Dead Sea Highway طريق البحر الميت

Why Go?

Sometimes you’ve got to get down low to find the real highlights. The Dead Sea is the example par excellence – to be found quite literally at the lowest point on earth. Taking a dip takes on a new meaning here, as the intensely salty water keeps you so buoyant you’ll be bobbing about like a cork rather than gracefully swimming a few strokes. Dead Sea mud famously doubles as a skincare product, and you can take things to a more luxurious level at one of the many high-end spas that line the coast.

There are more waters to take than just the Dead Sea, however. Nearby is Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan, the site where Jesus Christ is said to have been baptised, and a magnet for religious and secular tourists alike. More worldly attractions can be found at the nature reserve of Wadi Mujib, where you can splash your way through watery canyon trails.

When to Go

A Blisteringly hot and humid from May to October and chilly from December to January, the best time to enjoy the Dead Sea pleasure domes is around February and November – perfect for sunny swims and balmy dining alfresco. Catering to the peak tourist season at this time, resorts offer live entertainment.

A Those looking for adventure should aim for spring: the Dead Sea Ultra Marathon brings physical activity to a seashore more famous for sunning than running, and hikes along water-bound Wadi Mujib are free from the danger of flash flooding.

Best Places to Stay & Eat

A Mövenpick Resort & Spa

A Dead Sea Marriott

A Mujib Biosphere Reserve

A Hilton Dead Sea Resort & Spa

A Kempinski Hotel Ishtar

Best Places for a Spa

A Zara Spa

A Resense Spa

A Dead Sea Marriott Spa

A Ma’In Hot Springs Resort & Spa

Dead Sea Highway Highlights

1 Dead Sea Descending to the depths for a bob in the incredibly salty water at the lowest point on earth.

2 Dead Sea Spas Relaxing mind and body and applying mud used for cosmetic purposes since the time of the biblical King Herod.

3 Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan Making a pilgrimage to the holy spot on the Jordan River where it’s said that John the Baptist baptised Jesus Christ.

4 Hammamat Ma’in Wallowing in hot springs at one of the region’s thermal oases.

5 Mujib Biosphere Reserve Splashing through the canyon pools, keeping an eye open for ibex.

6 Zikra Initiative Getting a taste of traditional village life at this community-tourism project.

History

It’s easy to sense the antiquity of a region that has supported human endeavour for thousands of years. All along the highway, freshwater springs bring a hopeful abundance of life (as at Wadi Mujib) in vivid contrast to the surrounding barren escarpment. In season, the parched soil is threaded with crates of blood-red tomatoes and glossy-coated aubergines (eggplants), proving the unexpected fecundity of a region that looks to all intents and purposes like a desert.

Belying its name, even the Dead Sea has contributed to the pattern of human civilisation. Known to the ancients as the Sea of Asphalt, it produced bitumen, creating a nascent oil industry, as it was harvested by the Nabataeans and sold to neighbours for embalming processes.

Travel along the Dead Sea Highway today, with its proximity to the Israel and Palestinian Territories, and you’ll quickly feel how division defines the territory to this day. Police checks, border posts, cautious eyes across the Rift Valley – this is disputed soil, a land cleaved in two, geologically, historically and politically. You may try to float in peace in a Dead Sea spa, but you can’t help but be aware that the calm has been bought at a high price.

Nature Reserves

One of the most delightful wilderness areas in Jordan, Mujib Biosphere Reserve, lies just around the corner from the Dead Sea resorts. Unfortunately, this is partially why there are concerns for the long-term viability of the reserve, as the water that flows through the wadi is siphoned off to supply the demands of tourism. Whatever the future of the reserve, for now the area offers waterfalls, canyon adventures and a chance to catch sight of the elusive ibex.

The Dead Sea Highway also gives secondary access to the spectacular Dana Biosphere Reserve and to Dana’s Feynan Ecolodge. The main entrance to Dana Biosphere Reserve, however, is via the village of Dana off the King’s Highway.

8Dangers & Annoyances

There are few petrol stations in the area, and little accommodation (except at the Dead Sea resorts and within the national parks of Wadi Mujib and Wadi Dana). It’s therefore important to honour the desert code and fill up every time you see a petrol station, otherwise you stand a very real chance of getting stranded.

Because of the proximity to the border with Israel and the Palestinian Territories, there are numerous police checkpoints in the area. Keep your passport, driver’s licence, rental contract and ruksa (car registration card) handy when driving.

There is very little shade at the Dead Sea, or indeed anywhere along the Dead Sea Highway, so it is important to bring a hat and plenty of water, particularly in the summer when temperatures can soar to an intolerable 50°C.

8Getting There & Away

The Dead Sea Highway is most easily reached by road from Amman, but other access points include Madaba, Karak and Wadi Musa, all of which make suitable bases for exploring the region. Although the Dead Sea Highway (Hwy 65) ends in Aqaba, there’s not much to see or explore along the southern reaches of the highway, and there’s no public transport. It’s just about possible to get to the Dead Sea resorts with a frustrating and unreliable combination of minibuses and taxis, but tours offer the most realistic way of reaching the area.

8Getting Around

Pretty much the only way to explore the Dead Sea Highway (Hwy 65) is with a car; there are effectively no public transport options. The Dead Sea Highway runs along the edge of the Dead Sea, between the honey-coloured Moab Mountains and the distant cliffs of Judaea on the West Bank, and offers an interesting alternative to the Desert Highway between Amman and Aqaba.

There are some spectacular roads that link the Dead Sea Highway with the King’s Highway, which are ideal if you’re not in a hurry. With the intimate insight these roads afford into Bedouin communities and striking desert landscapes, they are almost destinations in their own right.

Dead Sea Highway

Dead Sea البحر الميت

Elev -408m

At 408m below sea level – the lowest point on earth – the Dead Sea is a body of intense blue water, polished smooth like oiled skin on a windless day in winter and ruffled into whitecaps by the summer winds.

Dead Sea salts and minerals have long been exploited for their skin-friendly properties. While swimming, the extreme salinity will help you discover cuts you never knew you had (don’t shave beforehand), and be prepared for a few minutes of agony if any water gets in your eyes. ‘Swimming’ is actually a misnomer – the buoyancy makes it difficult to do much more than happily bob.

