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Palm Islands
Covering 5 sq Km and located on the northwest of Tripoli; Sanani, Ramkine and Palm Island together with their surrounding sea make up the Palm Islands Nature Reserve. They are Lebanon’s only true Islands.
Several designations have been given to Palm Islands reserve due to its special characteristics: it has been designated a Mediterranean Specially Protected Area under the Barcelona Convention, an Important Bird Area by Birdlife International, as well as Wetland of International Importance (under Ramsar Convention).
Palm Island, the largest of the three islands is also known as Nakhal or Rabbit Island because it used to feature a large introduced population of rabbits which have been removed later on for environmental reason: rabbits were threatening very important plants.
Palm Islands reserve is a resting place for seabirds and migratory bird species such as the endangered Dalmatian Pelican, Bar-tailed Godwit, Great Snipe and the wintering Grey Heron. It also harbors some endangered reptiles such as green sea turtle and Loggerhead turtle as well as endemic sub-species of lizard, bats and a number of sheltering fish.
It is also common to find there some medicinal and culinary plants and an exceptional specie of butterfly, known as the painted lady.
Parts of the reserve are accessible during summer for swimming and snorkeling.
The rest of the year the Islands remain quiet calm haven for wildlife.
Cultural Heritage
On Palm Islands, fragments of pottery, fresh water well , old Salinas and Church ruins, probably returning to Crusaders period, are evidences of past periods of human occupation.
Ramkine Island contains cannon emplacements and underground galleries built early this century
Contacts
Nature Reserve Office
Tel: 961 3 689840
Tripoli - Mina