Azraq

Azraq (الأزرق) is a historic wetland in the Jordanian Eastern Desert.

Understand
Azraq means "blue" in Arabic and referred to the shimmering lake that stood at the centre of extensive wetlands, which turned Azraq into an important stop for trade caravans coming across the desert. Now the wetlands are mostly drained but the remnants provide a fascinating look at oasis life and Azraq makes for a good base for visiting the Desert Castles.

Get in
Azraq is around 2 hours' drive from Amman and minibuses run via Zarqa.

If coming from Aqaba, Highway 5, which turns off the main highway near Ma'an and goes through the flat inland desert, is an alternative. It is a good road mostly used by trucks with a 100 km/h speed limit, not much traffic, and few if any police check points – it takes 4 hr from Aqaba to Azraq, which should be faster than the main highway. There is one town, Al Jafr, and two roadhouses, but it might be safer to fill up beforehand and take some snacks with you.

Get around
The wetlands are close to the main Azraq T-junction, but Azraq Castle is 5 km north and the other Desert Castles are further away. You will need a taxi, car, or tour to visit them.

See




Eat
If you don't want the lavish meals at Azraq Lodge, there are restaurants close to the t-junction with English signs. Hopefully they can all do decent Jordanian food. Azraq Palace Hotel is said to be the best of them.

Go next
The other Desert Castles can be reached from Azraq, particularly Qasr Ussaykhim, 20 km to the east.