The northeast coast is lined with luxury resorts. Here you can enjoy a spa treatment, watch the sunset across the water and look across to the West Bank and the distant lights of Jerusalem.

The Dead Sea is also an easy day trip from Amman or Madaba.

History

The Dead Sea has been called many names in its time, including the logical ‘Salt Sea’ and the less flattering ‘Stinking Sea’ (slap a little Dead Sea mud on your face and you’ll soon see why). A Greek traveller, Pausanias, first gave it the current name in the 2nd century AD, noticing that the extreme brackishness of the water made it unsupportive of life. The high salinity is due to the fact that the sea has no outlet and the high summer temperatures evaporate the fresh water more quickly than it is replenished. Each year, because of intensive irrigation in the Jordan Valley, the sea shrinks. This, together with the potash industry on the southern shore, has caused many environmentalists to lament the imminent death of this extraordinary stretch of water.

1Sights

Amman BeachBeach

(%05 356 0800; Dead Sea Hwy; adult/child JD25/15, restaurant buffet JD14; h9am-8pm, restaurant 11am-5pm)

This public facility goes under the full title of Amman Beach Tourism Resort, Restaurant & Pools. The beach, 2km south of the main resort strip, gives affordable access to the Dead Sea. The grounds are attractively landscaped and the beach is clean, with sun umbrellas and freshwater showers.

Locals generally swim fully clothed, though foreigners shouldn’t feel uncomfortable in a modest swimming costume. Solo women may attract less unwanted attention in shorts and a T-shirt.

There are also a number of swimming pools, a restaurant, some drinks stalls, basketball courts and a small amusement park. It gets very busy at weekends (especially Friday afternoon and Saturday morning).

Fast Facts

A The Dead Sea is part of the Great Rift Valley; it is the lowest spot on earth at 408m below sea level and more than 390m deep.

A It is not actually a sea but a lake filled with incoming water with no outlet.

A It is the second-saltiest body of water on earth (after Lake Aral in Djibouti), with a salt content of 31%.

A Egyptians used Dead Sea mud (bitumen) in their mummification process; the last lump of floating bitumen surfaced in 1936.

A The majority of Dead Sea minerals (including calcium and magnesium) occur naturally in our bodies and have health-giving properties.

A The Dead Sea is three million years old but has shrunk by 30% in recent years (half a metre per year) because of evaporation and the demands of the potash industry, one of Jordan’s most valuable commodities.

Oh BeachBeach

(%05 349 2000; www.ohresort.net; Dead Sea Hwy; adult/child JD15/10, with lunch JD40/25; h9am-6pm)

This private beach, stepped down the hillside in a series of landscaped terraces and infinity pools, is a great way to enjoy the Dead Sea in comfort without paying for a night in one of the neighbouring hotels. The rocky beach area was still being remodelled when we visited and should be much improved. There are several restaurants and bars, and a weekend buffet. A range of spa treatments are also available.

2Activities

Many people go to the Dead Sea area for the therapeutic treatments on offer in the spas. The low levels of UV rays and high oxygen levels are good for the health, and Dead Sea mud contains high concentrations of minerals. These include calcium and magnesium, helpful remedies against allergies and bronchial infections; pungent bromine, which promotes relaxation; iodine, which alleviates certain glandular ailments; and bitumen, which has skin-rejuvenating properties. Many of these Dead Sea minerals are made into easy-to-use preparations such as soaps, shampoos and lotions, and are sold at the Dead Sea spas and in tourist shops throughout Jordan.

Of course, you don’t need to be under-the-weather to enjoy the benefits of a spa treatment. If you feel like a scrub or a massage, or just a bit of pampering, it’s easy to book in for an hour or two.

Swimming

Although technically you can take a dip anywhere along the Dead Sea coast, unless you are staying at one of the resorts it can be surprisingly difficult to reach the sea. This is especially the case as each year the sea retreats further from the shore, making it less and less accessible from the cliffs. Second, after a dip in the Dead Sea, you’ll find yourself coated in uncomfortable encrustations of salt that are best washed off as soon as possible. Third, there’s the utter lack of privacy to consider: the road follows the shoreline closely, and so do the border police. For these reasons, it’s better to reserve your swim for the comfort of the Dead Sea resorts or private day beaches where freshwater showers are available and where access to the sea is generally cleared of sharp and potentially lethal slippery rocks.

As well as the hotel resorts, there are two day beaches with paid facilities.

Al Wadi ResortWater Park

(%05 349 3333; www.alwadideadsea.com; Dead Sea Resort Zone; adult/child JD25/18; h9am-6pm Sat-Thu, to 7pm Fri)

This huge water park has a giant pool with a wave machine and epic slides, in pleasantly landscaped surroundings. There are two restaurants, one poolside offering light food, and a larger buffet restaurant. Children are measured on entry: those under 95cm are admitted free.

Mud Bathing

Most beaches have mud pots by the sea’s edge where you can self-administer a full-body mud pack. Leave it in place to bake under the sun for five to 10 minutes and then wash it off in the sea. It tightens the skin and leaves it feeling smooth, tingly and refreshed.

Spa Treatments

People come to the Dead Sea to engage with the sea and its mineral properties, either by taking a dip or by wallowing in a spa. About the only other activity on offer is a chance to ride on a camel or a horse (around JD2).

oResense SpaSpa

(%05 356 8888; www.kempinski.com; Kempinski Ishtar Hotel, Dead Sea Resort Zone; day spa JD68; h10am-10pm)

This highly luxurious and architecturally striking spa is currently the largest in the Middle East. Among the many offerings, its signature experience is the Royal Hammam Ritual (JD130, 90 minutes), touted as ‘pure bliss for mind and body’. It includes massage, body scrub and body wrap applied with traditional Jordanian-style vigour.

