Things to see and do Musandam Peninsula

The Bay of Najd, a model of balance in its volumes and colours, is displayed on all Musandam's promotional documents, in blue and ochre, with its hairpins falling towards the wave. After the asphalt, we take a trail that climbs to 400 meters and allows us to embrace the landscape of this "fjord" from above before plunging down towards the bay. On the way back, at the junction of the two tarmacs, we discover a beautiful expanse planted with acacias and thorny jujube trees, large parasols offered by Mother Nature - the Khalidiya Park. Snack break.

Built in the early 17th century by Saif bin Sultan Al Ya'rubi, a powerful ruler whose influence extended to Persia, India and East Africa, this fort was the main defence of the western coastal region. Refurbished in 1990, it has four towers, three of which are rectangular, and a round main tower that is slightly different from those of the other citadels in that it is less wide at the top than at the bottom. This architectural specificity was supposed to ensure a better resistance to cannon balls.

The village of Kumzar, accessible only by sea, occupies the northernmost point of the region. The harshness of the site echoes this natural isolation. Low, rudimentary houses are hiding between large blocks of fallen stone. The alleyways are so narrow that you can barely squeeze through. A handful of pets go about at random, women duck in a crumple of cloth, men take a nap on the beach, children run around in their dusty clothes. At the bottom of the circus, high cliffs block all access through the mountains. Straight ahead lies the open sea, and over there on the horizon, just 55 km away, lies the Iranian coastline. Kumzar has 3,000 inhabitants, a hospital, two mosques, a pier and a school. Not so small after all, but so special, as if bathed in a slightly mystical aura. Could it be the presence of this quasi-sacred tomb erected at the foot of the mountains at the far end of the village? That, it is said, of a charismatic man who came from Iraq and stayed there for 5 years to bring peace. His body does not lie in Kumzar, only the symbol. The other peculiarity of the place is its unique dialect, Kumzari, composed over the incessant passage of men and boats: a mixture of 24 languages, including Arabic, Indian, Baluchi, Portuguese, English. Economically, the people of Kumzar live mainly from fishing and only leave their village in the summer to spend their holidays in Khasab.