stronghold of the Farasan gazelle, and the reefs and mangroves around them are among the least dived in the Red Sea. The main island holds two Ottoman-era merchant houses of carved plaster, Beit Al Rifai and the Al Najdi house, and the abandoned coral-stone village of Al-Qassar. Each spring a run of parrotfish through the shallows is celebrated with a festival.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 2 to 3 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: November – March
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Ferry crossing from Jazan
- Ghadir beach and the island shallows
- Beit Al Rifai and the Al Najdi merchant houses
- Snorkelling the fringing coral reefs
- Al-Qassar abandoned coral-stone village
- Farasan gazelle in the protected area
- Ottoman fort and the German customs house
- Parrotfish migration festival (approx. April)
- Mangrove channels and their bird colonies
- Diving the Farasan Bank reef walls
Getting there
- Seaport:
- Reachable by ship or ferry