Jebel Akhdar
High above the lowlands, Jebel Akhdar—the “Green Mountain”—lives up to its name in defiant patches of cool and color. Rising more than 1.24 miles above sea level, this limestone plateau is full of stone villages and agricultural terraces where pomegranates, walnuts, apricots, and—in spring—the famously perfumed damask roses are coaxed from the rock. In March and April, rosewater distilleries puff gently with steam, filling the air with a sweet, vegetal scent. Elsewhere, narrow paths run past juniper trees and sheer canyon edges where the land drops away in sudden, vertiginous folds. Even in summer, evenings turn crisp, drawing locals and visitors alike outdoors to sip tea as the sun slips behind the escarpment and the mountain exhales its cool. —Scott Campbell
Wadi Nakhr
The drive alone to Oman’s answer to the Grand Canyon is extraordinary, winding beneath towering walls of bare rock and tightening and loosening with each bend. At the wadi’s head lies a small, stubborn village, clinging to the canyon floor beneath the immense flanks of Jebel Shams. From here, hiking trails trace ancient routes used by shepherds and traders, edging along precipices with heart-stopping views into the void below. In the early morning, shadows pool deep in the gorge, while the upper rims catch the sun, glowing pale gold. —S.C.
