Al-Ghandour Beach — Attraction in Aqaba

Al-Ghandour Beach, located in Aqaba, Jordan, is a popular public beach along the Red Sea. It’s known for its relaxed atmosphere, central location, and scenic views. Here’s an overview of what visitors typically mention in their reviews:

Pros: Central Location: Al-Ghandour Beach is in the heart of Aqaba, making it easily accessible from hotels, restaurants, and shops. Many visitors appreciate that they can reach the beach without the need for a long drive.

Beautiful Scenery: The beach offers lovely views of the Red Sea, with the mountains of Jordan and nearby Eilat, Israel, visible in the distance. Sunsets from the beach are often praised as particularly stunning.

Free Entry: Unlike many private resort beaches in Aqaba, Al-Ghandour Beach is public and free to enter. This makes it a budget-friendly option for both locals and tourists.

Local Culture: Many travelers enjoy the authentic feel of the beach, where local families gather. It provides an opportunity to experience Jordanian beach culture and mingle with locals.

Shade and Palm Trees: The beach has palm trees and shaded areas, which offer some respite from the heat. There are also benches and spots to relax without having to rent umbrellas or chairs.

Cons: Cleanliness Issues: One of the most common complaints about Al-Ghandour Beach is related to cleanliness. Being a public beach, it can sometimes get crowded, and visitors report litter on the sand and in the water, especially after busy weekends or holidays.

Crowds: Because it’s free and centrally located, the beach can get crowded, especially during weekends and holidays. This might detract from the overall experience for those seeking a quieter, more serene beach outing.

Basic Facilities: Unlike private beaches, Al-Ghandour Beach has limited facilities. There are no sunbeds or private showers, and the available restrooms may not meet the standards expected by international tourists.

Swimming Conditions: While the water is generally calm, some visitors note that the swimming area isn't as pristine as at nearby private beaches or resorts. At times, water quality can be affected by the proximity to the port.

Conservative Atmosphere: Jordan, and especially Aqaba, is more conservative than some other beach destinations. Visitors should be mindful of local customs, especially regarding modest swimwear. For those expecting a more relaxed, resort-style beach, this might be a surprise.

Tips for a Better Experience: Visit Early: The beach is generally cleaner and less crowded in the mornings, especially on weekdays. Respect Local Customs: It’s advisable to dress modestly and be mindful of local norms, especially if you’re outside of the designated swimming areas. Bring Your Own Supplies: Consider bringing your own towels, beach chairs, and refreshments, as there are few services available directly on the beach. Overall: Al-Ghandour Beach is a great option for budget travelers and those looking for an authentic, local experience in Aqaba. While it may not offer the luxurious amenities of nearby private beaches, its central location and scenic views make it worth a visit. However, the beach’s cleanliness and crowd levels can vary, so it’s best to manage expectations and...

This beach is a mixed bag of tricks. You can enjoy it the best if you think of it as a local cultural experience for its party atmosphere rather than your typical suntanning spot where you can lie around undisturbed. Jordanians come to hang out here with family and friends, smoke shisha, barbecue, listen to music, and take rides on glass bottom boats. At weekends, it gets seriously crowded and noisy. Hence it’s not really handy for quietly enjoying the sun and the sea.

The views, however, are lovely with Israel to the right and Egypt to the left across the bay. The ground is very hard, there’s some dry dirt-like sand mixed with sunflower peels, plastic bottle caps, cigarette butts, and chicken bones. The water is relatively clean, however, often with all and sundry garbage either floating or sunk: plastic bags, bottles, pizza boxes, discarded underwear, etc.

The garbage problem overall is quite big and persistent, the cleaners can’t seem to keep up with local people dumping plastic, food leftovers, and even clothes at a quite astounding rate.

Swimming briefs and revealing bathing suits are not common here although mostly seem ignored if you wear such. That said, I was once told to put shorts over my speedos by a particularly zealous moraliser (I politely ignored the intrusion and the day just rolled on further.)

There are coral reefs teeming with marine life within a short swim from the shore but last year they were made inaccessible by monstrous concrete barriers right on the surf line.

5 stars for the atmosphere and views 1 star for cleanliness, peacefulness, sand quality, and access...

For my international friends, read this it will help you a lot 🤍

The beach is beautiful and clean, I saw many people cleaning it on daily basis and it’s protected and there are policemen around it.

Do not go there in weekends or at midnights in any weekday

Go there from 12PM-4PM, the beach would be almost empty, very calm and you’d enjoy your time if you prefer to be away from people

The water is very clean and beautiful, yes you can swim there and no entry is needed, if you get thirsty some guys walk around selling cold water and it’s only for 0.25 do not let them fool you.

If you don’t want to get in a boat (cause many there would offer you a ride) just tell them you just got off one of them and you’re not interested in doing it again and they won’t bother you at all after that.

Personally I stayed there for 3 hours, beautiful views with dreamy water to look at, just try to avoid anytime after 4pm and go there only midweek cause people would be busy working or in schools.

I left some pics and vids of you wish to see, and again it’s for free, protected (there are many policemen who walk around to make sure everything is alright) and it’s very clean and if you want there are many cafes and supermarkets on the sidewalk.

I gave it 4 stars cause the night before I went to the beach and it was so full at 12AM and it was a Tuesday, I couldn’t find a place to sit, so yea midweek mid day is...