Zara SpaSpa

(%05 349 1310; www.movenpick.com; Mövenpick Resort & Spa, Dead Sea Resort Zone; guests/nonguests JD20/50; h8.30am-8.30pm)

Offering a range of facilities and treatments in a beautiful environment; entry includes access to a gym, private beach, pool, sauna, steam room and foot-massage pool, plus an infinity pool and aqua-pressure pool. A day package costs JD190 for 3½ hours of treatments; a three-day package is JD365.

Extra services include a mud wrap (JD60, one hour), dry flotation, hot-stone therapy, shiatsu and other massages (from JD60 for 50 minutes).

Dead Sea Marriott SpaSpa

(%05 356 0400; Dead Sea Marriott, Dead Sea Resort Zone; guests/nonguests JD20/30; h8.30am-8.30pm)

This stylish hotel spa has a heated pool, Dead Sea saltwater pool, Jacuzzi, steam room and sauna. Treatments include massages (JD75, 55 minutes), body wraps, salt scrubs, phytomer and mud facials, dry flotation and hydrobaths. An Arabic loofah experience (JD95, 75 minutes) has to be tried to be believed – expect your skin to glow by the end.

Dead Sea SpaSpa

(%05 356 1000; www.dssh.jo; Dead Sea Spa Hotel, Dead Sea Resort Zone; weekdays/weekends JD25/30; h9am-8pm)

This spa focuses on medical as well as recreational treatments. Entry includes the beach, pools, spa, a fitness room, solarium and Dead Sea saltwater pool. Mud wraps cost JD35, massages JD35 to JD85 (Thai and Balinese massages available).

zFestivals & Events

Dead Sea Ultra MarathonSports

(www.deadsea.runjordan.com; hApr)

The Dead Sea is home to the lowest marathon on earth, held every April. The finishing line is Amman Beach.

DON’T MISS

Braving Luxury in a Dead Sea Spa

You can’t come to the Dead Sea and not try a spa. Even if you’re a die-hard, old-school traveller who feels that sleeping on a bed with a soft mattress is a sign of weakness, there’s a certain gratification to succumbing to the spa experience. You’ll be in good company: Herod the Great and Cleopatra, neither noted as wimpy types, both dipped a toe in spa waters.

The spa experience (from around JD30 to JD40) usually begins with a mint tea and a spa bag to stow your worldly goods – this isn’t going to be a chlorinated swim in the municipal pool back home. You’ll then be shown to the mirrored changing rooms, with Dead Sea soaps and shampoos and more towels than you’ll have body to dry off. This marks the point of no return: the silent-padding assistants waft you from here along marble corridors to the opulent bathhouses.

All the spas offer a range of cradling Dead Sea waters with different levels of salinity. There’s usually a foot spa and a float in a Damascene-tiled Jacuzzi. Outside pools assault visitors with a variety of bullying jet sprays. Best of all are the little Jacuzzis that bubble when you sit in them and ought to be X-rated.

Luxury of this kind is an extreme sport, and by the time you reach the spa’s private infinity pool you’ll be so seduced by the ambience you won’t have the energy to try the saunas, steam rooms or tropical sprays, let alone the gym. Lie instead under an oleander by the pool, sip a chilled carrot juice and wonder why you resisted the spa experience for so long.

4Sleeping & Eating

Along the Dead Sea Highway, about 5km south of Suweimeh, there are a number of first-class resorts. They don’t look much from the highway, but once you’re inside you’ll see that they tumble into landscaped gardens, terraced sun spots, cascading pools and pristine Dead Sea beaches.

There are no budget sleeping options along the Dead Sea coast.

Eating options are all contained within the resort hotels – you need to be a guest or visiting on a day pass to dine at them.

oMövenpick Resort & SpaResort$$$

(GOOGLE MAP %05 356 1111; www.moevenpick-hotels.com; Dead Sea Resort Zone; d JD180; pW)

This pleasantly green haven boasts a river that ambles through the village-style complex of rustic two-storey apartments. Wooden screens and balconies allow guests to enjoy sea or garden views in private, while secluded seating areas around a superb infinity pool add to the ambience. The Zara Spa is particularly well-regarded.

Culinary high points include the Al Saraya buffet restaurant, a Thursday night barbecue and a prodigious Friday brunch. The Mövenpick charges nonguests JD50 for access to the pools, beach and buffet (couples and families only) and an extra JD50 for access to the spa.

Hilton Dead Sea Resort & SpaResort$$$

(%05 349 3000; www.hilton.com; Dead Sea Resort Zone; d JD145; pWs)

The new Hilton opened in 2017 and is an impressive addition to the area. Rooms are expansive, in several discrete blocks, looking down to the swish pool area. The floating pontoon on the beach is a nice addition. Expect a high-end spa when the hotel is finally finished, and seven restaurants.

Dead Sea MarriottResort$$$

(%05 356 0400; www.marriott.com; Dead Sea Resort Zone; s/d from JD145/170; pWs)

Polished marble floors, brass fixtures and fittings, and spacious rooms contribute to the general opulence of this much-loved resort. Eating spots include sea-view cafes and a brasserie-style French restaurant. A cinema, high-speed internet access, a jungle playground, mini-waterfall and family pool ensure the kids are kept happy while parents luxuriate in the spa.

Marriott charges nonguests JD60 for use of its pools and access to the beach, with JD25 of that redeemable against food and drink in its restaurant.

Kempinski Hotel IshtarResort$$$

(%05 356 8888; www.kempinski.com; Dead Sea Resort Zone; s/d JD200/220; pWs)

This grand resort isn’t shy in its bid to be the best. Floor-to-ceiling windows stretch the length of the Dead Sea vista, a Sumerian-style lobby overlooks a spectacular, circular infinity pool, and a series of water features tumble down to the Dead Sea. Each of the modern rooms has a semi-shaded balcony and semi-sunken bath. A palace among hotels.

Crowne PlazaResort$$$

(%05 349 4000; www.crowneplaza.com/deadsea jordan; Dead Sea Resort Zone; d JD90; pWs)

The Crowne Plaza feels more like a small town, with several blocks of rooms circled around the immense central pool area and great facilities for kids. Rooms are large and comfortable, if you can drag yourself away from the spa, four restaurants and three bars.

