Tala Bay
Middle East, Caucasus and Central Asia · Jordan
Did you know?
- The Neptune Submarine Boat offers Red Sea marine life without a dive.
- The resort is about 1 km end-to-end, so the marina and beach are walkable.
- Stonefish and lionfish inhabit the water; sandals are recommended for entry.
See also
Overview
Tala Bay is a purpose-built Red Sea resort of holiday apartments, upscale hotels and a large marina south of Aqaba. It is quieter than the city and built around diving and snorkeling, but prices are geared to tourists.
Languages: Arabic
Why go?
Tala Bay is a purpose-built resort town on the Red Sea coast, 15km south of Aqaba. It consists entirely of holiday apartments and upscale hotels built around a large marina. The main draw is Red Sea diving and snorkeling, with several dive centers operating from the area. Compared to Aqaba, a stay in Tala Bay tends to be quieter and more relaxing, though you'll pay tourist prices for everything and miss out on local flavor.
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Get in
See Aqaba for arrival options to the region. Tala Bay is 15km south of Aqaba city center. A pre-booked taxi from Aqaba costs around 25-30 JD, though your hotel may arrange transfers. If driving, follow the South Beach Road south from Aqaba.
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Get around
Tala Bay is around 1km end-to-end, so the entire resort is walkable. If walking to or from the Mövenpick hotel at the southern end, Google Maps may send you along the highway, but you can cut across the beach instead. When heading into the Mövenpick, a security guard on the beach might check that you're a guest and not smuggling in alcohol.
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
When to go
The Red Sea diving season runs year-round, but peak conditions are March-May and September-November when water temperatures are comfortable (22-26°C) and visibility is excellent. Summer months (June-August) can be extremely hot in the desert surrounding Tala Bay, with temperatures regularly exceeding 40°C. Winter brings milder daytime temperatures (15-20°C) but some wind and occasional rain.
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Where to stay
Accommodation in Tala Bay consists entirely of upscale hotels and holiday apartments. The Mövenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay Aqaba is the largest property, featuring 302 rooms including family rooms and suites, with prices starting from 150 JD. For divers on a budget, the Arab Divers Bed & Breakfast is located a few kilometers north of Tala Bay along South Beach Road, offering basic but good-value rooms with diving packages.
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Food and drink
Dining options in Tala Bay are limited to hotel restaurants and a handful of outlets around the marina. DeSoto offers pizza, pasta, grills, and local specialties with reasonably-priced cocktails and generous portions. Suzana serves sandwiches, grills, pizza, and pasta. Sea Bass Resto Bar is nautical-themed with fish as the specialty. For high-end Italian dining, Casalingo in the Mövenpick features a live cooking counter and wood-fired pizza oven. All hotel bars charge fairly high prices.
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Things to do
Diving is the primary activity in Tala Bay. Sinai Divers Aqaba is located within the Mövenpick resort, offering shore dives to a coral reef and daily boat dives along the coast. Deep Blue Dive Center and Arab Divers (on South Beach Road) provide additional options with full PADI courses and technical diving. Sea Jet Water Sports at the marina jetty offers jet skis, parasailing, and inflatables. The Neptune Submarine Boat departs from the marina's southern end for those wanting to see Red Sea marine life without diving.
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Connectivity
Free WiFi is available throughout Tala Bay but is often slow. Cellular coverage from Jordanian networks (Zain, Orange, Umniah) is very good throughout the area.
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Safety
Watch out for venomous fish when swimming or snorkeling. The sea around Tala Bay is home to stonefish, lionfish, and various other creatures that are best viewed from a distance. Consider wearing sandals when entering the water to protect against hidden venomous species.
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Day trips
Aqaba city is 15km north and can easily be visited in a day to see the castle, archaeological sites, and local markets. Wadi Rum desert valley is approximately 1 hour 15 minutes from Tala Bay, with summer trips typically departing around 3pm to avoid extreme heat. Petra is about 2 hours' drive; a pre-booked taxi costs around 120 JD return, potentially higher if arranged through your hotel.
