Dead Sea

Ideologically, very dead; tourism-wise, pretty lively. The only stretch of sand that is open to visitors in the Jordanian side stretches along the Dead Sea’s northeastern shore, 90 minutes from Amman or Deir Alia. During the middle of the day the sun reflects off the sea’s still surface, creating the illusion that the entire body of water is about to spill into the Jordan Valley. The peculiar buoyancy of this briny water, which forces even the densest swimmer into a back float, attracts many Jordanians; there is almost never room for hitchhikers in the cars heading south from the King Hussein/Allenby Bridge or South Shuna. The salt water causes even a paper cut to feel like an amputation without anaesthetic, so pay attention when you shave, or wait until after. See under Israel for more geographical information on the Dead Sea.

The only overnight accommodations available along the Dead Sea are at the very expensive Dead Sea Spa Hotel, a couple of km past the Dead Sea Rest House (tel, (05) 57 29 01). The Rest House offers showers (250ftls) to relieve you of Lot’s wife’s encrusted fate. Unless you swim around the barrier on the north, which closes off the nicest section of beach, you’ll have to pay 500fils to enter the resort enclave.

The complex contains the showers, the air-conditioned Rest House, and an overpriced restaurant (buffet lunch JD5 per person). The Rest House beach is rock-hard and echoes with loquacious local dogs, and if you miss the last bus (about 3:30pm) and can’t get a ride, you are stuck since the rest house offers no overnight accommodations. If you do get stranded, however, the sunset over the Judean Hills (in the West Bank) will almost make it worth it. (Rest House open daily 8am-10:30pm, with swimming allowed only until sundown.) About 4km or 5km past the Rest House, a natural swimming pool is nestled between the colorful cliffs.
Within 30km south on the highway to Aqaba (Rte. 35) is Zarqa Ma’in, a cascading hot spring. (See Madaba, Kings’ Highway for details.)