Holiday Inn Resort Dead SeaResort$$$

(%05 349 5555; www.ihg.com; Dead Sea Resort Zone; s/d JD120/145; pWs)

This excellent resort with a series of epic pools stretching down to the beach will appeal to families, as its access to the Dead Sea is quicker and easier than the steep descent at other resorts. It charges nonguests JD25 on weekdays and JD45 at weekends and holidays for access to its beach and pools.

Dead Sea Spa HotelResort$$$

(%05 356 1000; www.dssh.jo; Dead Sea Resort Zone; d JD90; pWs)

This hotel is pleasant, if not quite as refined as others on the Dead Sea. It has a medical/dermatological spa, private beach access, a big pool and a separate kids’ pool with slides. Choose from rooms in the main block or bungalows. The restaurant complex at the northern end of the hotel has sea views and some chain outlets.

The Dead Sea Spa Hotel charges non-guests JD25 for day entrance to its resort and beach facilities, with a snack and a drink thrown in.

8Getting There & Away

Bus & Minibus

JETT buses offer a daily service to the resort strip south of Suweimeh from Amman (JD8 return) at 9am, returning at 5pm. The bus leaves from the JETT office near 7th Circle. Check with the JETT office in Amman for the latest timetable. Minibuses from Muhajireen bus station only run as far as Suweimeh.

Car

From Amman, it takes just under an hour to reach the Dead Sea resorts, along Hwy 40 and Hwy 65. Alternatively, you can drive from Madaba via Mt Nebo. If you choose this route, your first view of the Dead Sea will be a spectacular blue lozenge beyond the iron-coloured hills.

Taxi

A return taxi from Amman to Amman Beach costs about JD50 including three hours’ waiting time (minimum required to make the trip worthwhile) or JD20 for a one-way journey.

Some budget hotels in Amman and most hotels in Madaba organise day trips via Mt Nebo, the Dead Sea Panoramic Complex and Hammamat Ma’in.

Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan المغطس

Whatever one’s religious persuasion, it’s hard not to be moved by this minimal pile of ruins lying at the end of the Jordan Valley near the Dead Sea. This is the site, archaeologists assure us, where John the Baptist preached, where Jesus was baptised, where the first five apostles met, and where, thereby, the foundations of the early Christian faith were laid. They chose an auspicious spot, as many also believe this was the place from where prophet Elijah (who was born in Mar Elias in north Jordan) ascended to heaven in a whirlwind.

History

The name Bethany comes from the Aramaic Beit Anniya (House of the Crossing). As you stand by the near-stagnant river, Israel and the Palestinian Territories are almost within arm’s reach. Pilgrim churches, guesthouses and a 6th-century pilgrim road developed around the crossing as pilgrims broke their journey between Jerusalem and Mt Nebo. Today, there’s little visible evidence of the early passage of pilgrims, but the sense of crossing is still apparent: the site is close to contested land – on the opposite bank of the river from Jordan, an Israeli flag flies over the West Bank.

The sense of fight and flight at this point is captured in the famous mosaic map of Madaba where a gazelle turns towards a lion (identifiable only by its tail) in hot pursuit. They’re running through the Jordan Valley towards the Dead Sea, just above the place where John baptised Jesus, and are symbolic, perhaps, of the human flight that has marked this poignant patch of land for centuries.

The site has only relatively recently been identified. Some ancient ruins were discovered in 1899, but it wasn’t until the clearing of landmines (following the 1994 peace treaty with Israel) that the remains of churches, caves, extensive wells and several baptism pools were unearthed. After much debate, scholars identified the site of John the Baptist’s mission and Jesus’ baptism from descriptions in the Bible and from 3rd- to 10th-century pilgrim accounts. Pope John Paul II sanctified the claim with an open-air mass at the site in the spring of 2000.

1Sights

Entry to the Baptism Site includes a one-hour tour (in up to seven languages) of all the sites, as well as the shuttle bus from the ticket office at the main gate to the start of the tour. Tours run every 30 minutes. The complex is close to the sensitive border with Israel and the Palestinian Territories – security is tight and you should bring your passport. The last admission is one hour before closing.

The flies here can be of plague proportions in spring, so it’s a good idea to bring repellent, along with a hat as the site is very exposed to the sun.

Jordan RiverRiver

A walking trail passes a golden-roofed Greek Orthodox church and leads to a shaded wooden platform by the river, which here is little more than a creek lined with reeds. You can be baptised in the Jordan if accompanied by a priest; there’s also a font accessible to all that is filled with water from the river (but note that, despite its holy status, the river itself is quite polluted, so the water shouldn’t be drunk).

This is the only place where civilians can currently touch the Jordan River in Jordan, as the remainder runs through a military no-man’s land. Across the river is the Israeli-run complex of Qasr Al Yahud in the Palestinian Territories, where you can often see large groups of religious tourists being baptised.

Spring of John the BaptistSpring

Accessible on foot (hot in summer so take a hat and water), this is one of several places where John is believed to have carried out baptisms. Most baptisms were conducted in the spring-fed waters of Wadi Al Kharrar rather than in the Jordan River. The path leads through thickets of tamarisk and argul (wild cherry), and the yellow rose of Jericho in spring.

Site of Jesus’s BaptismRuins

The main archaeological site comprises the remains of three churches, one on top of the other. Steps lead down to the original water level and a building nearby marks the likely site of Jesus’s baptism. Byzantine churches were built to mark the site during the 5th and 6th centuries, and rebuilt on the same site after they were destroyed by flooding. All that remains today are traces of original mosaic.

Rhotorios MonasteryHistoric Building

The hill behind the House of Mary the Egyptian holds the presumed cave of John the Baptist, a 5th-century monastery (built around the site) and the ruined Rhotorios Monastery, which has a mosaic floor with Greek inscriptions. In the 3rd to 4th century, the plaster-lined pools were used by pilgrims for bathing. In the early years of Christianity, John was a more celebrated figure than Jesus and this was the more important pilgrimage site at Bethany.

