The hook
The lowest point on the surface of the earth, a salt lake so dense you cannot sink, where the novelty is bobbing on your back like a cork while reading a newspaper.
01Why it's worth it
The Dead Sea sits in the deep rift of the Jordan Valley, its shore the lowest dry land on the planet, more than four hundred metres below sea level. It is so saturated with salt and minerals that nothing lives in it and human bodies float effortlessly; the classic thing to do is wade in, lean back, and let the water hold you up completely, a genuinely strange sensation, then smear yourself with the mineral-rich black mud that people prize for the skin. The stark, hazy mountains, the white salt crusting the shore, and the heavy, oily-feeling water make for an odd, memorable few hours. It is also visibly shrinking, its level dropping year by year as the rivers that feed it are diverted, so it comes with an ecological caution built in. Beaches and resorts on the Jordanian side make access easy.
02How to experience it
Float on your back (never dunk your head or shave beforehand; the salt stings any cut), slather on the mineral mud, and rinse off at a beach or resort with freshwater showers. Keep the water out of your eyes. A few hours is plenty; pair it with Madaba and the baptism sites nearby.