Dana Biosphere Reserve

Jordan's largest nature reserve encompasses a dramatic system of sandstone canyons and cliff faces descending from the Dana plateau at 1,500 metres to the Wadi Araba desert at less than 100 metres. The elevation gradient supports multiple ecosystems — juniper and oak woodland on the plateau, Mediterranean scrub on the slopes, and arid desert at the base — allowing an unusually high diversity of flora and fauna for the region. The historic village of Dana perches at the canyon rim, its stone houses built into the cliff face. A network of hiking trails connects the village down to Wadi Dana and further south to Petra.