Sports and leisure activities Jordan

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.

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. Appropriate equipment and a good physical condition are necessary.

The Jordan Trail traverses spectacular landscapes of colored sandstone and limestone mountains. Some sections can be particularly strenuous, but you will be rewarded with chance encounters with Bedouin and beautiful starry nights. The 90.6 km hike is divided into 5 stages.

Day 1: Petra to Gaa' Mriebed. 22.1 km. Difficult. Count 6 to 8 hours of walking. The day starts with the arduous climb to the High Place of Sacrifice in Petra (ticket required). You follow an ancient Roman road, then the Wadi Sabra to reach the mudflat of Gaa' Mriebed.

Day 2. From Gaa' Mriebed to Wadi al-Saif. 14.3 km. Easy. Allow 4 to 5 hours of walking. The day has little difference in altitude and is mostly downhill, except for the last 3 km which are steep. You will spend the night at the foot of a beautiful red and white sandstone cliff.

Day 3. From Wadi al-Saif to Wadi Gseib. 12,3 km. Medium difficulty. Count on 3 to 4 hours and a half of walking. The day begins with a short climb before continuing downhill, sometimes steeply, along the Wadi Al-Saif. The mountains are decorated with ochre and gold. You spend the night on the edge of Wadi Araba.

Day 4. From Wadi Gseib to Wadi Aheimar. 15,6 km. Medium to high difficulty. Count on 5 to 6 hours of walking. You return to the mountains along the Wadi Araba and cross canyons embedded in high cliffs of red sandstone or white chalk. The first sand dunes appear and it is on their soft bed that you will sleep.

Day 5. From Wadi Aheimar to Humeima. 11,5 km. Medium difficulty. Count 4 to 5 hours of walking. The hike takes you from Wadi Araba to the valley of Wadi Rum through beautiful mountain landscapes. You will walk on the bottom of the valley, with a regular ascending slope and on a sandy ground. A final steep descent takes you to the village of Humeima.

This hike from Al-Beidha offers splendid views of the Petra mountains and Wadi Araba, and leads to the monastery (Ed-Deir) of the ancient city. It has recently been signposted and is easier to follow than before. From Al-Beidha to the Visitor Center in Wadi Musa, it takes 13 km and half a day's walk, excluding sightseeing. You can buy your entrance ticket at the ticket office next to the Little Petra parking lot. This is also where you buy your ticket for the shuttle bus. The shuttle leaves you at the foot of the mountain, leaving you only 45 minutes to climb. The hike is not very difficult, as the difference in altitude is fairly slight. It does, however, include some vertiginous cliffside sections.

From the Little Petra parking lot, take the path to the Neolithic village. Descend into the Wadi Siq al-Ghurab and continue south-west for around 1.2 km. When there's only one more mountain in sight, turn left and go around the hill to the right, climbing onto the plateau. Continue in a south-easterly direction. Once you've passed the three boulders, turn right immediately southwards and continue for 450 metres to the end of the small, steeply-sided wadi. Then head south-west, where you'll soon see a sign for the path that climbs steadily up the mountainside and onto cliffs with occasional staircases.

Count 1.5 km and 1 hour of walking, depending on your pace. Medium difficulty.

This short hike is an opportunity to see some beautiful rock formations and to stay away from the tourist circuits. If you are lucky, you will not see anyone. The trail starts on the left side of the Bab As-Siq path, between the Tomb of the Obelisks and the entrance of the Siq. It does not present any particular difficulties, except that you walk on the rocks. If you take the services of a guide, you can continue to the Treasury.

It is a 4.5 km and 5 to 6 hour walk, depending on your pace.

This hike leads to the tomb of the prophet Aaron, the brother of Moses. You will need to start early to get over the 400m elevation gain to reach the highest peak in Petra at 1329m. The trail starts from Qasr al-Bint and follows the same section as the hike to Umm al-Biyara. It follows the valley floor for most of the way around the mountain. But the last part is particularly difficult. From the top you can see the whole region, from Wadi Araba to Petra.

Count 4.3 km and 2.5 hours for a visit at full speed, at least 5 hours if you take your time. Easy.

The Main Trail starts at the Visitors' Center, crosses the Lower As-Siq, the Siq, the Street of Façades, the Street of Colonnades and the Great Temple, to the Temenos and Qasr al-Bint. The hiking trail slopes gently downwards in one direction and is dotted with an impressive number of remains, including the famous Treasury. The Main Trail provides an introduction to the intricacies of Nabatean architecture and an appreciation of the grandeur of the ancient capital.

Allow 1.7 km and 2 to 3.5 hours with visits. Difficult.

This trail runs alongside the Royal Tombs for a flat, easy section, then dips to the right into the mountains. It begins with a long flight of steps. The path is stony and steep, requiring good footwear. Halfway up, admire the view of the amphitheater and the center of the ancient city. Once at the summit, the effort is worth it. The views over the Treasury are fantastic. Be careful not to get too close to the cliff, as there have been fatal accidents.