Hatta

Hatta is a piece of Dubai sitting inland among the Hajar mountains, and its transformation over the past decade has been deliberate: the emirate has developed it as a domestic outdoor destination, with mountain bike trails, hiking routes, a wadi park and, most visibly, the Hatta Dam, whose reservoir sits an improbable turquoise between bare brown mountains and is now covered in kayaks and pedalos. Behind the dam, wadis hold rock pools that fill after winter rain. The old village has been restored as a heritage area with watchtowers, a fort and traditional houses, and the drive up from the coast crosses the desert to a genuinely different landscape of folded rock and dry riverbeds.

What you actually see

• Hatta Dam - the turquoise reservoir, with kayak and pedalo hire on the shore.
• Hatta Heritage Village - restored mud and stone houses, watchtowers and a fort.
• Wadi pools - rock pools in the wadis behind the dam, best after winter rain.
• Mountain bike trails - a signed network of graded routes through the hills.

When to go

October to April. Summer here is dangerously hot for any outdoor activity. Weekends bring most of Dubai up the road, so weekdays are far quieter on the water and the trails.

Honest expectations

The dam is popular and the shoreline can be crowded and littered on weekends. The turquoise colour is real but photographs are usually taken from angles that hide the car parks and kiosks. Note that the road passes through Omani territory on some routes, so passports and correct vehicle documentation matter; check the current border arrangements before driving.

Nearby

Dubai is 90 minutes west; the Omani border and the Hajar range continue east.