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Go next
Aqaba is the nearest city, 15km north, with more local restaurants, markets, and budget accommodation options. Wadi Rum offers spectacular desert scenery and overnight camping experiences. Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, is about 2 hours away by car.
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Field guide adapted from Wikivoyage contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0. Text has been adapted and organized for this guide. About our sources.
Places to know
A few starting points from the guide. Check current hours and prices before you go.
- sleep
Arab Divers Bed & Breakfast
TVs in rooms, free Wi-Fi, deep and shallow pool, full diving equipment available including PADI courses. Extremely relaxed, chill out spaces and loungers by pool, 800 m from the beach and chilled atmosphere. Extremely good value for money, but expect basic room provisions. It is a drive out of town, really quiet, great escape from bustle of Aqaba city. Shipwreck to dive at and corals.
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors
- sleep
Mövenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay Aqaba
302 rooms, including 145 family rooms, various suites and two Grand Suites all share a modern design and light-coloured furnishings. All rooms have air-conditioning, TV, coffee and tea making facilities, direct dial phone/voice-mail, wireless LAN throughout the resort as well as hairdryer, 24-hour room service, in-room safe box. Superior rooms and suites allow for added comfort. Non-smoking rooms and rooms for the physically challenged are also available upon request. A special benefit is the free minibar, available in all rooms. It has a contemporary Mediterranean decoration, with Zara Spa offers a sauna, steam room, hydro pool with skylight and spa facilities. Included is an "ice fountain" designed to stimulate circulation and tighten the skin. A variety of fragrances and coloured lighting effects are available for showers and also supposedly designed to increase blood circulation. A hair salon, a nail studio and a shop with a variety of beauty care products are also on premises. Casalingo Italian restaurant (see Eat above) is worth a visit, the other restaurants on site serve standard hotel fare.
Recorded price: From 150 JD
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors
- eat
Casalingo
High-class Italian dining. Expensive but worth the money. Featuresa live cooking counter and wood-fired pizza oven. Guests can dine on the terrace or in the air-conditioned restaurant.
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors
- eat
DeSoto
Pizza, pasta, grills and local specialties, plus a wide range of reasonably-priced cocktails. Generous portions, service can be a little slow.
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors
- eat
Sea Bass Resto Bar
Nautical-themed restaurant. Specializes in fish, but also serves a similar range of dishes to the above restaurants.
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors
- eat
Suzana
Sandwiches and grills, as well as pizza and pasta.
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors
- see
Tala Bay Marina
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors
- do
Arab Divers
Established and well known dive centre, with air conditioned bungalow accommodation on site (40/50/65 JD for Single/Double/Triple, good discounts on offer when taking a dive package as well). Breakfast included, free wifi in public areas, on site pool and shuttle bus down to the beach (5 min). Many dives on offer, including technical dives to the Taiyong and some deeper reefs, as well as beginner-friendly coral garden dives. Also run an active litter clean up programme on the reefs. PADI training available from Open Water to Divemaster and technical courses. Dive packages include air fills, tanks and weights. Nitrox and Trimix available. Full kit hire and boat dives available, though almost all dives can be done from shore.
Recorded price: 1/2 day shore (1 dive) 30 JD; 1 day shore (2 dives) 40 JD; 2 days shore (4 dives) 76 JD; 3 days shore (6 dives) 108 JD; 4 days shore (8 dives) 136 JD; 5 days shore (10 dives) 160 JD
Adapted from Wikivoyage contributors
Before you go
Connectivity
Free WiFi throughout the resort is often slow. Cellular coverage is very good. Jordan uses 230V/50Hz with Type C/F plugs.
Money
Tala Bay operates on tourist prices higher than average Jordanian costs. The Marina Market supermarket is expensive by Jordanian standards but has an ATM outside.
Safety
Venomous marine life (stonefish, lionfish) present in Red Sea waters. Wear sandals when swimming to protect feet.
Transport
Tala Bay is walkable at about 1km end-to-end. Taxis from Aqaba cost around 25-30 JD. Pre-booked taxis to Petra run approximately 120 JD return.