Mujib is 212 square kilometres of starkly rugged mountainous land, veined with the deep water-cut canyons of several permanent rivers. From its heights at around 900 metres above sea level it falls to 400 meters below it at the Dead Sea, making it the lowest nature reserve on earth.
EcologyThe biodiversity of the reserve is impressive. From the apparently barren mountains to the waters of the hidden canyons there is a wide variety of plant, animal, bird, fish and insect species.
Ibex
The reserve has been used successfully as a breeding centre for the endangered Nubian Ibex. It is also home to ten species of carnivore and is the natural breeding ground for nine species of birds of prey. Bird populations are heavily boosted during the migratory seasons as Mujib is a stopping point for so many.
Rivers
Down in the snaking, sheer-walled canyons, the waters are teeming with freshwater crabs, fish and frogs. Wild mint, wild fig, oleander and other lush vegetation fringe the banks of the clear, fast flows.
Hiking and canyoning
Much of this area is very difficult to reach and great swathes are purposefully kept visitor-free. There are walking and canyoning routes, both guided and unguided, that are run by the park authority, the Royal Society for Nature Conservation. The routes start from the visitor centre that stands at the mouth of Wadi Mujib itself, on the shores of the Dead Sea.
When to visit
To really appreciate the unique beauty of Mujib it is worth visiting towards the end of your trip to Jordan. After journeying around this stunning but arid country, wading through the clear water and silent, cool calm of the Mujib canyon, the importance and rarity of permanently flowing water is deeply apparent and easily appreciated.
Read more about national parks in Jordan, the Dead Sea and canyoning in Mujib Reserve
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