Tell EliasRuins

Tell Elias is where Elijah is said to have ascended to heaven, although there is little to see here. The rebuilt arch marks the 5th- to 6th-century pilgrim chapel, where Pope John Paul II authenticated the site in 2000. The nearby 3rd-century rectangular prayer hall is one of the earliest Christian places of worship ever discovered, dating from a period when Christianity was still illegal.

House of Mary the EgyptianRuins

Mary the Egyptian was a ‘reformed sinner’ who lived and died in a two-room house in the 4th century, now a ruin. The trail continues left, up some wooden stairs to a two-room hermit cave burrowed into the soft rock.

5Eating

Bethany Touristic RestaurantSeafood$$

(%07 9607 6060; fish JD6-12; h10am-midnight)

Attached to a thriving fish farm, this restaurant specialises in excellent tilapia (talloubi in Arabic), locally known as baptism fish. The fish is fried or baked with sweet peppers and fresh coriander. It’s a popular spot at weekends, particularly at dusk when the sun sets over distant Jerusalem. It’s halfway between the Baptism Site and the Amman–Dead Sea road.

8Information

Collect a brochure and map at the ticket office (www.baptismsite.com; h8.30am-4pm Nov-Mar, to 6pm Apr-Oct) to the baptism site, where there are toilets and cold drinks for sale.

8Getting There & Away

The site is near Shuneh Al Janubiyyeh, at the southern end of the Jordan Valley. Coming from Amman, follow signs to the Baptism Site along the main road to the Dead Sea. Tours from budget hotels in Amman and Madaba often include this site in a trip that also takes in the Dead Sea and Mt Nebo (from around JD60 for a taxi carrying four people).

There is no public transport to the Baptism Site; the closest you can get is 5km away at the Al Maghtas junction, on a Suweimah-bound minibus from Amman.

Driving Below Zero

The switchback roads that link the high ground with the low ground (often below sea level) are a highlight of Jordan, especially if you are driving and can stop to admire the panoramic views. The roads twist through terraced fields of onions, hug contours of sheep-cropped hills and edge past nomadic communities of Bedouin with their black tents and attendant goats, before spiralling into a painted desert, vermilion with iron ore, olive green with copper oxides and laced with hanging gardens. You won’t find the roads indicated on all maps, but they are all well paved, suitable for a 2WD car (beware sharp bends) and usually marked ‘Dead Sea’ or ‘Wadi Araba’ on signs. Remember to carry your passport with you as there are numerous checkpoints along the roads to the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea Highway.

Salt to the Dead Sea

1½ hours, 23km descent and 60km along the Jordan Valley

A varied drive along a busy road of Aleppo pines, red-barked strawberry trees and gardens of early-summer hollyhocks, giving way to tamarisks and acacias. Let your brakes cool at the sea-level marker and enjoy the view of the fertile Jordan Valley, lit up with flowering flame trees in May.

Follow signs for Zay National Park and Deir Alla on Hwy 30 from Salt. Watch out for truck drivers on their mobile phones on the hairpin bends! Add a 14km detour (well signposted) to Mountain Breeze Country Club for a tea break. Notice the humidity and heat as you approach the Dead Sea.

Mt Nebo to the Dead Sea

30 minutes, 21km

An easy drive, passing wildflowers and clumps of prickly pear, going through Bedouin grazing grounds before descending to a colourful, semi-arid desert with spectacular Dead Sea views.

The start of the descent is to the left of the Mt Nebo entrance gate. After 14.5km, turn left for the Dead Sea resorts or right for Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan.

Madaba to the Dead Sea Panoramic Complex

50 minutes (half-day with stops), 30km plus 5km return trip to Hammamat Ma’in

The best of the Dead Sea drives, through avenues of windswept junipers and firs, vines and olive groves, and alongside a wadi decorated with flowering oleander. Don’t miss the steep descent of the sulphurous hillside to Hammamat Ma’in. Recover at the aptly named Panorama Restaurant. Follow signs for Hammamat Ma’in from King’s Highway, 1km south of Madaba. The road, sometimes referred to as the ‘Dead Sea Parkway’, is incorrectly shown on most maps. Use low gear if you’re making a detour to Hammamat Ma’in. Continue to the Dead Sea resorts (7km), Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan (25km) or Amman (60km).

Karak to Safi

30 minutes, 40km

This is an easy drive along a steep-sided wadi, with expansive views of potash production. Take a side trip to Lot’s Cave.

Time this drive for mid-afternoon, when the sunset turns the sandstone to molten gold. Follow signs from the King’s Highway in Karak to Mazra’a or ‘Dead Sea’ along Hwy 50. Turn left at the Dead Sea Highway for Safi.

Tafila to Fifa

40 minutes, 26km

Descend from cypress woodland, through weather-beaten rock formations and palm oases to tomato fields at Fifa.

Give extra time to this trip – it’s a veritable geography lesson in habitats at different altitudes. Take Hwy 60 from the centre of Tafila, following signs for Wadi Araba; take care on the sharp bends.

Little Petra to Wadi Araba

One hour 15 minutes (half-day with stops), 45km plus 2km return to Little Petra and 20km return to Feynan Ecolodge

This fantastic drive begins with Nabataean sites such as the Elephant Rock and a side trip to the Siq at Little Petra. Look out for rock-cut wine presses and dams through Siq Umm Al Alda, decorated with ancient carob trees. Pass through the psychedelically green landscape surrounding a reclaimed-water project and visit a pre-pottery Neolithic tell (ancient mound) – look for a wire fence on the left of the road – at Shkarat Msaiad. The mountain road thereafter twists through magnificent rainbow rocks before gliding into Wadi Araba, dotted with Bedouin camps, acacia trees and sand dunes.

Head through Umm Sayhoun to Little Petra. Turn right to Hesha and Bayder and immediately left, following signs to Wadi Araba. The road, which doesn’t appear on most maps and isn’t numbered, is damaged but not impassable at the bottom. At the junction in Wadi Araba, turn right to Qurayqira to stay at Feynan Ecolodge or left to reach the Dead Sea Highway. From the highway junction, it is 130km to Aqaba.

