Hiking, cycling and rock climbing: What you can do at the new Fujairah Adventure Park

The UAE attraction, currently under its soft opening phase, is also home to a coffee shop, climbing wall and children's activities

If you’re looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life, and views of rocky mountains from all sides sounds like your cup of tea, a new UAE attraction is sure to pique interest.

Fujairah Adventure Park, under Fujairah Adventure Centre, has recently reopened after a months-long hiatus, and it has introduced a series of activities to lure in adventure enthusiasts and families alike.

What’s new at Fujairah Adventure Park

The attraction first opened in 2019 as a standalone skate park with a 1,800-square-metre asphalt pump track. While this was definitely welcome news for keen skaters and BMX-ers, it closed mid-2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic and has only recently reopened with a number of new activities.

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One such activity, and the one most likely to first catch your attention, is the dirt jumps. UAE residents can rent out cycles and practice their jumps on a series of four mud or wooden trails. The beginner jumps are towards the right, while more intermediate ones are in the middle and the tougher ones are towards the left.

Fujairah Adventure Park has also introduced the Flow Gravity Trails for mountain bikers looking for a challenge along with views of the rocky mountains. There are three stages – green for beginners, blue for skilled cyclists and black diamond which is best for professionals or those experienced with steep climbs and descents.

For those not in the mood for cycling, but still keen on making the most of Fujairah’s natural beauty, there are six hiking trails that start from Fujairah Adventure Park and go around the mountainous area, for varying skill levels and timings.

The park is also home to a climbing wall and a children’s play area for skilled young cyclists.

Other facilities include washrooms, a bike rental, a first aid room and a coffee shop with indoor and outdoor seating.

Designed according to international standards

Saeed Al Maamari, general manager at Fujairah Adventure Centre. Pawan Singh / The National

"Fujairah Adventure Park is the first-of-its-kind in the region targeted towards the full family," says Saeed Al Maamari, general manager of Fujairah Adventure Centre.

Amr Zeineddin, operations manager at Fujairah Holding, which handles the management of Fujairah Adventure Park says that it was designed to attract adventure lovers to Fujairah. "We starting with hiking, climbing and mountain biking activities and then focused more on the mountain biking."

According to Zeineddin, everything has been created according to international standards, with the Flow trails especially created to attract cyclists from all over the world during the winter months.

“The highlight is the nature found here, which is really unique. We had to think about the natural features – the mountains, the rocks, the amount of rain – when designing the trails,” he says.

According to Zeineddin, staff are properly trained, and come with biking experience.

Coming soon – outdoor cinema, group tours, and more

A coffee shop with outdoor seating area at Fujairah Adventure Park. Pawan Singh / The National

The first phase of the park – the hiking, biking and other facilities – are now open to the public. However, in the weeks to come, the park has more ambitious plans.

"We will be launching an outdoor cinema in the coming weeks which will show two types of movies in the evenings – one for children and one that is adventure-themed," says Zeineddin.

The park also has group activities. One such activity is the Emirati Experience, wherein an Emirati guide will take visitors on a morning hike using traditional sticks, following which they will explore a traditional village to see how people used to live.

Phase two of the project, which will only start next season, includes a restaurant, mountain pods for overnight stays, barbecue and camping for families, and activities for children, he says.

“We want people to come here and be educated about Fujairah, its history, nature and culture,” says Zeineddin.

Our experience

There are Flow Gravity Trails for cyclists of all levels. Pawan Singh / The National

While we didn’t try any of the hiking trails, we did venture over to the beginner’s Flow trail.

The process is simple enough. You can rent your bike from the shop or bring your own.

A shuttle service is available to take you and the bike over to the beginning of any of the trails.

That’s where the simple part ends though: the trails for skilled adventure-lovers, complete with rocky grounds had plenty of bumps while the wind can also manipulate movement. But after a very wobbly beginning, it does get easier to get a hang of it, let go and have fun. The views of Fujairah make it all the more better. However, it’s best to go early morning or in the evening as it can get extremely hot, especially if you’re not visiting over the winter months.

Location, times and prices

Fujairah Adventure Park is centrally located, just a two minute drive away from City Centre Fujairah. However, it can be difficult to locatefind, as the entrance is along a dirt road leading into the mountains. While driving, if you reach the Tennis & Country Club, you've gone too far. Simply take an about-turn and you should find it on the same side as the Tennis & Country Club.

The park is priced at Dh10 per vehicle or Dh5 per person for walk-ins. The hiking trails and mountain biking trails are currently free. The pump track and dirt jumps can be used all day for an additional Dh40.

Visitors are allowed to bring their own bikes. If you don’t have your own equipment, bike rental prices start at Dh15 for a balance bike for one hour and a BMX bike for Dh25 for one hour. An all-day bike rental is Dh100. All bike rentals include helmets.

Fujairah Adventure Park is open from 10am-8pm on weekdays and 7am-8pm on weekends. Ramadan times may vary. For more information and bookings, call 0565111660 or 0565 155510 or visit their Instagram page.