Dead Sea

The Dead Sea is the lowest body of water on the surface of the Earth, its shoreline sitting approximately 430 metres below sea level and declining by roughly one metre each year. A landlocked hypersaline lake shared between Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian West Bank, it spans 605 square kilometres with a maximum depth of 304 metres. Its salinity of 34.2 per cent — nearly ten times that of the ocean — is caused by millennia of inflow from the Jordan River with no outlet, leaving minerals concentrated as water evaporates in the desert heat.

The mineral composition of the Dead Sea waters — rich in magnesium chloride, potassium and bromine — has been recognised for therapeutic value since antiquity, when Herod the Great is said to have bathed here. Visitors float effortlessly at the surface, coat themselves in the famous mineral-laden black mud, and take advantage of the lower ultraviolet radiation levels, which allow extended sun exposure. Jordan's eastern shore is lined with five-star resort spas offering thalassotherapy, hammams and panoramic terraces overlooking the water.

The Dead Sea lies 55 kilometres west of Amman, under an hour by road. It pairs naturally with Madaba (30 minutes south) and the Moses Memorial at Mount Nebo. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons for a visit; summer temperatures regularly exceed 40°C though the resorts provide shade and pools. The waning shoreline underscores the urgency of conservation efforts currently under way.