Dead Sea Panoramic Complex بانوراما البحر النيت

Walk among cacti to this lookout, high above the Dead Sea, and then watch raptors wheel in the wadis below, and you will have to pinch yourself to think that you are standing at sea level. This museum and restaurant complex (JD2; h8am-10pm) offers breathtaking views, especially on a crisp day in winter when the Judaea Mountains across the water seem as if they are just an arm’s stretch away.

For a solid introduction to the geology, history and environment of the Dead Sea, spare an hour for the Dead Sea Museum (%08 771 2999; h9am-4pm) F. Drive the roads in the area and you’ll notice the rich pattern, texture and hue of the exposed rocks alongside the road. This is particularly the case on the Dead Sea Parkway, which extends above the Dead Sea Panorama to Hammamat Ma’in and Madaba, and below to the Dead Sea Highway. Along the cut of the steepest section of road, rich layers of sedimentary rock create natural murals that add to the beauty of the journey. You can identify and touch specimens of this geological treasure in the museum.

A short hiking trail called the Zara Cliff Walk (1.4km; easy) follows the edge of the wadi from the complex and highlights local flora and fauna. You will hear the Tristram’s Grackles before you see these birds as they screech across the wadi. Hyrax can also be spotted here. The complex is clearly signposted off the Dead Sea Highway, about 10km south of the Dead Sea resorts. The Dead Sea Panorama makes a worthwhile stop on a day circuit from Madaba, Mt Nebo, Bethany, the Dead Sea and Hammamat Ma’in, either by hired car or taxi (JD50 through Charl at the Mariam Hotel). There is no public transport.

Panorama RestaurantMiddle Eastern$$$

(%05 324 5500; Dead Sea Panorama Complex; mains JD7-18; hnoon-10pm; v)

The Panorama Restaurant more than lives up to its name and is a popular venue for weekend lunch and dinner. Try the ground walnut paste or the shanklish (local cheese, rolled in thyme and mixed with tomatoes, onion and parsley), and follow with marinated lamb chops or sawda dajaj (chicken livers with grenadine syrup and lemon), which are a meal in themselves.

Wadi Zarqa Ma’in وادي الزرقاء ماعين

Elev -90m

Drive anywhere in the hills above the Dead Sea, and you’ll notice occasional livid-green belts of vegetation, a trickle of water as it catches the sunlight, or a curtain of ferns across a disintegrating landscape of sulphurous rock. On closer inspection, you may catch a puff of steam and the hiss of underground water. These hills are alive with the sound of thermal springs – about 60 of them suppurate below the surface, breaking ground with various degrees of violence.

The Jordan Trail: Fuheis to Zarqa Ma’in

Distance 78km

Duration Four days

This four-day section of the Jordan Trail hike offers a great illustration of Jordan’s many contrasting landscapes, from rolling green hills to the sparse, rocky crags overlooking the Dead Sea.

From the town of Fuheis, you strike out into fertile countryside dotted with small farms, following the paths of Roman roads towards the ancient ruins at Iraq Al Amir. After staying here one night, the hike takes you southwest down the soft landscapes of the Jordan Valley to the Kafrain Dam where you camp. Over the next day, the landscape grows increasingly stark as you head towards the Dead Sea Plateau. Shepherd’s paths take you past old Mukawer, always with views to the sea and the hills in Israel and the Palestinian Territories beyond. Finally, you descend to the springs of Wadi Zarqa Ma’in, where the hike concludes.

This is a moderate hike, but it is best done with support as there is no water available on the last two days. For route maps, GPS waypoints and detailed breakdowns of daily hikes visit Jordan Trail (www.jordantrail.org).

2Activities

Hiking

It’s possible to hike the 8km from the Hammamat Ma’in springs through Wadi Zarqa Ma’in to Herodus Spring on the Dead Sea Highway. The moderate to hard trail involves negotiating deep pools, reed beds and slippery surfaces and is closed after rains. The hike requires a guide (JD120 for a minimum of two people), which can be organised through the resort reception if you book one day ahead. The fee includes the price of transport to collect you from the end of the trail.

Another small trail leads from the security guard hut to a spot above the main waterfall. It is an easy hike and there is no need for a guide, but you are requested to let the Ma’in Hot Springs Resort reception know that you are attempting it. If you would prefer a guide to help manage the small, steep section, it costs JD35 per person (minimum two people); for JD65, you can also have breakfast, which is winched across the wadi in a basket to a shaded picnic spot in full view of the main waterfall.

Thermal Bathing

Ma’in Hot Springs SpaSpa

(%05 324 5500; www.mainhotsprings.com; Hammamat Ma’in; h9am-8pm)

The resort’s exquisite spa offers a range of different treatments and experiences. There are two thermal pools naturally hovering at 42°C and a natural sauna cave (65°C to 70°C) buried discreetly in the heart of the wadi. It’s a beautiful place to relax, with grouse scuttling over the rocks and eagles wheeling above.

In addition, there is a dry sauna and treatment rooms, each with a private garden. Use of the facilities costs JD38 including towels and green tea. The range of treatments includes a one-hour Dead Sea body wrap, Swedish massage and Dead Sea Salt Body Polish. If you book in at the spa, the JD15 entry fee to Hammamat Ma’in is waived.

Hammamat Ma’inBathhouse

(JD15; h9am-9pm)

The most famous thermal spring in the hills above the Dead Sea is Hammamat Ma’in, 18.5km from the Dead Sea resorts. Here the water, ranging from 45°C to a blistering 60°C, tumbles off the hillside in a series of waterfalls and less assuming trickles, and is collected in a variety of pools for public bathing. It contains potassium, magnesium and calcium. The entrance fee permits use of the Roman baths at the base of the waterfall closest to the entrance.

The Roman baths have clean, indoor hot baths (separate for men and women). There is also a small family pool beside a waterfall (turn left after the entrance), restricted to women, families and couples. The large, clean, cold-water swimming pool closes around 4pm. A steaming waterfall downstream makes a striking backdrop for tea on the terrace of the hotel.

Visitors are requested not to bring their own picnic, but this is rarely enforced. The springs are hugely popular on Friday during spring and autumn.

