When I told people I was venturing halfway across the world to Jordan, right in the heart of the war-torn Middle East, the most frequent response I received was: “WHY?” For the life of them, most of my friends and family could not understand what would attract me to such a country. Unbeknownst to them, Jordan is a wonderful place to visit: it is currently the safest country in the region for tourists, it is home to the ancient city of Petra, it is covered in gorgeous expanses of red desert, it has a rich Biblical history. Not to even mention the food.
Despite all of this, it was still difficult to assuage my family’s concerns. Petra was a foreign concept to them, as was much of Jordan’s history. Finally, I just shrugged and said I wanted to float in the Dead Sea. I was met with bright eyes and jealous reactions. Yes, Jordan is situated right on the Dead Sea, which runs along the Jordanian/Israeli border, and floating in it is on a lot of bucket lists. Suddenly, your dangerous and impending voyage to Jordan doesn’t seem like such a bad idea after all.
About the Dead Sea
- The shore of the Dead Sea sits at over 400 meters below sea level, making it the lowest point on Earth.
- The Dead Sea is actually a lake, 50 kilometers long and nestled right between Jordan and Israel, which has attracted visitors for thousands of years.
- In Biblical times, the Dead Sea was one of the world’s first health resorts, built by Herod the Great, as well as a hiding place for David from King Saul.
- The waters have a salinity of 34%, making it the world’s saltiest body of water and almost 10 times as salty as the ocean. The high concentration of salt is what makes it so famous for allowing people to effortlessly float on its surface.
- The Dead Sea is named as such because the saltiness of the water makes it an environment that is not conducive to sustaining life. It is not home to any fish or aquatic plants (however, small amounts of bacteria and fungi are still present).
- The minerals from the Dead Sea have been used for everything from asphalt for Ancient Egyptian mummification to modern-day moisturizers.
Access
There are several public beaches from which you can access the Dead Sea on both the Jordan and the Israel side, but we decided to go through the Amman Tourist Beach, about an hour outside the city. The beach has a 20 JOD entry fee, which is about $28, and it offers showers, a pool, a restaurant, and towel rental for a 5 JOD deposit.
The Dead Sea’s natural mud is mineral-rich, and for generations has been said to provide relief for skin, joint, and bone conditions, such as psoriasis and osteoporosis. You can pay an extra 5 JOD for mineral mud, which you lather yourself in to reap the benefits (from the moment I noticed crevices in my forehead last year from my ridiculously expressive eyebrow movements, I have been obsessed with finding exciting new methods of skin care).
For the perfect mud regimen, dip in the water for about 10 minutes, cake yourself with mud, wait for it to completely dry, then rinse it off back in the sea.
If you’re wondering, I was smooth AS HECK after I washed this mud off, and spent the rest of the day basking in the glory of my beautiful, soft skin.
Tips
- Float, don’t swim. You can’t sink in the Dead Sea, so take advantage of its buoyancy.
- Ease into it. It is hard to maneuver in a body of water so dense, and you want to be careful not to splash or tip over.
- Lay on your back. This is the best way to float, because it prevents you from accidentally swallowing some of the water, or, god forbid, getting it in your eyes.
- On that note, DO NOT SWALLOW THE WATER OR GET IT IN YOUR EYES. If it does get in your eyes, get out and rinse your face in the shower that is located on the edge of the beach.
- Also, don’t splash. This minimizes the chance of the water getting in your or anyone else’s mouth or eyes.
- Only go in for 15 minutes at a time. The saltiness of the water is extremely dehydrating, as it sucks all your natural juices out of you, so it is not recommended to spend more than 10-15 minutes floating in the sea. The water is also incredibly warm, so it is easy to overheat.
- Hydrate plenty prior to getting in and after getting out. It is salty.
- Wear water shoes. The salt accumulates into jagged salty crystals that sit on the bottom of the lake and are biding their time until some poor, unfortunate soul slices their toe open.
- Don’t wear jewelry. Most of it will tarnish in the water.
- Don’t shave in the days leading up to your Dead Sea visit. This was something I was actually warned against, but I still decided to take a razor to my bikini line the day before. I was trying to decide between some minor discomfort or some alarmingly neglected pubes, and took the vain road. However, the entire time while in the water it felt like my nether regions were on fire (both due to the shaving and due to the fact that I had run out of baby wipes and my bum was literally rubbed raw). Note to self (and to everyone else): a few stray hairs here and there are better than a consistently stinging crotch. Also, next time, pack more baby wipes.
- If you’re using the mud, bring an old or black swimming suit. My green one piece is still a little discolored from the mud, even after several rinses.
- Don’t carry your camera into the water if it isn’t waterproof. This may seem obvious, but I was surprised to learn that a high level of salinity of the water gives it a peculiar slimy quality. A quick dip in the Dead Sea leaves you covered in a slippery, slimy film, and I certainly did not trust myself to take my precious phone out under those circumstances. The salt may also damage your camera, so it isn’t worth the risk. Plenty of photos can be taken from the water’s edge.
- Rinse right after you get out. Unless you want to be sitting covered in hardened salt.
- Cover up. Jordan, though it is more progressive than some of its neighbors, is still a Muslim country, so its best to maintain modesty if you are a woman. Bring a towel or cover up to wear to and from the shore.
Floating in the Dead Sea was something I had wanted to do for years, and though it may be a tourist trap, I am glad to have done it. If the Dead Sea is on your bucket list too, it is imperative that you book your trip AS SOON AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.
The Dead Sea is disappearing, and may be completely gone in 50 years.
Receiving this news from my tour guide was distressing, but it is true. The shore of the sea has been receding rapidly, its waters drying up, its surface level dropping more than one meter per year. The water comes from the Jordan River, but the Jordan River also happens to be the main source of drinking water for Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. The decline of the water level has created collapsing shore lines, which lead to sink holes around the banks of the lake. As some of these are incredibly deep, this has proven to be dangerous for visitors.
Jordan has begun a project to bring Red Sea water up from the south to provide potable water to Jordan and the surrounding countries, as well as to help stabilize the water level of the Dead Sea. It’s a start, but the years and years of mismanagement will be hard to reverse.
Hurry up, before it’s too late. The Dead Sea is a natural treasure, it has some magical healing properties, and floating in it is just really, really cool.
