Things to Do in Aqaba
Why you are seeing these recommendations
As Jordan’s only coastal city and a busy seaport, Aqaba makes a popular stop for cruise ships and a scenic base for exploring Petra and Wadi Rum, encircled by desert mountains and fronting the glistening Red Sea. Recent developments have seen a string of luxury resorts spring up along Aqaba’s coastline, along with the manmade lagoons of the Ayla Oasis Project, which also boasts a marina, golf course and shopping complex, but the town’s main draw is still its natural assets.
Aqaba’s warm waters mean that it’s possible to swim almost all year round and the 5 public beaches form part of the Aqaba Marine Park—a top destination for scuba divers with its expanse of colorful coral reefs and more than 507 species of fish.
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5 Tours and Activities
Home to some of the world’s most northerly tropical coral reefs, Coral Beach Nature Reserve offers Eilat’s—and likely Israel’s—best snorkeling. Seagrass patches draw hawksbill turtles, seahorses, and more; hundreds of different coral species lure aquarium favorites including lionfish, angelfish, and clownfish.
