Aqaba — Gateway to the Red Sea
The Red Sea Gateway — Coral Reefs & Clear Waters
Where Jordan meets the Red Sea, the desert performs its final trick: it plunges into water so clear and so alive that Jacques Cousteau ranked these reefs among the world's finest. Aqaba, Jordan's only coastal city, guards 27 kilometers of shoreline at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba, framed by the granite mountains of four countries — you can see Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia from its beaches.
Underwater is the main event. More than 20 dive sites shelter over 500 species of coral and fish; sea turtles graze the Japanese Garden reef, lionfish drift over the wreck of the Cedar Pride — a cargo ship deliberately sunk in 1985 to seed new coral — and even a sunken M42 tank has become an artificial reef. The water stays between 21 and 27°C all year, making Aqaba a genuine four-season destination. Snorkelers can reach the best reefs straight from the beach; glass-bottom boats serve those who prefer to stay dry.
On land, Aqaba has been a port for 6,000 years. The Mamluk Fort by the waterfront witnessed the Arab Revolt's famous 1917 charge, the ruins of Ayla preserve one of the earliest purpose-built Islamic cities, and the souk fills the evening with grilled seafood, cardamom coffee and the easy-going air of a southern harbor town. One hour from Wadi Rum and two from Petra, Aqaba is the natural finale of a southern Jordan itinerary.
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How to Visit
Aqaba is 4 hours from Amman, 1 hour from Wadi Rum and 2 from Petra, so it slots perfectly at the end of a southern route. Our private Aqaba & Red Sea Adventure covers guided snorkeling with equipment, the fort and old town, and optional diving or a sunset boat trip — with pickup from anywhere in Jordan.
