Wadi Wurayah lies in the Hajar mountains on the east coast of the Emirates, in the narrow strip of Fujairah that reaches the Gulf of Oman, and it is one of the few places in the country where water stays on the surface all year. A stream runs through the gorge, feeding pools and small falls beneath tall, folded cliffs of limestone and ophiolite, rock that was once part of the ocean floor and was pushed up onto the land when plates collided. It was the first mountain protected area in the Emirates and is now a national park. Fish live in the pools, and the rarer animals include the Arabian tahr, a shy mountain goat that few visitors ever see.
The region around is dry, jagged and handsome, with grey and rusty slopes, wild acacia, date palms in the villages and the sea just beyond. The villages of Dibba, split between three jurisdictions, Fujairah, Sharjah and Oman's Musandam, sit by a wide bay beneath the peaks. The towns on this coast have a fishing and farming past that feels very different from the glass cities of Dubai, and the Friday market in the area is a good place to buy fruit and dates.
On a motorcycle the approach is a pleasure. Roads over the mountains from Sharjah and Dubai have fast, open curves and good surface, with long views over the barren ridges, and the coast road leads north and south from Dibba with the sea on one side and the mountains on the other. Traffic is light on weekdays, and heavier at weekends when families drive across for the beach. The summer heat is fierce, with humid air on the coast, so the cooler months from November to March are far better, and rain can bring flash floods in the wadis, so never ride or park in a dry channel when clouds are on the peaks.
Dibba Al-Fujairah is about twelve kilometres away and has fuel, shops and cafes, and the bigger towns of Khor Fakkan and Fujairah are not much farther. Bring water with you, since the reserve itself has few facilities and access may be limited by the authorities, so check before you go. Sunrise on the coast, with the mountains turning pink, is a fine reward for an early start.