Turquoise pools
Swimming between rocks.
dconvertini — CC BY-SA 2.0 · dconvertini — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Ji-Elle — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Andries Oudshoorn — CC BY-SA 2.0 · dconvertini — CC BY-SA 2.0 · yeowatzup — CC BY 2.0 · Ian Sewell — CC BY 2.5 · dconvertini — CC BY-SA 2.0
One of Oman's most famous wadis, near the village of Tiwi on the coastal road between Muscat and Sur: a deep valley between sheer rock walls, threaded with palm groves, falaj channels and turquoise pools. A visit starts with a short boat crossing at the mouth of the wadi, then a walk up the valley of about 45 minutes to the first pools, past boulders, palms, old irrigation channels and an old watchtower. Beyond the first pools the only way on is to swim, through a chain of ever-narrower pools between the rocks, to a small cave with a waterfall inside, which swimmers enter through a tight gap between two rocks. The whole trip takes three to four hours there and back. The boat crossing costs about 1 OMR return, per visitor guides. Wear shoes that can handle water and rock, bring water and a dry bag, and swim in modest clothing out of respect for the local community. Stay out of the wadi when rain or flash floods are forecast.
Swimming between rocks.
At the end of the wadi.
At the wadi mouth.
Near Tiwi, on the Muscat-Sur coastal road
Three to four hours return: about 45 minutes' walk to the first pools, then a swim to the cave.