Travel Guide Ras-Al-Hadd

Ras al-Hadd lies at the eastern tip of the sultanate, at the junction of the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. The area is made up of several exceptionally blue coves, shaped and carved by sometimes tortuous rocks. But this part of the coast, from Ras al-Hadd to Al-Ashkharah, is best known for its sea turtles, which come in their hundreds under the cover of night to lay their eggs before leaving again at sunrise. This exceptional natural heritage earned the area's 45 km of coastline its classification as a reserve in 1996. However, you have to go as far as Ras al Jinz, some ten kilometers south of Ras al Hadd, to enter a truly protected area, with no construction and no possibility of accessing the beach by car, swimming or picnicking. It's here, from the Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve visitor center, that you can set off to meet these reptiles from another era.The surrounding area also boasts a number of archaeological sites with over 6,000 years of history - most of them burial sites and ancient fishing villages. These are evidence of exchanges between marine communities and those of remote desert oases. They also tell the story of trade with Mesopotamia, India, Africa and China. Excavations by French archaeologists have uncovered important remains, including the oldest Omani ship ever found and the oldest incense burner on the Peninsula, dating from the2nd millennium BC.