4Sleeping & Eating

Ma’In Hot Springs Resort & SpaResort$$$

(%05 324 5500; www.mainhotsprings.com; Hammamat Ma’in; r from JD130; Ws)

This luxurious resort is shaded by mature trees and boasts extravagant arabesque features. Many of the rooms – which have sumptuous bathrooms – share a view of the steaming, sulphurous hillsides. Windows onto the waterfalls from the restaurant bring the hot springs to your table. Fine dining includes herbs and vegetables from the hotel’s organic garden.

The hotel organises daily excursions to the Dead Sea, but chances are you’ll find it hard to leave the sanctuary of its intimate spa.

8Getting There & Away

The resort at Hammamat Ma’in is 18.5km from the Dead Sea resorts and 27km from Madaba, and well signposted in either direction. If you’re driving, the 2.5km descent into Hammamat Ma’in is scenic (with bands of green, yellow and red streaking the hillside) but very steep, so use low gear.

A taxi from Madaba costs around JD25 for a return journey, including waiting time. There is no public transport.

The Dead Sea is Dying

The Dead Sea is the lowest place on earth, and probably one of the hottest. The resulting evaporation produces an astonishing salinity of 31%, about nine times higher than the oceans. The high mineral concentrations mean incredible buoyancy and great photo opportunities – get a snapshot of your travel companions happily sitting upright on the water reading newspapers. The water’s oily minerals also contain salubrious properties. German health insurance covers periodic visits to the Dead Sea for psoriasis patients to visit and luxuriate in the healing waters.

Sadly, no natural resource in the Middle East shows more signs of relentless population growth and economic development than the Dead Sea. Technically, the sea is a ‘terminal lake’ into which the Jordan River, along with other more arid watersheds, deposit their flow. Despite the folk song’s characterisation of the River Jordan as ‘deep and wide’, in fact it has never been much of a gusher. When Israeli and Jordanian farmers began to divert its water to produce a new agricultural economy in the 1950s, the flow was reduced to a putrid trickle, and the Dead Sea began to dry up.

In 1900, the river discharged 1.2 trillion litres a year into the Dead Sea, but water levels in the river today are hardly 10% of the natural flow. The Jordanian and Israeli potash industries in the southern, largely industrial Dead Sea region exacerbate the water loss by accelerating evaporation in their production processes. The impact is manifested in sink holes, created when underground salt gets washed away by the infiltrating subsurface freshwater flow. Particularly ubiquitous on the western (Israeli side) of the sea, the ground literally opens up – with people, farming equipment and even trucks falling in. Perhaps the most acute environmental consequence though is the 27m drop in the sea’s water level, and the long and discouraging walks now required to reach the retreating waters.

Several solutions have been considered to bring back water to the Dead Sea. A ‘Med-Dead’ canal utilising the height drop from the Mediterranean Sea was discarded because of the prohibitively expensive price tag. But a similar pipeline from the Red Sea is currently under consideration, to pipe water from the Gulf of Aqaba to the Dead Sea’s southern shore, producing hydroelectricity as well as a desalination plant that would provide water to Amman. Environmentalists question the anticipated mixing of different salinities of sea water, while noting that it would ultimately not do enough to replace the water already being lost. Nevertheless, the US$1.1 billion ‘Red-Dead’ project has been put out to tender, and Jordan expects to break the first ground in 2018.

Mujib Biosphere Reserve محمية الموجب

This reserve (%06 461 6523; Dead Sea Hwy) – the lowest on earth – was originally established by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) for the captive breeding of the Nubian ibex. It now supports a surprising variety of more than 400 species of plants (including rare orchids), 186 species of birds and 250 animal species, including Syrian wolves, striped hyenas, caracals and Blandford’s fox. It’s also an important staging post for migratory birds travelling between Africa and Europe.

The reserve encompasses the canyonesque landscape of Wadi Mujib, and is a great destination for day hikes. There are several guided routes, including a number that involve scrambling over rocks and then wading through chest-high pools of water.

2Activities

Hiking and splashing your way through Mujib’s canyons are the main reason to visit the reserve. Different trails are open at different times of year – the wet trails are only accessible between April and October as water levels outside of this period can make them too dangerous.

Siq Trail

The most popular hike on offer, this exciting self-guided 2km wade and scramble into the gorge ends at a dramatic waterfall. Fees are JD21 per person; the trail is open from 1 April to 31 October.

The wadi is decorated with outrageously banded rock, scooped out and smoothed by the water. Late spring and summer are the perfect times for hiking this ‘wet trail’. And by wet, we really do mean it – at some point you may need to wade waist or chest deep, and the hike culminates in a spectacular waterfall with a large pool where you can swim. After rains, rising water can make the wadi dangerous and inaccessible, so it is closed between November and March.

You don’t need a guide for the Siq Trail, but there are three or four points where you need a steadying hand to help cross fast-moving water or to pull yourself up the steps set into boulders.

Wear hiking sandals rather than leather hiking boots.

Hiking Hints in Wadi Mujib

A The best months for hiking are April and May.

A Guided treks usually begin early in the morning.

A For the wet trails, bring a swimming costume, towel, walking shoes that can get wet, and a waterproof bag. Spare clothes are also recommended. Life jackets are provided.

A There’s a minimum group size of three on some trails.

A Under 18s are not allowed on the trails.

Malaqi Trail

This guided wet trail is one of the reserve’s most popular hikes (per person JD44). It’s a half-day trip involving a hot and unremitting climb into the wadi, a visit to the natural swimming pools of Wadi Hidan and a descent (often swimming) through the siq (gorge). The finale involves rappelling down an 18m waterfall (not suitable for nonswimmers or vertigo sufferers). Open from 1 April to 31 October.

Ibex Trail

This dry winter trail (per person JD21) is a half-day guided hike that leads up to a Nubian ibex enclosure at the Raddas ranger station, along a ridge with views of the Dead Sea, and an optional excursion to the ruined Qasr Riyash. Open from 1 November to 31 March.

Canyon Trail

If you have limited time at Wadi Mujib, tackle the guided wet Canyon Trail (JD31). The trail starts 3km south of the visitor centre and takes around four hours. Open from 1 April to 31 October.

