After many years of visiting Dubai, this was the first time I had ventured out of the city. Khorfakkan is a small town off the coast of Sharjah, overlooked by the stunning Al Hajar Mountains. For a small Town, it has a lot to offer, from beaches, historic buildings, wadis, and biodiverse mountain areas, It took us roughly a one-and-a-half-hour drive to get there, and en route, we got to see the everchanging landscape of various shades and textures of the sand, the sun rays lighting up the tops of the mountains was breathtaking.
Due to the mountainous and rocky terrain, Khorfakkan is a popular hiking spot for UAE residents, and apparently, you get the most incredible scenic views of the town. It’s suggested the best time of the year to go hiking in the region would be from November to March, which are the cooler months of the year and to avoid the searing hot summer months from June to August.
Links to some popular hiking trails:
Al Suhub Rest Area
Our first port of call when we arrived in Khorfakkan was Al Suhub Rest Area;
a recently built mountain-side rest stop that lies 600 meters above sea level, offering panoramic views across Khorfakkan. – Visit Sharjah
We stopped there for a light lunch and took a million photos of the spectacular views; it is unquestionably worth the steep drive up. The only critique I would mention is; we had my baby nephew with us; it was not the most buggy-friendly area to manoeuvre around, so keep that in mind if you are planning to drive up there with little ones or a wheelchair user.
Entry: If you purchase anything from the rest-house restaurant, attach the bill with your entry card, and they should not take a fee at the exit.
Parking: Paid (I don’t recall paying for parking, but after looking online, there are mixed reviews on this, one site did state parking as AED30 per hour)
Open: Monday to Sunday, 24 hours.
Fen Café & Restaurant
Open: Monday to Sunday, from 7am – 11 pm
Contact: +971 6 561 3029
Khorfakkan Beach
A three-minute drive from Khorfakkan town centre lies a crescent-shaped sandy and rocky beach; there are many activities you can do there, from fishing to parasailing and kayaking; by the time we arrived, it was fairly late in the day, so we decided to chill out on the beach whilst enjoying our homemade sandwiches.
Khorfakkan Amphitheatre
Facing Khorfakkan beach and lying at the bottom of Al Sayed Mountain is where you will find the Roman Colosseum inspired Khorfakkan Amphitheatre.
Khorfakkan Amphitheatre was inaugurated by His Highness Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah in 2020 –my bayut
The photos I took don’t quite capture the enormity of this place; when we came here, we were just coming out of the pandemic, so some areas were closed off to the public. I read concerts and cultural events are held here, which all sound pretty spectacular, especially with the mountain backdrop.
For upcoming events: sharjahevents.ae/calendar-2023
instagram/khorfakkanamphitheatre
Nearby you can also have your photo taken in front of Khorfakkan Waterfall.
The man-made waterfall was built from the rocky nature of the city and overlooks the Khorfakkan Corniche – What’s On
Useful Links
Car Rental comparison w/site – www.discovercars.com
Info on what else Sharjah has to offer – www.visitsharjah.com & instagram.com/visit_sh
A Day Trip to Khorfakkan – Best Places Worth Visiting – www.twinsontoes.com
Till Next Time
xx
