Dead Sea
The lowest point on the planet, water so dense you can read the paper while floating, and rust-coloured cliffs: the strangest swim of a lifetime.
Suggested stay — 1 night
At 430 metres below sea level the air thickens, your eardrums feel it, and the water — ten times saltier than the ocean — literally expels you towards the surface: you float sitting up, legs outstretched, laughing. The full ritual includes the coat of mineral-rich black mud, drying in the sun and the rinse that leaves baby-soft skin. Practically, you choose between the equipped public beaches near Sweimeh and a resort day pass (JD 20-40), showers and pools included — essential, as the salt burns at the slightest graze.
The Jordanian shore is earned by car on Route 65, which hugs the turquoise water beneath rust-red cliffs — one of the country's most beautiful roads. Halfway along, Wadi Mujib offers the best counter-programme: the Siq Trail, a water hike between walls 100 m high, wading up the torrent to a waterfall, harness and life jacket provided (April-October). The viewpoint on the Madaba road, 1,200 m above the water, closes the show at sunset.
Don't miss
- The float-swim, black mud included, public beach or resort
- The Wadi Mujib Siq Trail, a water hike between the canyon walls (April-October)
- Route 65 along the shore, photo stops at the salt evaporation pans
- Mount Nebo and the Madaba mosaics, on the road from Amman
Our tips on the ground
- Don't shave the day before and protect the slightest cut: the salt turns every graze into a fire alarm. And not one drop in the eyes — rinse immediately on contact.
- Wear an old swimsuit: salt and mud punish fabric and colours. Flip-flops compulsory — the salt crystals cut like glass.
- Aim for late afternoon: raking light on the cliffs opposite (Israel and the West Bank), the heat fallen, and the sunset over the water as a bonus.
Our flagship guide — €44
Guide available“Jordan on Your Own”, the complete edition, is out
10 chapters: day-by-day itineraries, driving and transport, a costed budget and checklists — the same method as our Namibia guide.
The guide is currently written in French — an English edition is in the works.
No time to do it yourself?
A professional can take care of it: tailor-made trip, equipped 4x4 rental or a local guide. Describe your plans and, with your consent, we pass them on to partner professionals.
1. What you need
Before you go
Readers' questions about Dead Sea
Public beach or resort for the swim?
The equipped public beach (basic showers, a few dinars) is enough for the one-hour experience; a resort day pass (JD 20-40) adds pools, loungers, showers worthy of the name and mud supplied — welcome if the Dead Sea is your relaxation stop. Either way, the flotation is identical: physics is doing the entertaining.
How long can you stay in the water?
Short sessions: 15-20 minutes maximum, then rinse. The hypersaline water dehydrates the skin, and the slightest swallowed mouthful is a very bad moment. You don't really swim — putting your head under is genuinely risky — you float, you pose, you laugh, you get out. Two or three dips in the day beat one long one.