Aqaba

Aqaba, situated at the northern tip of the Red Sea, is cherished as Jordan's only outlet to the sea. This port city, in south-western Jordan provides a breath of fresh air and the country's only real beach resort to which Jordanians and visitors alike flock in their droves.

There is much to do and see in Aqaba but its main appeal undoubtedly lies in its unbelievably clear water, coral reefs and colorful fish, offering some of the best diving and snorkeling sites in the world.

A boat ride to the centre of the Gulf provides a visitor with an outstanding view of all four shoreline countries: Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Israel.

Aqaba has long been an important port city. In the 2nd Century AD the Romans called it 'Ayla', the Bride of the Sea, and established an active port to be used as a gate on the Red Sea to Southern Arabia and to Egypt, then the Arabian Gulf to India and China.

Later, Aqaba became an important transit point for Muslim pilgrims from Palestine, Egypt, and Syria en-route for Mecca and Medina but lost some of its importance when the Caliph's moved their capital to Damascus .

In the 1980's Aqaba's importance once again increased due to the strategic location of the Gulf of Aqaba as a transit point and today, with the transformation of the city into a Special Economic Zone, it is recapturing its historical role as a regional hub for trade, tourism, and culture.