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 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 Convention as
well as Wetland of Special International Importance.
Palm Island,
the largest of the three islands is also known as Rabbit
Island because it used to feature a large 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 migratory birds such as the 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.
You can also
find there some medicinal 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.
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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.
Ramkin Island contains cannon emplacements and
underground galleries built early this century. |
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