One of the strangest places in the world is the Dead Sea. Surely you have heard of it and have seen the odd photograph of people floating in its waters, having fun with the strangeness of that situation.
The dead Sea is shared by Israel and Jordan and both countries offer tourist facilities on their shores. Do you know this destination and always wanted to go in person? Then do not miss this article with tourist and practical information for visit the Dead Sea.
The dead Sea
In this salt water lake that is 430 meters below sea level, has some 304 meters from depth and it is not salty but super salty: 34% salinity (almost ten times more than the ocean itself). And that is why people float in its waters? In part, it is that in addition to being super salty the waters are very dense. This thing that is so curious for people is terrible for animal and plant life so yes, it is a sea dead.
Technically speaking it is a lake that is located in the Jordan Valley and its largest tributary is the Jordan River itself. It does not drain through any stream or river and as there is practically no rain, the entire area is very arid. But Where are you from?
Almost four million years ago the area where the lake is was frequently flooded with waters from the Mediterranean Sea, eventually forming a bay connected to the sea that over time began to have salt deposits very thick.
Some two million years closer in time the lands between the valley and the Mediterranean Sea were no longer reached by the waters of the ocean so the area stopped flooding. Thus, the huge bay - lagoon was enclosed and transformed into a lake. Plate tectonic movements and climatic variations did the rest.
Visit the Dead Sea in Israel
In Hebrew he is known as Yan Ha Melakh, the Sea of salt. It is surrounded by the beautiful landscape of the Negev desert and is part of the natural border between Israel and Jordan. From Jerusalem you arrive by car in one hour of travel and it is a very popular destination to spend the day, relax, have a picnic or experience a wellness treatment.
There are some public beaches on the banks and among the most popular is Ein Bokek. There are other private beachesMany belong to hotels and entrance fees are charged. It may be that you go one year and there is another beach and another year, one less. This is due to variations in the level of the Dead Sea, at the rate of one meter or one and a half meters of bilge per year. Then the beaches move.
La Kalia beach It is the one that is located further north, it has a bar, restaurant, gift shop and a lot of mud for tourists to get into. It is the first beach from Jerusalem so you find it after 25 minutes of travel, and the 360º views it offers of the desert and the sea is great. Another beach is the biankini, south of the Kalia.
It is a Moroccan-style resort, with a large Moroccan-style restaurant and some accommodations. If you go during the national holidays it can be crowded but it is still fun.
La Neve Midbar beach it is on the same access route as the Biankini and is the least commercial of the three northern beaches of the Dead Sea on the Israeli side. It has a good beach, barbecue areas, a bar, a shop and a youthful atmosphere.
La Ein Gedi public beach It is free, it has showers and some sand but also a lot of rocks so it is not the most comfortable for walking. It also has natural mud and many spaces to picnic and rest. Ein Bokek is another beach south of the Dead Sea that has resorts and is quite popular in high season. Finally, any of these beaches can be found momentarily closed for repairs.
If you go on a trip to Israel but don't rent a car, you can always sign up one by one day trip from Jerusalem which includes the bus and the entrance to the private beach. From Eilat or Tel Aviv there are also this type of Day Trips and since you are you can add the visit to Masada. Did you ever see that classic Hollywood movie? For Masada is the name of a Jewish fortress that was besieged by the Romans and all its occupants committed suicide to avoid falling into their hands.
Actually, there are many possible day trips so be sure to visit the official Israel tourism website.
Visit the Dead Sea in Jordan
One of the most beautiful landscapes in Jordan is the east coast of the Dead Sea, an area that has managed to combine religious issues and wellness tourism alike. There are good roads, good hotels, archaeological sites and ethnic variety around here so it's a good vacation destination.
One of the main beaches is the Amman which is on the main road, the route connects Amman with the Dead Sea, two kilometers after the hotel zone. It is a tourist beach with swimming pools and rooms to change clothes at a low price. It is great to go to spend the day and many go to celebrate birthdays, for example.
La hotel zone It is made up of a constellation of four and five star category hotels with spas, swimming pools, hot springs, gardens beautiful and others. Remember that this country has a shortage of water so a place like this, in an arid setting, is wonderful. The area in the northernmost corner of the Dead Sea has the best Jordanian beaches and hotels here generally let non-guests through if they pay about JD 25 per day.
The rate includes towels, shower and access to the pool. Nothing bad. If you don't want to pay anything then remember the amman beach which is two kilometers south, an hour or so. Is the low cost beach more accessible and the buses arrive here and there are trees that provide shade. The beach has two sectors on the sea, both with fresh water showers, play areas and restaurants. The main sector does not have a swimming pool and it is very simple.
The other area does have a pool and it is better. While in the main sector women must be well covered, here they can wear a bikini, sun loungers and towels are rented and there are even lockers. Finally, two kilometers from Amman Beach is the beach O, with beautiful sand and a lot of modern vibes: Padded loungers, infinity pool, bars, luxury spa, and four restaurants. If you go on weekdays there is no swim but on weekends it gets crowded and if you didn't book a hotel you can't find a bed anywhere.
These are the beaches but there are other things in the area that you cannot miss: about five kilometers from Amman beach is the Dead Sea Panorama, over the mountains and nine kilometers up. It is a building perched on a cliff with spectacular views of the Dead Sea. There is also a circular circuit that starts from the parking lot and allows you to get to know the place.
Inside works the Dead Sea Museum It covers the ecology, geology, archeology and history of the place. Well, now you have to choose if you will visit the Dead Sea in Israel or in Jordan. What do you like more?