Written by Silas Gaughran-Bedell, (American University), Student Correspondent for CET Jordan, Spring 2024
At the southernmost point of Jordan, on the shores of the Red Sea, stands the country’s lone coast, Aqaba. It is a small beach town with gorgeous scenery and plenty of activities.
During the Eid break, a group of us took the time to visit and enjoy the pleasures Aqaba has to offer. The most striking feature of Aqaba is its stunning beaches.
After three months of study in Amman, our cravings for sandy shores and leisure time were quite strong. A highlight of our trip was getting to explore the ocean, going scuba diving and snorkeling.
Somehow, Aqaba is one of the few places where you can dive without a permit. I’m not sure how, but I did not question it. After a bit of scuba training, we went diving and saw an array of marine life, including massive eels, lionfish, pufferfish, and all types of crazy sea creatures.
The benefits of beach life in Aqaba were not just limited leisure, but the seafood was also amazing. We ate the delicious local dish known as sayadieh. This is a platter of fried fish over aqabawi rice, which is cooked with caramelized onions.
Aqaba has received a lot of investment in becoming a central area for tourism. Because of this, there are plenty of interesting sites to visit. The Aqaba flagpole is the sixth tallest in the world. It has food stalls and activities underneath, most surprising of which was the cornhole. Close to the border with Saudi lies the small strip called Isla, with plenty of food vendors, musicians, and dance clubs.
Another great aspect of Aqaba is its unique location amidst the neighboring countries of Jordan. From the beach, you can gaze across the Red Sea to the mountain ranges of Egypt, to your left, the Saudi mountains, and to the right, Aqaba’s sister city, Eilat.