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Aqaba is the only resort in Jordan. It is located on the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, which is the northern spur of the Red Sea. The city is adjacent to the border with Israel, neighboring Eilat, and a few kilometers south of the Jordanian border with Saudi Arabia. Tourists in Aqaba are attracted primarily by the warm and clear waters of the Red Sea, as well as its colorful reefs with their amazing inhabitants. The beach line here stretches for almost 20 km. Yes, some of the free beaches are not impressive because they are visited by residents (and Aqaba has 140,000 inhabitants). But there are also more than enough comfortable beaches. And the “Tala Bay” complex, located on the southern outskirts of the city, will satisfy the most demanding fans of beach recreation. From Aqaba, you can easily reach such iconic places as ancient Petra and the picturesque Wadi Rum desert.
The perfect diving site and convenient base for traveling to Jordan’s main attractions
According to archaeologists, the first settlement at the current location of the city of Aqaba dates back 6,000 years ago. Until the III century BC, this territory was part of the Edom Kingdom, and the city itself was called Elath. Later the land was taken over by the Nabataean tribes. In 105 AD Roman Emperor Trajan annexed Nabataea to the Roman Empire. The Romans named the city Aelana. Later, after the collapse of the Roman Empire, these lands fell under Byzantium.
By the middle of the XVII century, much of the Middle East, and Aqaba among them, was conquered by the Arabs. They named the city Ayla. Its present name, too, is of Arab origin. In Arabic, “Aqaba” means “passage.” A mountain path connected the two parts of the road from Egypt to Phoenicia. And at all times, under all the rulers, Aqaba, because of its location, was a pretty significant port and trading hub.
During the Crusades, the city was captured by the “warriors of Christ,” led by Renaud de Chatillon. However, Aqaba was then recaptured by the army of the Egyptian sultan Saladin. Thus began the Mamluk period of its history.
The 1965 land swap between Jordan and Saudi Arabia was the impetus for developing Aqaba as a resort. The Jordanian coastline near Aqaba has increased from 8 km to 26 km, which subsequently made it possible to create a large beach area here. And the city’s role as a commercial port has increased dramatically since 1980 when the construction of an oil pipeline transporting Iraqi oil to the shores of the Red Sea was completed.
The climate here is hot. In summer, the daytime temperature usually exceeds +35°C, and often the thermometer in the shade shows above +40°C. In winter, the daytime temperature is +21°C-22°C, but the nights are cool (+8°C-10°C). In addition, in December and January, there are strong winds. The water temperature in the Red Sea is always high. Even in winter, it does not fall below +21°C. So you can swim at this time of year, but because of the strong wind coming out of the water, it is not very pleasant. In summer, the water temperature is even overly warm; for example, in August – above +28°C. In other words, you can not cool down from the day’s heat in the sea, and the hot wind does not bring freshness. So the best time to come to Aqaba is spring and fall, more precisely – April and the first half of May, October, and the first half of November.