Overview

The alluring coastal town of Aqaba is the country’s window to the Red Sea and its only port city boasting flawless beaches and abundant watersports. The spirit of Aqaba is both nurturing and welcoming and is reflected in the deep-rooted values of its Aqabawi people. A luxurious resort town filled with lavish accommodations, exciting theme parks, sparkling lagoons, and world-class diving. The port city’s charm and laid-back atmosphere make it an enticing destination for a beach vacation. 

The stunning shores of Aqaba are fringed by seafood restaurants and a bustling waterfront promenade. The coastal city is a superb place to visit and explore both by land and sea with unique and attractive sights and attractions. There are attractive markets, friendly neighborhoods, and ancient historic sites like Wadi Rum and Petra in its backyard. Offshore coral reefs attract avid divers, and notable sites include Yamanieh, Seven Sisters Coral, and Aqaba Marine Park. Aqaba merges historical charm with contemporary elegance offering visitors a unique blend of tranquility and vibrancy. It offers a rich blend of diverse cultures along with awe-inspiring landscapes that stretch from the famous Red Sea to the soaring mountain peaks. 

Things to See and Do

Check out the ruins of the Aqaba Church, the oldest known purpose-built Christian church in the world discovered by archeologists in 1998. The walls, foundations of a chancel screen, a collection box with coins, fragments of glass made oil lamps, and a cemetery with 24 skeletons are all that remain. 

See the spectacular ornate Masjid Al Hussein Bin Ali Mosque, named after Hussein Bin Ali who was the Sharif and Emir of Mecca from 1908-1917. This stunning white building features intricate glass windows and high minarets and boasts the largest dome of any mosque in Jorda

Visit the Aqaba Port and see the giant flagpole of Aqaba, the sixth-tallest free-standing flagpole in the world. The flagpole soars to 430 feet with the flag of the Great Arab Revolt symbolizing the Great Arab Revolt. The flag can be seen from Israel, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, it measures 65x131 feet. 

The Aqaba Castle is an ancient fortress built by the Crusaders in the 12th century, it was the site of the famous battle of the First World War in 1916 and was built by the Mamluk Sultan Qanswah el-Ghawri. The castle features a prison, an execution chamber, horse stables, and a roost for messenger pigeons.

Make your way to the ruins of Ayla on the Corniche between the marina and the Movenpick Resort Hotel. This is the ancient port of Aqaba built in 650 AD as the first Islamic city outside of the Arabian Peninsula. Explore the ancient ruins of the old buildings, the city walls, the mosque, and the towers.

Go to the Beach! Aqaba features many public beaches, pick a place to stretch out on the sand, sunbathe, go for a walk, and swim in the warm, relaxing waters of the Red Sea. The greatest asset of Aqaba is the Red Sea with some of the best snorkeling and diving spots in the world.

Go diving! Aqaba is a diver’s dream destination with over 20 mesmerizing dive sites along its 16 miles of coastline. The crystal clear waters allow the sun to penetrate the sea to a depth of 492 feet which illuminates the hundreds of species of corals, fish, mollusks, and crustaceans below. 

Aqaba Marine Reserve is home to most of these dive sites that vary in shape and inhabitants with slopes, drop-offs, canyons, and flat bottoms that are all covered in vibrant flourishing corals, and a plethora of marine life. There is so much to discover beneath the waters like shipwrecks, reefs, and marine life like turtles, rays, fish, dugongs, and sharks. Be sure to see the 246-foot Cedar Pride, a cargo ship scuttled in the 80s, and Pharaoh’s Island home to some outstanding coral blooms. 

Visit the Masjid Al Sheikh Zayed Mosque featuring two minarets and 28 domes adorned with geometric Islamic Art. The mosque is an architectural masterpiece in the city inspired by the design of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque located in Abu Dhabi. There are well-manicured lawns, vibrant gardens, and sparkling fountains that surround the mosque.

Spend the afternoon at the Aqaba Bird Observatory where hundreds of species of birds can be seen. Visiting during the spring and autumn months gives visitors a chance to see the migratory birds that cross over Aqaba twice a year. The observatory has the highest concentration of white-eyed gulls in the world.

Spend some time at the Aqaba Aquarium which gives visitors a chance to see plenty of marine life from the Red Sea and is home to vibrant corals.

Shopping

Shopping in the colorful souks in Aqaba is a unique shopping experience, many of the bustling marketplaces can be found in the old part of town. The winding narrow alleyways are filled with covered market stalls that are a great place to shop for souvenirs to take home. Some popular items to shop for while in Aqaba include vibrant headscarves, woven rungs, intricate wood carvings, loofahs, Dead Sea products, and spices. 

The Souk by the Sea is hosted on Friday night in Aqaba where local artisans sell their handcrafted goods, clothing, and jewelry in a vibrant lively atmosphere from 6-11 pm. There are many food stalls here too along with live entertainment making it a fun venue for the night. Aqaba has its fair share of malls too including the Aqaba City Center Shopping Mall the most famous mall in the city with an abundance of retail stores including international brands, famous restaurants, and a great place to hang out with the family.