Aqaba is overlooked by most visitors to Jordan, but there’s a compelling reason to visit the country’s only seaside resort town.
Most of the holidaymakers are Jordanians who flock to the luxury resorts during national holidays, but I came for one thing and one thing only: the Red Sea. With its calm, crystal-clear waters and thriving, dazzling marine life, it lived up to its legendary reputation as a world-class snorkeling site.
Initially, however, I wasn’t so sure. Instead of the high-end accommodations on the north end of Aqaba, I travelled further south to South Beach and stayed in a resort across the street from the public beach.
It’s a lacklustre shoreline: no powder-sugar sand, no lounge chairs, no service of any kind. But I made the most of it by diving into the waters and splashing around with Akrm, Francesco and Guiseppe — a Jordanian and two Italians living in the UK. I befriended these fellas at my resort and I can’t thank them enough for making my time in Aqaba as enjoyable as it was.
Akrm, Francesco and Giuseppe.
On the day of my solo snorkelling excursion, I asked my guide, “where do I leave my clothes and shoes?” since there was nowhere to leave them. He tied my shirt and shorts around the pole of a beach umbrella, then pulled a long piece of plastic cut from a shopping bag out of his pocket, tied my flip-flops to it and the other end of plastic to his wrist, and into the water we went with my footwear bobbing on the water’s surface behind him. It wasn’t the kind of service I had expected but, hey, whatever to keep my flip-flops safe, right?
The rough, rocky seabed did a number on my feet (water shoes are useful here) but once I swam out to the Japanese Gardens, a giant reef just offshore, and submerged my head, it didn’t matter. I had entered another world: untouched coral of every hue imaginable and schools of tropical fish in all their brilliance darting around me in a sea of glass-like clarity.
Was I in the Red Sea or a giant aquarium?
Cornetfish.
Moray eel.
I should note that no fish were fed during this photo shoot (that wouldn’t be cool), which means I was swarmed without luring the fish in any way.
There isn’t much else to see in Aqaba but it was worth meandering through the streets and shops in the town centre (a short 5JD taxi ride from South Beach), feasting on Jordanian cuisine and joining the locals at beachfront shisha cafes.
Sharif Hussein bin Ali Mosque.
Conservative but relaxed, the atmosphere in town is a valuable window into Jordanian life.
Search for hotels in Aqaba at Booking.com here.
Aqaba is also conveniently located near Jordan’s top tourist attractions (Petra and Wadi Rum), making the city a worthy pit-stop for spectacular snorkeling (as well as diving), laid-back socializing and experiencing Jordanian culture.
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Thanks Helen. I pinned this post to “Favourite Places to Travel”.
Thank, Mama Cormier!
Beautiful photos of both the sea life and that delicious-looking food!
Glad you enjoyed the photos, Leigh. And, as you may have guessed, I ate very, very well. 🙂
Helen, your underwater photos are spectacular! I can’t wait to visit Jordan.
Thanks, Jeff. I hope you get to visit soon!
Helen, your underwater photos are beautiful…can I ask what camera you used?
Hi Krys. Thanks! They were shot with an Olympus Tough TG-1, which I talk about here: https://notwithoutmypassport.com/travel-photography-gear/.
Hi Helen,
Really love your blog! Your beautifully written travel observations and the backstory to your big “life choice” are inspirational.
I have several questions about the snorkeling.
How did you arrange your solo snorkeling excursion? Did the Jordanian Akrm steer you toward your guide…or did you go to one of the dive centers & randomly make arrangements? Are you a strong swimmer…and didn’t need much help? Thank-you for passing along how you made your choices..
Sandy 🙂
=================Quick, simple answers to the above are enough & very appreciated. Below, I’ve written more about our situation in case you’ve got the time to read & factor these considerations into your answers as best you can.
My husband and I (age 65) want to snorkel here. The core of my concern is that we are not strong swimmers so I want to be sure we don’t stumble into some situation that we can’t handle and/or enjoy. Trying to figure out how people like us could snorkel a beautiful place like Japanese Gardens…and not drown! (smile)
For certain reasons, we prefer staying in the north end rather than the South Beach area. Probably, by staying closer to the snorkel/dive reefs, we could more easily visualize the choices & make arrangements that work for us on the spot.
But I’m trying to learn more now so that I can be a “better shopper”. I’ve downloaded the reef maps from diveinaqaba.com so I’m familiar with the North Bay, Visitors Bay, & South Bay offerings. I see the Japanese Gardens reef map…where you had your awesome experience!
We want a half-day outing…which eliminates the boat options (full-day, I believe). We have snorkeled at the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and in Bora Bora. Bora Bora was like a bathtub so minimal swim ability was fine.
Twice at GBR we went out in boats for full-day excursions (1.5 hrs each way from Port Douglas). Unluckily, the water was very rough so conditions were “poor.” We each used 2-3 “noodles” and practically had “baby-sitters” because the near-empty boats allowed the employees to help us a lot.
Wondering if we need to hire two guides for Aqaba (one for each of us?)…so that we don’t find ourselves in a dangerous situation? I’m a little concerned about walking into one of the dive centers & getting all kinds of assurances to sign up for something…that, too late, we’ll find we can’t handle. But if these off-shore Red Sea reefs offer places where one can occasionally hang onto something for rest, we can handle that.
I realize that during your trip you didn’t study the whole Aqaba snorkel scene (& I know about trip advisor). Just wanted to learn how you chose your snorkel excursion. Thank-you.
Hi Sandy. My snorkelling excursion was arranged with a guide who hung out regularly at the resort I stayed at and he took me to the Japanese Gardens. It was actually that simple. As for swimming, yes, I’m a strong swimmer so I didn’t need assistance at all. Perhaps you can wear a lifejacket? The strength of the currents depends on the weather and can change by the day. Also, the waters are quite shallow in some areas of the Japanese Gardens so if you’re not a strong swimmer, you can easily step on the highly protected reefs (I almost did) which is a big no-no. I didn’t come across any large rocks to rest on during the excursion but other reefs may be a different story. Hope this helps.
Hi Helen, The coral looks beautiful! I’m writing a collaborative post about ocean conservation through photos of marine life. If you’re interested in being involved let me know, my email is featherstonek[at]live.co.uk Happy New Year! Katie 🙂
Hi Katie. Will do!
Hi Helen,
Loved your photos!
I was wondering if it’s possible to visit any of these diving points for free in 1 day?
Since I will be staying in Petra and I could have only 1 day for Aqaba.
I would like to do snorkerling.
Thank you in advance, come visit Turkish riviera 🙂
Hi Elif. The Japanese Garden is the only reef I visited in Aqaba (also, it’s quite shallow so I doubt diving is allowed). I’m sure you can snorkel out there on your own for a couple hours if you ask a local exactly how to find it. It can be tricky though so it might be worth hiring a guide. Hope this helps! And I <3 the Turkish Riviera! 🙂