RIYADH: The Perseid meteor shower lit up the skies above AlUla’s Al-Gharameel Reserve earlier this week, illuminating both the astronomical and natural qualities of a growing tourist destination in the Kingdom.
The meteor shower peaks in the middle of August every year, and is best viewed in areas with limited light pollution, such as AlUla.
Al-Gharameel, known for its iconic pillars, is globally certified as an International Dark Sky Park. The location’s zero light pollution makes it an excellent site for stargazing and meteor watching.
The zone is only an hour to 90 minutes by car from AlUla’s center. The journey itself, regardless of which route is chosen, offers visitors excellent views of the Kingdom’s natural landscapes before reaching the historic destination.
Of the route options, one can visit Al-Gharameel in AlUla through Jeddah, Madinah, and Tabuk by road. The 295 km journey from Tabuk takes up to four hours, offering views of the Kingdom’s desert landscapes.
The 700 km Jeddah route is longer, but it will not disappoint in terms of landscape exposure, as travelers journey along the Red Sea, seeing Yanbu and Al-Wajh before reaching their destination.
The route from Madinah offers a solid middle ground in terms of distance as opposed to the Tabuk and Jeddah journeys, providing unique exposure to Harrat Khaybar, which is rare volcanic terrain.
Whichever route is chosen to reach the constellation-lit skies of AlUla’s Al-Gharameel, visitors can be sure that the journey is a rewarding experience — one that allows for raw and genuine exposure to the Kingdom’s natural landscapes, ranging from sea to volcanic zones to its renowned desert.