4Sleeping & Eating

oMujib ChaletsChalet$$

(%07 9720 3888; www.wildjordan.com; s/d/tr JD52/64/75; W)

Wild Jordan operates 15 stylish and modern en-suite chalets overlooking the Dead Sea. You need to book in advance, either by calling the chalet manager directly or when booking your hike through the RSCN. The chalets have double or twin beds, a fridge and a shaded patio overlooking the Dead Sea, in a plot that is still under development.

There are freshwater showers by the beach. The small restaurant serves an early breakfast for hikers; guests can also order a simple lunch or dinner in advance.

8Information

The visitor centre (%07 9720 3888; h8am-8pm) is along the Dead Sea Highway, about 20km south of the Dead Sea resorts, beside a suspension bridge across Wadi Mujib. Guides are compulsory for all but the Siq Trail and should preferably be booked in advance through the RSCN’s Wild Jordan Center, though they can be booked at the visitor centre if any are available on the day. There are a few information boards about the reserve, but few facilities. Children under 18 years are not allowed on the trails.

8Getting There & Away

There’s no public transport to the reserve: hire a car or take a taxi from Amman, the Dead Sea resorts, Madaba or Karak.

In Search of Sodom

Say the words ‘Sodom and Gomorrah’ and dens of iniquity spring to mind. The Book of Genesis (Gen 19:24–25), responsible for the wicked reputation of these two terrible towns, describes the last straw – namely, when local Sodomites demanded to have sex with the angels sent by God to visit Lot. In response ‘the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire…and he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground…’

Fanciful legends of a fevered biblical imagination? Not necessarily. The edge of Wadi Araba is located on a major fault line, and it’s possible that the towns were swallowed up by collapsing soil. Another possibility is that an earthquake released large amounts of underground flammable gas and bitumen (the infamous ‘slime pits’ referred to in the Old Testament), which were ignited by fire or a lightning strike.

Whatever the cause of their demise, archaeologists have long speculated about the location of the world’s most sinful cities. Many archaeologists favour the southern shore of the Dead Sea. But there’s also the Bronze Age site of Babh Adh Dhra, on the edge of Wadi Karak. This town (population roughly 1000) was destroyed in 2300 BC, but intriguingly it holds the remains of 20,000 tombs, containing an estimated half a million bodies – as such it’s odds-on favourite for Sodom. Both Babh Adh Dhra and the nearby site of Numeira, believed to be Gomorrah, are covered in a 30cm-deep layer of ash, suggesting the cities ended in a great blaze.

Natural disaster or the wrath of God? Some believe it amounts to the same thing.

Lisan Peninsula شبه جزيرة اللسان

The Lisan Peninsula lies at the southern end of the Dead Sea. It’s worth a detour for the community tourism project of the Zikra Initiative, along with Lot’s Cave and the appropriately named Lowest Point on Earth Museum. The region was settled during the early-Byzantine period and a number of minor ruins are scattered across the landscape.

The area, together with the shallow waters of the Southern Ghor (Depression), is now dominated by a giant potash plant. Huge quantities of potassium chloride (Jordan’s most valuable commodity), calcium and bromine are reclaimed from the Dead Sea through solar evaporation.

The fields to the south of the Lisan Peninsula are highly fertile and produce vegetables in biblical quantities, making it a particularly colourful region to visit during the January harvest.

1Sights

Lowest Point on Earth MuseumMuseum

(%03 230 2845; Safi; JD2, free with Jordan Pass; h8am-4pm)

Near the start of the climb up to Lot’s Cave is the literally titled Lowest Point on Earth Museum. Shaped like a giant stone comma, it contains beautifully displayed remains excavated from the site, including mosaics, 4500-year-old pottery and ancient textiles. Other displays explain the area’s importance for sugar production during the Mamluk period, and artefacts that bring the region’s story up to the Bedouin tribes of today.

WORTH A TRIP

A Day Among the Dead Sea Residents

While luxury spas are the face of Dead Sea tourism, the Zikra Initiative (www.zikrainitiative.org) has been pioneering an alternative approach: community-exchange tourism. Visitors can arrange to spend the day in the farming community of Ghor Al Mazra’a at the southern tip of the Dead Sea, learning how to tend gardens, make handicrafts and bake bread, or how to cook the delicious local dish galayat bandora (‘tomato in a pan’). Locals can also take you on hikes in the surrounding hills.

It’s a relaxed and low-key approach to tourism, allowing you to make a direct personal connection with rural Jordanians and learn about their lives. The visitor fees (usually around JD35) are ploughed directly back into the community in the form of microloans for local families, and social development projects. Visits must be arranged in advance through the website.

Lot’s CaveCave

(hdaylight) F

Lot’s Cave, a stiff 10-minute climb up a steep flight of steps, is surrounded by the ruins of a small Byzantine church (5th to 8th centuries), a reservoir and some mosaics, which were excavated by the British Museum. Remains from the cave date to the early Bronze Age (3300–2000 BC) and an inscription in the cave mentions Lot by name.

Lot, the nephew of Abraham, features repeatedly in the colourful annals of the Dead Sea’s southern shores. Lot’s Cave, just past the Lisan Peninsula, is where he and his daughters are said to have lived after fleeing the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah; Lot’s wife is famously believed to have turned into a pillar of salt after looking back at the smouldering city.

In an eyebrow-raising incident that’s remarkable even for the Bible, it’s said that Lot’s two daughters spiked their father’s drink, had sex with him and then nine months later gave birth to his grandsons/sons Moab and Ben Ammi, the forefathers of the Moabite and Ammonite peoples.

The cave is 2km northeast of Safi and well signposted from the Dead Sea Highway. Look for the circular museum building on the hillside. Regular minibuses run between Karak and Safi (800 fils, one hour). If you’re relying on public transport, be prepared for a 2km walk from the highway.

8Getting There & Away

Your own vehicle is essential for exploring around the Lisan Peninsula and southern Dead Sea area. Fill your tank before setting out – there are no petrol stations in the area.