Dana Biosphere Reserve
Jordan · Tafilah · 1200 m
Description
The Dana Biosphere Reserve (دانا) is Jordan's largest protected area and drops from highland ridges above fifteen hundred metres to the desert floor of Wadi Araba. That descent crosses four biogeographic zones in a single reserve, which is why its plant and animal list is the longest in the country and includes ibex, wolf and a number of species found nowhere else. Dana village clings to the cliff edge above Wadi Dana, a cluster of Ottoman-era stone houses restored as a guesthouse by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature. Trails run from short village loops to the long descent through Wadi Dana to Feynan, where ancient copper mines were worked for thousands of years and a solar-powered ecolodge is lit by candles at night. The reserve is also the northern trailhead for the multi-day trek to Petra. High summer is punishing in the low wadis, and the campsites in the reserve close for the winter.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 3 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: April – May or October
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Dana Village
- Wadi Dana Trail (Dana to Feynan)
- Feynan Ecolodge
- Viewpoint at the Dana Guesthouse
- Rummana Campsite (March - October)
- Rummana Mountain Trail (March - October)
- Cave Trail (March - October)
- Campsite Trail (March - October)
- White Dome Trail
- Wadi Ghuweir Trail
- Nubian Ibex and Wildlife Watching
- Stargazing at Feynan
- Bedouin Tea in a Goat-Hair Tent
- Ancient Copper Mines of Khirbet Feynan
- Wadi Dana Sampler Hike
- Sunset Hike at Feynan
- Sunrise Hike at Feynan
- Wadi Araba Panorama
- Wadi Dathneh Trail
- Nawatef Trail
- Feathers Canyon Trail (Shaq ar-Reesh)
- Wadi Hamra
- Al-Barra Woodlands
- Medicinal Plants Walk at Feynan
- Dana Craft Workshops
- Bird Watching in Dana (March - May)
- Dana to Petra Trek on the Jordan Trail(Multi-day trip)
- Shobak Castle(Day trip)