OLD CITY

Sheltered by its venerable ramparts, Umm al-Quwaïn is perhaps the best-preserved old town in the Emirates. It's a great pleasure to discover its maze of streets, rather than a city laid out in a straight line at right angles. Small squares, a fishing port and an old fort converted into a museum await visitors at the bend of an alley. In a parking lot not far from the Flamingo Beach Resort, you can park your car and venture into this abandoned village: old gates, wind towers and some superb, completely abandoned remains.