Muscat Treks: Sidab Coastal Trek

Muscat Treks Series in this series I will be writing about some of the treks and unmarked trails in and around Muscat ones that can be completed in a relatively short time making them ideal as an easy weekend outdoor activity or a post-work trek for anyone living in Muscat. For similar posts of this series check out my posts on Saal Mountain, Aint Trek, Ruwi Mountains Trek and Fanja Tabletop. Now, lets get into details of the Sidab Coastal Trek!

Sidab Coastal Trek (مسار شاطئ سداب) is a trek off the mountains from the fishing village of Sidab (سداب), adjacent to Old Muscat. The trek takes you through the mountains and rugged coastline of the village, passing through a number of absolutely gorgeous beachheads and hills with stunning views throughout, including distant views of the Al Bustan Palace Hotel, and outlines of Muscat Bay at Qantab if you squint enough :D. The trek isn’t straightforward and easy to navigate, with loose rocks and steep slopes increasing risk of falling down cliffs, and you need to take tide timings into account otherwise you risk being cut off (more on that below), but it is one that I really enjoyed and combines the best of Muscat’s stunning coastline, beaches and mountains! It is especially remarkable for how remote it feels while being almost adjacent to the Al Alam Palace .

I am sure I am not the only one whose mind keeps wandering off whenever I am driving through Old Muscat and Muttrah in thinking about the beautiful mountains surrounding the the small neighborhoods and houses, and what would be the view from up there, or off that old watch-tower! This has certainly been the case also whenever I drive through Sidab village (even though I have done the Zafranaiya Trek years ago, but that trek never approached the coastline) – so it was a pleasant surprise of mine when friends told me about a trek through Sidab coastline and we eventually went to explore it together. The Sidab Coastline Trek did not disappoint, despite it starting at the old village cemetery and passing near a couple more (please, please be respectful and careful as you tread through those areas ensuring you do not disrupt the peace, and keep to the small tracks through the graves as far as possible). The trek also gives you access to a couple of beautiful beaches that look perfect for snorkeling, including I am told is one of the oldest corals in Muscat coastline – but that is something I did not get the chance to do (yet). For more information on snorkeling and where to find the 300-year old coral, you can refer to Rodney Salm and Robert Baldwin’s book titled Snorkelling and Diving in Oman – I have not personally read the book (nor seen that coral) but keep in mind that the book is from 1991 and its advise on how to access the beaches may not no longer be applicable as some routes may have been closed off since the book was published.

Tremendous thanks goes to Dr. Christopher Clarke who not only told me of this trek and described it, but also helped me with this article and provided invaluable information – including the information on this 300-year old coral.

Sidab Coastal Trek Considerations:

Sidab Coastal Trek goes through a couple of rugged mountain passes that are quite steep and on really loose and sharp rocks, so it is not suitable for everyone and I do not recommend taking your kids, grandmothers or younger ones unless they are quite comfortable being outdoors and scrambling up & down steep slopes. The first part of the trek requires scrambling through a very steep gully, and you should space out your group as there is a risk of rockfall onto the people below so put sufficient spacing between each other. In addition, the rocks get particularly slippery at the coast side where the water and smooth boulders make it extremely difficult to walk – so take extra caution there and as always you should have appropriate footwear (hiking boots or something similar). The trek itself is not long, and the timing highly depends on how much of the coastline you want to explore – we trekked all the way until you reach the restricted access area (as it is adjacent to the Al Alam Palace grounds) and it took about 3 hours in total (going and coming back) – it can certainly be done in under 2 hours though!

An important consideration in this trek is taking account of the tide risings as there are several beachheads you need to pass, and which can only be done at low tide – so make sure you check tide times in advance (alternative link) so that you can do the whole trek without being cut-off. If you feel like wanting to do your bit for the environment, do take a rubbish bag with you during the visit and try to pick-up whatever you can of the rubbish – unfortunately the beaches here are full of rubbish and plastic that are washed out from the sea 🙁

Please be respectful and considerate when passing through the cemeteries that you may encounter in this trek – the first one is almost inevitable as the trek path goes through it but you can walk adjacent to the mountain side to avoid the graves (many of which are unmarked) – while you can avoid the others completely unless you want to pay your respect. Remember, someone’s loved ones are there and you should be respectful and not disrupt their peace. In addition, the trek is adjacent to the Al Alam Palace grounds – and it is strictly forbidden to proceed further beyond the sign indicating the palace properties – so please do not try to cross it.

Finally, if you happen to combine the trek with some snorkeling, then please make sure you are conservatively dressed by the time you reach the top of the ridge facing Sidab village, especially as you will have to walk through the local graveyard on your way out. Also please park in the main car park and not in front of any private houses.

Trek Map:

You may download the map of my Sidab Coastal Trek as .kml file (compatible with Google Earth), or .gpx file (to use directly in Garmin devices) as recorded using my Garmin Fenix5 Watch.

How to get to Sidab Coastal Trek:

The trek starts just off the main road passing through Sidab village, take the first left as soon as you enter Sidab (if you’re driving from Muttra/Old Muscat side) and park at the big car park. You will see a ‘sports field’ and a walled cemetery with a gate through it leading to a mountain path – this is where Sidab Coastal Trek starts, if you focus you can also see a ladder in the mountain path giving idea of where to go. Below is the Google Maps link for the location: