Aqaba, Aqaba — Travel Guide & Things to Do
Name
Aqaba
Description
Nearby attractions
Al-Ghandour BeachMusical Fountain EilatDekel BeachAlHafayer ParkHananya Beach - חוף חנניה ספורט ימי ושייטEilat Ornithological ParkAqaba FortThe Botanical GardenUm Rush RushAqaba Marine ReserveNearby restaurants
OceanNearby localities
EilatTamar Regional CouncilBe’er-ShevaHevel Eilot Regional CouncilBe'er ShevaRamat Negev Regional CouncilMizpe RamonMitzpe RamonArava Tichona Regional CouncilAradRelated posts
Keywords
Aqaba tourism.Aqaba hotels.Aqaba bed and breakfast. flights to Aqaba.Aqaba attractions.Aqaba restaurants.Aqaba travel.Aqaba travel guide.Aqaba travel blog.Aqaba pictures.Aqaba photos.Aqaba travel tips.Aqaba maps.Aqaba things to do.Aqaba things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
Basic Info
Aqaba
Aqaba, Aqaba, Jordan
Ratings & Description
Info
attractions: Al-Ghandour Beach, Musical Fountain Eilat, Dekel Beach, AlHafayer Park, Hananya Beach - חוף חנניה ספורט ימי ושייט, Eilat Ornithological Park, Aqaba Fort, The Botanical Garden, Um Rush Rush, Aqaba Marine Reserve, restaurants: Ocean
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Reviews
Things to Do in Aqaba, Aqaba, Jordan - Aqaba Attractions & Activities
Attractions of Aqaba
Al-Ghandour Beach
Musical Fountain Eilat
Dekel Beach
AlHafayer Park
Hananya Beach - חוף חנניה ספורט ימי ושייט
Eilat Ornithological Park
Aqaba Fort
The Botanical Garden
Um Rush Rush
Aqaba Marine Reserve
Al-Ghandour Beach
3.5
(4.5K)
Open 24 hours
Click for details
Musical Fountain Eilat
4.4
(2.1K)
Open 24 hours
Click for details
Dekel Beach
4.5
(2K)
Open until 6:30 PM
Click for details
AlHafayer Park
3.9
(2.4K)
Open until 12:00 AM
Click for details
Things to do nearby
Learn authentic Jordanian cooking
Mon, Dec 1 • 6:00 PM
Aqaba, Aqaba Governorate -, Jordan
View details
Aqaba walking Tour
Mon, Dec 1 • 5:45 PM
Aqaba, Aqaba Governorate 77110, Jordan
View details
Restaurants of Aqaba
Ocean
Ocean
3.9
(748)
$$
Open until 12:00 AM
Click for details
Al-Ghandour Beach
Al-Ghandour Beach
3.5Beach
ZIA UL HAQ ABDUL HAQZIA UL HAQ ABDUL HAQ
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 come prepared.
Floyd CooperFloyd Cooper
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 to the reefs
Jackson rapidJackson rapid
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 the best time.
ETHAR K. JaleelETHAR K. Jaleel
Nice place with great view and many activities.
Also there are many good quality restaurants and cafés with really good menu prices and with direct view and easy access to the Aqaba beach …
I noticed that People leave their spots clean after they finish the picnic .
I really enjoyed the boat rides so much and most likely I will do it again in the next visit to Aqaba.
If you want to visit the beach Preferably don’t go when the sun is directly vertical (between 10:30 am - 3 pm) , and most importantly wear sunblock 50+ spf to your face and any exposed body parts and a hat 🧢 if you can … I got sun burn unfortunately.
I recommend going to the night festival near the Saryha (سارية العلم) (the flagpole in English I guess •_• not sure ) there is musical band or concert or a show almost every 2 days of every week . You can ask or read the advertisement details near the entrance of the beach .
I highly recommend visiting Ayla (as the locals there said , Ayla is the best part in Aqaba ) it’s a bit pricey but there is big boats and a really nice show as I posted in one of the videos below.
Fredric JohnFredric John
Walking distance from my hotel, this beach is like 5km away from the Palestine area. There are some activities that you can do at the sea where you can ride the boat which I didn’t partake in.
There are also some locals that will offer coffee or tea which I didn’t bother with as well. I didn’t know if you can swim at the beach itself but to chill and look at the Red sea is such an amazing feeling.
I went there early in the morning, they are maintaining the cleanliness and picking up some trash around which makes the beach more appealing. There are some locals who slept at the beach as I saw.
Musical Fountain Eilat
Musical Fountain Eilat
4.4
Shelly MeirShelly Meir
Amazing show! BUT - the hours on Google ARE NOT RIGHT! (And can't be changed) it's 2 shows (same one, twice), one at 8:30pm and one at 9:30pm in an amazing and big parking next to the Eilat museum. Every show is about 20 minutes, starting with movie themes, international hits and then some if the Israeli classics. Lots of space to sit (grass and "stairs") and it's wheelchair eccessible.it's 5 mins walk from the "Hayam" shopping center.dont miss it!
DavidDavid
Musical Fountain In Eilat very nice and free attraction at night time for all family, especially for kids. Every show is 15 minutes of long and it's beginning at 20:30. It's show of water with led lights around and popular music in Hebrew and English. It's nice entertainment in the area. Anyway if you in Eilat it's a good place to visit and see the musical fountain by yourself, enjoy.
Avi MutachAvi Mutach
Very nice experience for the kids, the music is nice for the most parts, the sprinklers are pretty coordinated with the music, for those of you that saw these acts in Europe or the US won't be as impressed. But overall very nice place to hand out, the kids were having a great time watching the show, taking pictures with the stone fish or just running around in the grass
Roy RamonRoy Ramon
A beautiful light show that involve a fountain and music that is selected through a playlist. The water fountain moves alongside the music. You can find sitting on the grass around the fountains and on podiums in front of the fountain. There is also some activities during the day times you can look at the city website for more information about this.
Helio DiamantHelio Diamant
Nice city attraction in Eilat that could be nicer.
First, maintenance is lacking, many of the lights under the water jets were not functioning.
Second, the movement of the waters is too simple and uniform.
Third, the intervals between the songs break the experience.
Anyway, if you are in Eilat it is a nice way to spend 15 minutes of your evening.
Dekel Beach
Dekel Beach
4.5Beach$$
Moshe HooryMoshe Hoory
2022: Well structured for the beach lover.
Clean bathrooms.
Good bar service.
The site is split into two different styles:
- north side has a large wooden deck, suited for those who want to sit by the tables, close to the bar and restaurant;
- south side is rustically styled, with straw shades (and also a large canvas tent during summertime).
There is chair, table and sunbed rental service available at official prices on both sides.
During summertime they also place a floating deck with sunbathing sofas and cushions for rent.
Entry to water is made through carpets on definite corridors in order to prevent visitors from revolving the stones and corals, which is a nice idea.
Updated 10/23: entry to the water had been improved by them having removed the larger stones from under those carpets as it was quite impossible not to stumble on them, once we were never able to know where they were.
Updated 3/25: The place is clean, beach service has improved. The floating deck isn't there as summer hasn't begun, the beach bar is run by a nice team, and Anna is always serving with her sweet smile and kindness.
The only negative points are the lack of trash pots really close to the waterline, as the typical Israeli is spoiled and used to litter and then have someone around to clean and collect after them. Also dog owners are requested to have them leashed at the entrance and then leave them to circulate freely among the bathers, peeing on or even pooing at chairs, sunbeds and even on people's bags, towels and clothes, something unacceptable.
Updated 25/4/2025:
The entrance to the water is downgraded as the carpets have been relocated over the rolling stones. I could not find the previous southern path which was comfortable and ready to walk in as the stones had been removed before the setting of the carpet. It's now very hard to walk on it, as the stones under the carpet make it uncomfortable and unbalancing for those to walk in the path.
The beach also still lacks trashcans close to the waterline, as the existing ones are located about 8-10 meters from it; I've seen many pieces of paper, plastic cups and popsicle wrap on the sand.
Anyway it's still the best beach in Eilat.
Arthur KiyanovskiArthur Kiyanovski
I gave a low score because of my expectations. Maybe they were too high. Not sure.
I come from Haifa. In Haifa the beaches have sand when you enter the water, here there are rocks, so you better bring footware to enter the water. The area of the beach is also very small and no free shade on the sand. There are no changing rooms, so we had to change in the toilets which is very strange for a beach. Showers were only outdoor ones - also very strange IMO.
So if you expect to have a changing room, indoor showers where you can get naked, free shade and easily to enter the water without shoes - this place sucks.
Otherwise the water is nice, and I had fun swimming here nontheless.
MadeBy VRMadeBy VR
Decent beach with a nice relaxed atmosphere. Free entrance, public washrooms are clean. The restaurant has average prices but not too high for beach side. Food is delicious, we had the fried cauliflower and salmon wrap, Turkish coffee and an orange-carrot drink, all for 132NIS with tip included. There is plenty of parking and you can rent a lounge chair or regular chair. Swimming isn’t recommended here because there is no lifeguard but some people went in anyways. Sand is a bit rocky but water looks nice and clear. Some sand flies here and there, wheel chair accessible entrance.
Yaron DavidsonYaron Davidson
Dekel Beach is one of the best beaches in Eilat. Chill vibes with good music throughout the day. The staff are very friendly and laid back. If you're not getting attention just raise your hand and give them a shout.
The restaurant food is very decent with a good selection of food and drinks.
Family and pet friendly.
The water is clear with easy access.
There is plenty of free parking if arriving by car.
Nina TrabskiyNina Trabskiy
Good clean beach. Chairs are 10 shekels/chair, sunbathing chair 20. Nice food at the restaurant on the beach. Make sure to grab slippers or wet shoes to enter the sea. It's either really hot to walk on the send or really painful to walk on little sharp stones. And bring water:)
