Wadi Shab

One of Oman's most celebrated hiking destinations, Wadi Shab cuts a narrow gorge through the limestone hills south of Sur, with a river threading between towering cliff walls draped in date palms and oleander. The route requires a short boat crossing at the wadi mouth before ascending through emerald-green pools to a cave-waterfall system accessible only by swimming through a gap in the rock. Morning light penetrates the canyon floor for the best photography of the turquoise water.