Dana stone village
An Ottoman village on the gorge edge; the sunset view from it is the image of Dana.
Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 3.0 · MonzJo — CC BY-SA 4.0
Jordan's largest nature reserve, running from the peaks of the Shara mountains at fifteen hundred metres down to Wadi Araba near sea level — gathering four different biogeographical zones in one place. That gradient is what distinguishes it: it begins in oak and juniper woodland at the top and ends in sand desert at the bottom, and between them are plants, birds and animals that do not usually occur together. Hundreds of bird species have been recorded, and it sits on the migration route between Europe and Africa. Dana village itself is an Ottoman stone village on the lip of the valley, abandoned and then revived as part of the reserve project, its stone houses looking straight down the gorge. The view from the village edge at sunset is the known image of Dana. There are several trails: short self-guided ones of a couple of hours around the village, and long descents into Wadi Dathneh and Feynan needing a guide and taking a full day. The best known is the walk down to Feynan Ecolodge — a lodge that runs without electricity and is lit by candles, reached on foot or by vehicle. The reserve is managed by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, which handles the lodges and trails; booking is necessary in spring and autumn. It lies on the King's Highway between Karak and Petra, so it fits the southern route without a long detour. Spring and autumn are the seasons; summer is hot at the bottom and winter cold and wet at the top.
An Ottoman village on the gorge edge; the sunset view from it is the image of Dana.
Runs without electricity and is lit by candles, reached on foot downhill or by vehicle.
A stop on the bird migration between Europe and Africa, with hundreds of species recorded.
Southern Jordan, on the King's Highway between Karak and Petra
Possible but tiring — about three hours each way. Better to stay a night at Dana or Feynan as part of a route down to Petra, or to stop for two hours for the short trail and the view while heading south.
Dana sits in the village on the valley rim, is easy to reach by car and looks down from above. Feynan is at the bottom, has no electricity, is lit by candles and is reached on foot or by reserve vehicle; it is more remote and quiet, with some of the clearest night skies in Jordan.
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