Sports and leisure activities Desert & The Red Sea

Berenice Beach Club is the place to be in Aqaba! The area is divided into a pool area (one for children, another larger one with a bar-restaurant) and a beach area with umbrellas and deck chairs. More than a private beach, Berenice offers many activities (for a fee) for those who like active vacations: beach volleyball, soccer, jet-skiing, parasailing, banana boat, water-skiing, boat cruises to Pharaoh's Island and even diving with its dedicated center. The place clearly has the air of a vacation club.

This dive center is located in town, while most of them are located in Bedouin Village, 10 km south of Aqaba. It is a bit set back from the corniche, in front of the Aqaba Gateway. A friendly and professional team manages this human-sized center. The center is PADI certified and you will be able to obtain the necessary levels to become an experienced diver. Transportation to the dive sites is included in the price. An address you can trust.

The Bedouins will assure you of this. It is from the top of this mountain that you will have the most beautiful views of Wadi Rum. The mountain at the border of the Reserve and the Saudi border overhangs the beautiful Wadi Sabit, away from the tourist agitation. There are several trails to the summit, from easy to more difficult. Therefore, the hike is suitable for all levels of fitness and agility. The ascent is on a stony path. Bring good shoes. Count on 3 hours of hiking with photo breaks.

Jebel Umm ad-Dami lies on the edge of Wadi Rum and the border with Saudi Arabia. Jordan's highest peak reaches an altitude of 1,854 metres. It takes between 1h and 2h30 to get your photo taken, hair blowing in the wind, next to the Jordanian flag planted at the summit. From here, the views over Wadi Rum are spectacular. The mountain-studded desert stretches as far as the eye can see. Few tourists come this far, and you finally have Wadi Rum all to yourself. Umm ad-Dami can be the goal of a multi-day camel trek.

This renowned diving center is located near the Murjan club, at the beginning of the public beach, 10 km south of Aqaba. It organizes diving trips and offers all types of courses. Snorkeling trips are offered from the beach or by boat. The diving areas, located close to the coast, invite you to discover beautiful underwater landscapes, and in particular, the various wrecks submerged in the area. The latest wreck: a reformed C-130 Hercules of the Jordanian army which lies at 17 meters deep!

This dive center is primarily aimed at experienced divers and offers packages of one or more days including diving, accommodation and meals. PADI certified instructors will take you from the beach or by boat to explore the many wrecks that litter this part of the Red Sea. You will be able to explore an ancient tank. And of course, if you come for lionfish, scorpionfish or stonefish, don't hesitate to tell them about your quest. You will certainly come across them.

The dives are done from the shore and this is more than enough to discover some of the most beautiful sea beds in the area. The team, small and very welcoming, is attentive and very focused on safety. The dives take place in a family atmosphere with perfectly maintained equipment. Don't hesitate to agree on the prices before going diving, it is a common practice in the region. All Padi training courses are provided.

Aqaba Adventure Divers takes you to discover the beauty of the Red Sea with a wide range of options. You can choose to dive from the beach, which costs a little less, or take the center's boat for one or two dives. The second option allows you to reach all the sites accessible from the Jordanian shores. The center is PADI certified and offers certification courses for all levels from 10 years old. Very concerned about the environment, the center also offers free dives to clean the seabed.

This very serious diving center is located in the center of the city, right next to the traffic circle of the Great Arab Revolution. It offers all the dives and certifications imaginable, at prices perhaps slightly higher than those of its competitors. Experienced divers will choose this center to improve their technical skills with specialized deep dives (30, 40 or 50 meters), twin tank dives or a special certification for wreck exploration.

These boats have multiplied in recent years and are moored along the city's public beach. The glass in question is more or less large, and the prices vary greatly depending on the number of tourists. Be prepared to show your negotiating skills. If you really want to see the colorful corals and fish, you will have to go to Tala Bay, 10 km south of Aqaba. Plan a 3-hour trip. You can take a swim on the way. Make sure that the boat owner has masks and snorkels available.

Opened in 1998 by Mansour Shamaileh, the frogmen of Jordan are no longer at their first attempt. All kinds of courses are given in this diving club, in English and Arabic, but also in French. The trips are adapted to the level of the participants or are organized according to themes: night dives, deep dives, wrecks, underwater photography... You will also have the possibility to take your PADI certifications.

This diving center in downtown Aqaba is not easy to find. It is located near the bus station and the Princess Salma Park, right next to the Rose Golden Hotel. The owner is an experienced diver who knows every wreck and rock in Jordanian waters. So you can go there with confidence. All kinds of dives can be organized, from the first dive to the PADI Dive Master (which takes place over three weeks), including the "Underwater photographer" course for photography enthusiasts.

The Jordan Trail is a hiking trail that runs from north to south in Jordan, from Umm-Qais to Aqaba. The 672 kilometer trail is divided into 9 sections. It follows roads, marked paths, old caravan routes or Bedouin paths used for transhumance. The Jordan Trail is not marked and the presence of a guide is essential, especially for the desert sections. Suitable equipment and good physical condition are necessary.

The last section of the Jordan Trail covers 112 km, divided into 6 stages, through splendid mountainous landscapes and ending in the intense blue of the Red Sea.

Day 1 : Humeima to Jebel Kharazah. 19 km. Medium difficulty. Count 6 hours of walking. The day is dedicated to crossing the vast plateau bordering Wadi Rum. The terrain is flat, with a slight slope at the end of the hike, on a stony ground.

Day 2. From Jebel Kharazah to Shakriya. 16 km. Medium difficulty. Count 6 hours of walking. You leave behind you the stone arch of the Jebel al-Kharazah to reach the mudflats. The massive rocks of Wadi Rum draw their contours. You reach Shakriya, the last village before entering Rum.

Day 3. From Shakriya to Rum Village. 12,1 km. Easy. Count 3 to 4 hours of walking. The day follows the paved road that leads to Rum village, in the heart of the Wadi Rum protected area (entrance fee).

Day 4. From Rum Village to Wadi Waraqa. 20.6 km. Medium difficulty. Count on 5 to 7 hours of walking. You will feel like walking on the moon as you cross the Wadi Rum Protected Area, heading southwest.

Day 5. Wadi Waraqa to Final Camp. 25.9 km. Medium difficulty. Count on 7 to 9 hours of walking. We head west, leaving behind the sandstone cliffs of Rum to reach the brown granite and pink quartz mountains. The day is mainly downhill, before going up on the last 5 kilometers, the most tiring.

Day 6. From Final Camp to Aqaba. 18,4 km. Difficult. Count on 5 to 7 hours of walking. The route may be downhill, but the sand and stone terrain makes it difficult to progress. As you advance, civilization gains ground, with highways and industrial areas. But the Red Sea draws a blue line and you are at the end of the course. Congratulations!

The Aero Club of Jordan offers a really great experience: the flight over Wadi Rum in a hot air balloon. What could be more pleasant and sweet than to discover the desert from the heights, in absolute silence (when the burner is inactive). Of course, this implies getting up very early to see the sun kissing the eternal jebels. The flight lasts between 50 and 60 minutes, but it takes two to three hours between the pick-up at your hotel, the inflation of the balloon, the flight and the return. The price is high, but much less than in other places.