Best Places to Visit in Fujairah

There's no need to airbrush Fujairah, with her clear, aquamarine waters and dramatic mountain ranges, she's a natural beauty.

One of the seven emirates that makes up the United Arab Emirates, in Fujairah you can kick back and relax. This serene emirate is best known for its historic fortresses and sandy beaches. Set on the Gulf of Oman, Fujairah is just over an hour’s drive from the busyness of Dubai.

That's not to say Fujairah's without its quirks; the emirate stretches from the city of Dibba in the north to Fujiriah city in the south, completely encircling the little enclave of Madha, which belongs to its neighbour, Oman.

In this guide you'll discover the best places to visit in Fujairah.

With the imposing Hajar Mountains at its back, Fujairah looks out to the Indian Ocean and the crucial shipping routes of the Gulf of Oman, at a crossroads of the ancient world. Its strategic position explains the fortresses that dot the emirate, each undergoing careful archaeological digs and renovations to preserve their stories.

Fujairah fort is the headliner, while the history-filled forts including Sakamkam, Al Bithna and Awhala continue to record the emirate's past; their popularity proves that the forts are some of the best places to visit in Fujairah.

Set on a ridge overlooking central Fujairah city, this late Islamic fortress watches over all. Built in the early 1500s, it's been restored to preserve its role in the emirates' growth. It's still a baby when compared with Awhala Fort's great age, but the region's rulers used Fujairah Fort until the 1960s, and it earned its place in the history books when it was bombed by the British Navy in 1925 during a local uprising.

Set on a 3000-year-old trading route through the Hajar Mountains to the western Arabian Peninsula, Al-Bithnah fort set the archaeological world alight with the discovery of a megalithic tomb dating back to 2000BC, long before the mudbrick and stone fort was built in the late 1700s.

It doesn't get the fanfare of the better-known forts, but Sakamkam is as picturesque as its friends. Set in Sakamkam village, its 19th-century watchtower and walls have been restored, as it retains its watch over Fujairah City.

What lies beneath is the real story of Awhala; beneath its footprint are remnants of the Iron Age, showing that people sheltered here as far back as the 9th century.

Get a glimpse into traditional Emirati life at this living museum, set beside Fujairah Fort. Explore traditional handicrafts and take a virtual tour of the fort, for a local's take on bygone days; save time to visit the museum shop for local crafts and the nearby Bait Al Fan Art Centre.

They're one of the emirate's most defining features, the jagged, splintered, aged Hajar Mountains. A haven for gazelles and Arabian tahr, red foxes and - it's rumoured - even Arabian leopards, one of the most popular hiking trails here is the Wadi Dahir trail, a loop walk of eight to 13 kilometres, past turquoise waterholes, caves and rocky cliffs.

The Fujairah Adventure Park is huge, at 20 hectares, and is criss-crossed with hiking and biking trails. Get hitched with a local guide to climb natural rock formations, go kayaking or hit the BMX and mountain-bike trails. There are even dialled-down jumps in the Kids Zone bike park for kids with energy to burn.

It’s real name is Al Aqah Island, but everyone calls this rocky outcrop Snoopy Island; scrunch up your eyes and doesn't it look like the head of the iconic hound from the Peanuts cartoons?

Surrounded by the clear waters of the Indian Ocean, Snoopy's a haven for marine life; book your snorkelling gear or take a scuba dive and keep your eyes open for its local residents, Green and Hawksbill turtles. They hang with a whole host of reef fish, such as clownfish – aka Nemo – parrotfish and sweet little angelfish.

Fujairah's biggest tourists, whales, visit between June and October, while the local blacktip reef sharks are here year-round and are also friendly. Look down to admire the vivid coral reefs below the surface.

Snoopy Island is 25 minutes south of Dibba; for a beach day closer to Fujairah City, you'll find the locals snacking at the food trucks and enjoying the warm waters at Umbrella Beach. At both, you can hire jetskis, kayaks, or paddleboards (SUPs), but if you prefer to stay mostly dry and above board, pack a picnic and paddle in the warm shallows.

Dibba Port is also the jumping-off point for day cruises to the dramatic Musandam Peninsula, one of the best places to visit while in Fujairah.

For a little shopping spree out of the ordinary, the Masafi Market is the place to hunt for rugs, clay pots, fruit and veg. Despite its name, it does operate daily from 7am at Masafi, on the Fujairah-Sharjah road. Don't be afraid to get your haggle on, and bring cash, or tap into the cash machine near the market. A number of cafes close by will keep you refuelled with the fragrant sweet tea karak chai, hot paratha, and coconut milkshakes.

For more conventional shopping, follow the locals to City Centre Fujairah, Fujairah Mall, or LuLu Mall - they might not have the bling factor of other emirates' malls, but Fujairah has a reputation of being less expensive than other emirates, and the malls are a cool spot on hot summer days.

To get under Fujairah's skin, you need to step into its mosques - the Sheikh Zayed Mosque is the second-largest mosque in the UAE, able to accommodate 28,000 worshippers. Opened in 2015, the dramatic mosque features traditional Islamic architecture, and is the emirate's main place of worship.

At the other end of the scale, Fujairah is also home to one of the country's oldest mosques, Al-Bidya Mosque. The simple mosque with its four domes is also known as the Ottoman Mosque, named after its builder. Dating from the 15th century, it's held prayers here five times a day for the past 600 years.

Non-Muslims are welcome to visit, simply dress modestly, and women are asked to cover their hair; most mosques have robes and scarves you can borrow before entering.