Nature & Wildlife

Protecting wild places

The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, known as the RSCN, was founded in 1966 and manages many of Jordan's nature reserves. Its work combines protecting plants and animals with creating jobs for local communities, for example as guides, rangers, cooks and craftspeople. Guesthouses, campsites and ecolodges in several reserves allow visitors to stay close to nature.

Other protected areas are managed by different bodies. Wadi Rum, for example, is managed by the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, and the coral reefs south of Aqaba are protected as a marine park. Together, these areas cover deserts, forests, wetlands, mountains and the sea, and they protect species found nowhere else in the region.

The Jordan Trail

The Jordan Trail is a long-distance walking route of about 675 kilometres that crosses the country from Umm Qais in the far north to Aqaba on the Red Sea. It passes through dozens of villages and towns and links many of the country's natural and historic highlights, including Ajloun, As-Salt, Madaba, the Mujib area, Karak, Dana, Petra and Wadi Rum.

Walking the full trail takes around five to six weeks, but most people choose one or more sections. Each part has a different character, from green hills and olive groves in the north to canyons, sandstone mountains and open desert in the south. Walkers often stay in village homes, camps and guesthouses, which gives them a close view of rural life and hospitality.

Birds and plants

Jordan lies on one of the world's major bird migration routes, which follows the Great Rift Valley between Africa, Europe and Asia. In spring and autumn, large numbers of storks, eagles, buzzards and smaller birds pass overhead. Wetlands such as Azraq and green valleys such as Dana are excellent places to watch them. The Sinai rosefinch, a small pink bird of the southern mountains, is regarded as Jordan's national bird.

The country's plant life is also rich, with more than 2,000 recorded species. The black iris, Jordan's national flower, blooms in early spring in a few highland areas, with dark purple, almost black, petals. Other spring flowers include anemones, tulips, poppies and cyclamen. In the forests of the north, evergreen oak, pine, pistachio and strawberry trees grow on rocky slopes.

The Dead Sea and the Red Sea

The Dead Sea lies in the Jordan Rift Valley, a deep trough formed by the slow movement of two large plates of the Earth's crust. Its shore is the lowest point on land, more than 430 metres below sea level. Its water is about ten times saltier than the ocean, so swimmers float easily on the surface. Rich in minerals, the Dead Sea mud is valued for skin care. The water level has been falling by around a metre each year.

At the southern end of the country, the Gulf of Aqaba holds coral reefs close to the shore, with hundreds of species of fish, corals and other sea life. Clear, warm water makes the area popular for snorkelling and diving throughout the year. Reefs are fragile, so visitors are asked not to touch or stand on corals and to use reef-friendly sunscreen.