Misfat Al Abriyeen

Misfat sits on a shelf of rock in the Western Hajar mountains, its houses built of mud brick and stone directly onto the cliff, and below it the hillside falls away in terraces of date palms, bananas, limes and mangoes fed by a falaj that runs through the village in an open channel. Walking down through the lanes, which are narrow, stepped and shaded by overhanging upper storeys, and then out along the water channel into the plantation, is one of the loveliest short walks in Oman, especially in the late afternoon when the light comes sideways through the palms. Several old houses have been restored as guesthouses, which lets you stay overnight in the village itself, and longer trails climb from here into the mountains towards Jebel Shams. It has become popular enough that the village asks visitors to dress and behave respectfully.

What you actually see

• The mud-brick village - houses built onto the cliff with stepped shaded lanes.
• The terraced plantations - date, banana and lime terraces below the village.
• The falaj walk - following the water channel out through the gardens.
• Staying overnight - restored village houses run as simple guesthouses.

When to go

October to April is comfortable; the mountain air is cooler than the plain but summer is still hot. Late afternoon is the best light in the plantations, and staying the night means having the lanes to yourself in the early morning after the day visitors leave.

Honest expectations

It is a living village, not a heritage site, and residents have grown weary of visitors wandering into private courtyards and photographing people, so keep to the marked route, cover shoulders and knees, and ask before pointing a camera. Parking is at the top and everything is downhill on the way in, which means a climb back up. Some older houses are ruined and unsafe.

Nearby

Al Hamra and Bahla are below; Jebel Shams and the Balcony Walk are up the mountain road.