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1. Shipwreck Snorkeling: The Wreck of the Catalina
If you’ve ever wanted to feel like you’re starring in your own low-budget adventure film, this is your shot. Just offshore, the rusted skeleton of the Catalina seaplane wreck sits in shallow, bathtub-warm water. It’s not some Instagram prop—this is a Cold War relic, and you can swim right up to it, mask fogging and heart pounding, with the Sinai mountains looming across the Gulf of Aqaba. The visibility is usually excellent, and the coral has started to reclaim the metal, so you get that rare combo of history and marine life in one go. Essential. If you’re only going to dunk your head underwater once in Saudi Arabia, make it here.
2. Borderline Views: Egypt, Israel, and Jordan in One Gaze
Haql Beach is where geography gets weirdly personal. … read more 👉
If you’ve ever wanted to feel like you’re starring in your own low-budget adventure film, this is your shot. Just offshore, the rusted skeleton of the Catalina seaplane wreck sits in shallow, bathtub-warm water. It’s not some Instagram prop—this is a Cold War relic, and you can swim right up to it, mask fogging and heart pounding, with the Sinai mountains looming across the Gulf of Aqaba. The visibility is usually excellent, and the coral has started to reclaim the metal, so you get that rare combo of history and marine life in one go. Essential. If you’re only going to dunk your head underwater once in Saudi Arabia, make it here.
2. Borderline Views: Egypt, Israel, and Jordan in One Gaze
Haql Beach is where geography gets weirdly personal. … read more 👉
1. Shipwreck Snorkeling: The Wreck of the Catalina
If you’ve ever wanted to feel like you’re starring in your own low-budget adventure film, this is your shot. Just offshore, the rusted skeleton of the Catalina seaplane wreck sits in shallow, bathtub-warm water. It’s not some Instagram prop—this is a Cold War relic, and you can swim right up to it, mask fogging and heart pounding, with the Sinai mountains looming across the Gulf of Aqaba. The visibility is usually excellent, and the coral has started to reclaim the metal, so you get that rare combo of history and marine life in one go. Essential. If you’re only going to dunk your head underwater once in Saudi Arabia, make it here.
2. Borderline Views: Egypt, Israel, and Jordan in One Gaze
Haql Beach is where geography gets weirdly personal. Stand on the sand, squint into the blue haze, and you can literally see three countries at once—Egypt, Israel, and Jordan—without moving your feet. It’s a rare, slightly surreal reminder that borders are just lines on a map, and you’re standing at the crossroads of a region that’s been argued over for millennia. There’s no ticket booth, no selfie sign, just you, the wind, and a horizon that’s seen more history than most textbooks. Essential, if only for the bragging rights and the existential perspective.
3. Desert Meets Sea: 4x4 Off-Roading on the Coastal Dunes
This isn’t your average ‘drive on the beach’ situation. The sand here is a wild, shifting playground, with the Red Sea on one side and the empty, echoing desert on the other. If you’ve got access to a 4x4 (or a friend who trusts you with theirs), you can carve your own path along the coast, stopping wherever the mood strikes. The sense of freedom is intoxicating, and the landscape is so stark it feels like you’re on another planet. Essential for anyone who thinks adventure should come with a side of adrenaline and a dash of sand in their teeth.
4. Nighttime Stargazing: Zero Light Pollution, Maximum Awe
Forget the city’s light haze—Haql Beach at night is a masterclass in humility. The stars here don’t twinkle; they blaze. With almost no artificial light for miles, the Milky Way is so bright it looks painted on. Bring a blanket, lie back, and let your existential dread be soothed by the universe’s indifference. Essential for anyone who needs a reminder that their inbox can wait.
5. Overrated: Generic Beach Picnics
Yes, you can picnic here. But you can picnic anywhere. Unless your idea of adventure is fighting off sand-loving ants and chasing napkins down the wind, skip the generic beach blanket routine. Haql’s real value is in its wildness, not in recreating a suburban Saturday. Overrated.
If you’ve ever wanted to feel like you’re starring in your own low-budget adventure film, this is your shot. Just offshore, the rusted skeleton of the Catalina seaplane wreck sits in shallow, bathtub-warm water. It’s not some Instagram prop—this is a Cold War relic, and you can swim right up to it, mask fogging and heart pounding, with the Sinai mountains looming across the Gulf of Aqaba. The visibility is usually excellent, and the coral has started to reclaim the metal, so you get that rare combo of history and marine life in one go. Essential. If you’re only going to dunk your head underwater once in Saudi Arabia, make it here.
2. Borderline Views: Egypt, Israel, and Jordan in One Gaze
Haql Beach is where geography gets weirdly personal. Stand on the sand, squint into the blue haze, and you can literally see three countries at once—Egypt, Israel, and Jordan—without moving your feet. It’s a rare, slightly surreal reminder that borders are just lines on a map, and you’re standing at the crossroads of a region that’s been argued over for millennia. There’s no ticket booth, no selfie sign, just you, the wind, and a horizon that’s seen more history than most textbooks. Essential, if only for the bragging rights and the existential perspective.
3. Desert Meets Sea: 4x4 Off-Roading on the Coastal Dunes
This isn’t your average ‘drive on the beach’ situation. The sand here is a wild, shifting playground, with the Red Sea on one side and the empty, echoing desert on the other. If you’ve got access to a 4x4 (or a friend who trusts you with theirs), you can carve your own path along the coast, stopping wherever the mood strikes. The sense of freedom is intoxicating, and the landscape is so stark it feels like you’re on another planet. Essential for anyone who thinks adventure should come with a side of adrenaline and a dash of sand in their teeth.
4. Nighttime Stargazing: Zero Light Pollution, Maximum Awe
Forget the city’s light haze—Haql Beach at night is a masterclass in humility. The stars here don’t twinkle; they blaze. With almost no artificial light for miles, the Milky Way is so bright it looks painted on. Bring a blanket, lie back, and let your existential dread be soothed by the universe’s indifference. Essential for anyone who needs a reminder that their inbox can wait.
5. Overrated: Generic Beach Picnics
Yes, you can picnic here. But you can picnic anywhere. Unless your idea of adventure is fighting off sand-loving ants and chasing napkins down the wind, skip the generic beach blanket routine. Haql’s real value is in its wildness, not in recreating a suburban Saturday. Overrated.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past decade, I’ve backpacked through 80+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.