Wadi Numeira

Wadi Numeira cuts into the escarpment above the southern Dead Sea as a narrow siq, sandstone walls rising well above head height and closing to a couple of metres in places, with a shallow stream running down the floor. The walk up takes a couple of hours and involves scrambling over boulders and through water. It is far less visited than the canyons further north and there is nothing built at the entrance.

What you actually see

• The siq - sandstone walls closing to a couple of metres in the narrowest sections.
• The stream - the shallow water running down the canyon floor.
• The boulder scrambling - the obstacles along the route up.
• The quiet - a canyon with far fewer visitors than those further north.

When to go

April to October is the walking season. Winter flash floods make the canyon lethal. Summer at this altitude below sea level is very hot.

Honest expectations

Flash floods are a genuine danger and the canyon must not be entered with rain anywhere upstream. There is no marking and a guide is advisable. Footwear gets soaked.

Nearby

Lot's Cave is south, and the Dead Sea is west.