Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
less accessible. Secondly, after a dip in the Dead Sea you'll find yourself coated in un-
comfortable encrustations of salt that are best washed off as soon as possible. Thirdly,
there's the utter lack of privacy to consider: the road follows the shoreline closely, and so
do the border police! For these three reasons, it's better to reserve your swim for the com-
fort of the Dead Sea resorts or day beaches where freshwater showers are available and
where access to the sea is generally cleared of sharp and lethally slippery rocks. The fol-
lowing day beaches are listed north to south.
SWIMMING
Al-Wadi Resort
(adult/child JD25/18; 9am-6pm Sat-Thu, to 7pm Fri)
This privately run resort has a
variety of water games, including a wave machine and slides, in pleasantly landscaped
surroundings. There are two restaurants (open 10am to 5pm), one selling snacks and the
other offering an Arabic menu. Children are measured on entry: those under 95cm are ad-
mitted free! The resort is about 500m north of the Convention Centre at the head of the re-
sort strip.
Amman Beach
( 3560800; adult/child JD15/10; 9am-8pm)
This public facility goes under the full
title of
Amman Beach Tourism Resort, Restaurant & Pools
. The beach, 2km south of
the main resort strip, is run by Amman municipality to give affordable access to the Dead
Sea. The grounds are attractively landscaped and the beach is clean, with sun umbrellas,
freshwater showers and a vibrant local flavour, making it a great place to strike up conver-
sation with a Jordanian family.
There are also a number of swimming pools, a
restaurant
(JD12 buffet;
11am-5pm)
, some drinks stalls, basketball courts and an amusement park next door. It gets
very busy at weekends (especially Friday afternoon and Saturday morning).
Locals will generally swim fully clothed, though foreigners shouldn't feel uncomfort-
able in a modest swimming costume. Women on their own may attract less unwanted at-
tention in shorts and a T-shirt.
Amman Beach is the finishing line for the annual Dead Sea Ultra Marathon in April.
See
Click here
for details.
SWIMMING
O Beach
( 3492000;
www.obeach.net
; adult/child JD20/17; 9am-6pm)
This excellent luxury
private beach, stepped down the hillside in a series of landscaped terraces and infinity
pools, is a great way to enjoy the Dead Sea in comfort without having to pay for a night in
SWIMMING
