These are villages that exist at the very margins—perched between desert and sea, carved into mountainsides, or tucked into valleys that feel impossibly far from everything else.

Scene Traveller

Feb 15, 2026

Seven MENA Villages at the Very Edge of the World

Across the Middle East and North Africa, there are places where roads begin to thin, where the signal fades, and where time moves at a pace dictated not by schedules but by wind, tide, and light. These are villages that exist at the very margins—perched between desert and sea, carved into mountainsides, or tucked into valleys that feel impossibly far from everything else. There, life itself is shaped by isolation. Fishing boats still leave at dawn. Doors remain unlocked. Stories travel faster than cars. To visit these pockets of solitude is not simply to travel far, but to arrive somewhere quieter—where geography has preserved culture, and where remoteness has become a kind of protection. From wind-beaten coastal settlements to highland villages suspended above clouds, these are the MENA villages that feel like the edge of the world.

Kumzar

📍Musandam, Oman Accessible only by boat or helicopter, Kumzar sits between mountains and sea at the northernmost tip of Oman. Its isolation has preserved a language found nowhere else—Kumzari, a blend of Arabic, Persian, and Portuguese influences. Fishing remains central to life here, and the dramatic cliffs surrounding the village make arrival feel like entering a hidden enclave untouched by time.

Al Jazirah Al Hamra

📍Ras Al Khaimah, UAE Once a thriving pearling village, Al Jazirah Al Hamra now stands largely abandoned, its coral-stone homes slowly reclaimed by desert winds. Walking through its narrow alleys feels suspended between past and present—a reminder of life along the Gulf before oil transformed the region. Silence defines the experience, broken only by wind moving through empty doorways.

Dana Village

📍Dana Biosphere Reserve, Jordan Clinging to the edge of a vast valley, Dana overlooks one of Jordan’s most dramatic landscapes. Stone houses cascade down the mountainside, facing views that stretch endlessly into copper-colored wilderness. The village feels suspended between earth and sky, where evenings arrive quietly and the stars take over without competition from city lights.

Tamezret

📍Matmata Mountains, Tunisia High above the famous underground homes of Matmata, Tamezret appears almost carved from the rock itself. Berber traditions remain deeply rooted here, and the surrounding lunar-like terrain adds to its otherworldly atmosphere. Life moves slowly, shaped by harsh climate and deep community ties that have endured for generations.

Al Attaya

📍Kerkennah Islands, Tunisia Far from Tunisia’s busier coastal towns, Al Attaya sits where the sea seems to stretch endlessly in every direction. Fishing structures made from palm branches rise from shallow waters, and life follows the rhythm of tides rather than tourism. The flat horizon and soft light give the village a dreamlike stillness, especially at sunset.

Misfat Al Abriyeen

📍Jebel Akhdar, Oman Built into the slopes of the Western Hajar Mountains , Misfat’s mud and stone houses overlook terraced farms fed by ancient falaj irrigation systems. Narrow pathways weave between homes and date palms, and the sound of running water accompanies daily life. It feels less like a destination and more like a living landscape shaped over centuries.

Saint Catherine

📍Sinai, Egypt At the foot of some of Egypt’s highest mountains, Saint Catherine exists in a rare stillness. Bedouin communities, ancient monasteries, and desert silence coexist beneath skies famous for their clarity. The remoteness here is spiritual as much as geographical—a place where pilgrims, hikers, and seekers have arrived for centuries in search of something quieter.

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