Rock pools in Hatta

Georgina Wilson-Powell hits the rocks to check out this spectacular landscape.

The pastime of swimming in rivers – ‘in the wild’, so to speak – has been enjoying a huge revival in Europe of late, enabling people to escape the crowds at the beach or the chlorine of public pools. Despite being an arid and mainly desert country, the UAE offers its own version of the pastime, which you can enjoy in Hatta.

The Hatta rock pools are a series of crevices amongst the volcanic rocks, millions of years old. You’ll need to set off early to make the most of them, as even in the cooler months there’s little shade out on the water. I opt to try the tour organised by Hatta Fort Hotel, and after an early leisurely breakfast I clamber into the 4x4, which takes me on a scenic route into the mountains as the driver explains the area’s past (you’ll need your passport as you pass through two Omani/UAE border points). We explore a couple of dry wadis on the way – these wadis are home to foxes and other wildlife and, in winter, are popular with local campers looking for an adventure.

You’ll need a 4x4 to navigate these roads, and there are few signposts out here – we pass no other cars and there’s certainly no signs indicating the rock pools themselves. We park and look down on what looks like a lunar landscape of fractured stone, with the odd puddle. Strangely, it’s the apparent absence of life that makes these pools quite beautiful – and eerie. I really wouldn’t want to be here after dark. My guide leads the way down to the pools, which are hidden from view from the road.

Suddenly a crevice in the rocky landscape widens to reveal a shallow beachlike cove full of water, which extends back between some rocks. Graffiti and rubbish are unfortunately part of the landscape too, but once I’m in the crystal-clear water, hidden from the harsh sun between two rock faces, I forget about it. The water’s pure, cold, refreshing and teeming with little fish, whose very tiny nibbles I like to think of as being friendly. Well worth a visit.

Getting there: Head straight on the E44 (the Dubai/Hatta road). Be sure to take your passport as there is now a mini border check.
QR675 for a three-hour trip for five people, including soft drinks, water and towels. www.hattaforthotel.com (04 809 9333).