5. Mukawir
The remains of Mukawir (Machaerus) lie scattered atop a 700-meter-high summit overlooking the Dead Sea.
Known mostly as the location where Salome danced for Herod Antipas and where he then had St. John the Baptist beheaded, Mukawir was once a fortified castle built by Herod the Great.
The ruins are actually quite sparse, and mostly foundations only. Most people come here more for the astonishing views across the rippling hills, down to the Dead Sea, from the site.
The easiest ruins to decipher while here are the defensive walls and the outline of a bathhouse, while the platform area on-site with re-raised columns is said to be the spot of Salome’s dance.
6. Wadi Mujib
Feted as the lowest national park in the world and officially known as Wadi Mujib Biosphere Reserve, Wadi Mujib is a towering canyon area that slices through Jordan’s desert mountains, opening out at the Dead Sea.
The main activity area of Wadi Mujib is the Dead Sea area where the towering, rose-toned gorge walls are at their narrowest. From the entrance here, adventurous travelers can take part in a number of wet-hikes that explore the canyon.
Activities here mostly take place during the summer months when the water is at its lowest (the Wadi is closed to visitors during certain seasons and after heavy rainfall due to dangerous conditions).
