Fujairah

Built in 1446 as the oldest mosque in the country, its four domes resting on a single central pillar. Made only of earth and stone, the interior is very small.

A sixteenth century mud fort on a rise looking over the date gardens. The old village below has been restored alongside it and the lanes can be walked.

Coral and fish gather around this rock island, which makes it a snorkelling and diving site. Swimming out from the beach is possible, though the current means going with a guide.

A mountain valley holds a waterfall and pools that never dry out. It is a protected area, and parts of it need a permit to enter.

Stalls of carpets, fruit and clay pots line the mountain road. Despite the name it opens every day, and the first price is not the price.

On Friday afternoons two bulls lock horns and push until one backs off. No blood is involved, the retreat ends it, and watching costs nothing.

Sulphur water surfaces where the mountain ends and gathers into garden pools. Separate areas and separate hours are set for men and women.

A village between the mountains that gave its name to a bottled water label. The valley water runs underground, and the wells here do not fail.

Boats leave the northern harbour for bays with nobody living on them. No road reaches those bays, so a day trip by sea is the only way.

Fishing and farming tools stand as they were used, with houses rebuilt around them. A palm leaf house shows how the walls were made to let the summer air through.

Counted the largest mosque in the country after the Grand Mosque of Abu Dhabi, its white marble set against the Hajar range behind. Its six minarets show from anywhere in town. Visit outside prayer times, with arms and legs covered.

A mud-walled castle on a rocky rise up Wadi Hayl, south-west of town, once a residence of the ruling family. From the watchtower you look down over date plots and bare ridges. The last stretch of the approach is unpaved, so a high-clearance car helps.

A northern stretch of the east coast on the road to Dibba, where the mountains come down almost to the water. Resorts stand well apart, with Snoopy Island just offshore. It faces east over the Gulf of Oman, so early risers come out for the sunrise.