Ras an-Naqab

At Ras an-Naqab the southern plateau ends abruptly and the ground falls away several hundred metres to the desert below, and the road drops down the escarpment in a long series of bends towards Aqaba. A viewpoint at the top looks out over the sand and the sandstone jebels of the Hisma, with Wadi Rum somewhere in the haze to the southeast. It is the point where northern Jordan visibly becomes southern Jordan.

The landscape

• The escarpment - the plateau ending in a drop of several hundred metres.
• The Hisma desert - the sand and sandstone country spread out below.
• The road descent - the long series of bends dropping towards Aqaba.
• The transition - the visible boundary between the plateau and the desert.

When to go

March to May and October to November are the comfortable months. Early morning and late afternoon give the clearest air. Winter can be cold and windy at the top.

Before you go

It is a roadside viewpoint and half an hour covers it. Haze often reduces the view considerably. Facilities are a lay-by and a few stalls.

Nearby

Wadi Rum is southeast, and Petra is north.