Hatta Pools

The off-road guide had good directions, including GPS points and satellite photo maps… “Drive through the 2nd village, the tarmac will end. Take a right onto the gravel road. This is the start of the Hatta Pools track…”--, so we left Hatta village and headed for Hatta Pools.



From there it was a bumpy 5 km ride up and down hills, criss-crossing the wadi. These dry river beds apparently are quite hazardous when it rains. All were marked with a red triangle “Wadi !” sign; according to the guide book “Almost every year people die simply because they did not take the treat of flash flooding seriously….Don’t let it be you next! If it looks overcast, rainy, or cloudy, even if not in your immediate area, it’s wise to stay out of wadis.” As you can see from the photos, it was cloudy and overcast, and we could see obvious rain off in the distance. Not to be denied, we forged ahead!

The track leads to a falaj (irrigation system) that runs along the side of the wadi to farms downstream. We parked there and walked down into the riverbed.

(That stone trough was full of water and even had fish swimming in it)

The site was stark at first view. Families were picnicing and relaxing on the rocks, but there didn't seem to be many pools.

We made our way down the riverbank, and found the pools, waterfalls, and even a couple of hearty souls splashing through the canyon. We tested the water with our toes and found it a bit chilly for a dip.









Still warm and dry in Dubai,
L&T