Aqaba

A 74m Lebanese freighter sunk deliberately in 1985, lying on its side at a maximum depth of 27m. The signature dive on this coast.

Twenty-one decommissioned vehicles, including two Cobra helicopters and M42 tanks, laid out in battle formation and sunk by ASEZA in 2019. Jeeps sit at 5m for snorkellers.

The main private beach south of town, from 13 JD a day for adults and 8 JD for children, with direct access to the marine park reef.

A public reef about 12km down the south coast road, past Berenice. Free, no lifeguard, and shallow enough for beginners; watch for lionfish and stonefish.

The Mamluk fort on the seafront, from the reign of Qansuh al-Ghawri, next to Sharif Hussein bin Ali's 1917 house. 3 JD, free on a Jordan Pass.

King Hussein International sits just north of town, with Royal Jordanian shuttling from Amman and direct routes to Riyadh and Abu Dhabi added in 2026.

Several departures a day from the Seventh Circle terminal, around 11 JD one way and four to five hours down the Desert Highway.

An hour by road. The Jordan Trail's final section also runs 76km from Wadi Rum down to Aqaba over five days, and can be walked with a guide.

October-November and March-May: sea temperatures around 26 degrees in October and air you can walk in.

December-February. Cheapest, and still around 23 degrees by day, which is why Jordanians come south in winter.

Eid holidays and midsummer, when Jordanian and Gulf families fill the hotels and the seafront.

Two boat dives out to the Cedar Pride and the military museum, back ashore by lunchtime.

If you are not diving, the Ayla lagoons instead: the wake park and inflatable park open at 10am and run to sunset.

Fish on the seafront, or a hotel buffet before the heat peaks.

Down the south coast road to snorkel the Japanese Garden reef straight off the beach.

Sunset over Sinai from the corniche, then dinner and a drink. Aqaba is the easiest place in Jordan to find both.

An hour north, and easy as an overnight from Aqaba rather than moving hotels twice.

Two hours by road, and doable in a long day, though it is a poor way to see the site. Better as a stop on the way north.