Aqaba · Sports & events

A long-established dive centre on the south coast at Coral Bay, running boat trips, shore diving, courses from beginner upwards, snorkelling with equipment hire, and an underwater helmet walk for non-divers. Book a day ahead in winter, when Jordanian visitors fill the south coast.

H&S Water Sports at Tala Bay is the only kitesurf centre in Aqaba, because the coastline is just 26km long and most of it is spoken for. The windy season runs mid-March to mid-October with side-shore wind of 18–22 knots on a normal day; it is a deep-water spot, beginner lessons are taught from a boat, and a rescue boat is compulsory.

The trail's final leg runs from Wadi Rum down to the Red Sea — 112km over about six days, dropping from around 1,040m to sea level past Lawrence's Spring and a Nabataean temple. The route is unmarked and water sources are limited, and the organisation strongly recommends hiring a local guide.

Jordan's long-distance cycle route runs from Umm Qais in the far north to Aqaba, so the town is where most riders finish. Doing the final stages out of Aqaba as a there-and-back is the low-commitment version; the terrain is desert and the water carrying is the hard part, not the gradients.

Aqaba is not where Jordanian football happens. The Pro League's big clubs — Al-Faisaly and Al-Wehdat among them — and the national team all play in Amman, four to five hours up the Desert Highway, and the federation's fixture list is the place to check before making the trip.