Hatta, the scenic town that’s an hour’s drive from Dubai has been a glorious escape from city life, often feeling like being in a different part of the world. Especially the Hatta Sign atop the Hajar mountains that gives off serious Hollywood Sign vibes.
Well, move over Los Angeles, because Hatta just bagged the Guinness World Record for the tallest landmark sign. The tourism hub claimed the title with a sign measuring 19.28 metres tall (63 feet), while the legendary Hollywood Sign perched on L.A.’s Santa Monica mountains in Griffith Park is only 13.716 metres (45 feet).
How to get to the Hatta Sign
One of the first views that welcome visitors as they drive into the budding adventure and nature getaway, you can hike up to the Hatta Sign and enjoy some cliche albeit timeless snaps. Unlike its Californian counterpart, the Hatta Sign is also illuminated at night offering panoramic evening shots.
You’ve just got to follow the 7km trail starting from the Hatta Wadi Hub – it’s a good 30-minute trek back and forth. But the exertion of scaling the rugged terrain and making it to the summit is well worth the bird’s eye view. The sign is a great viewpoint to enjoy the 360-degree vistas of Hatta’s heritage village, turquoise dam, and biking paths. Keep those cameras ready.
Plenty more to do and see in Hatta
Declared one of the 50 most beautiful small towns in the world, Hatta is making big waves when it comes to tourism. Plans are in place to transform the destination into ‘The Highlands of Dubai’ highlighting its cooler mountainous climes and making it an all-year-round tourist spot. A stunning new beach, cable car, 120km of bicycle paths, and a slew of sustainable and upscale hotels are in the pipeline and scheduled for completion by 2040.
As winter is closing in, Hatta is perfect for an outdoor getaway in nature and rejuvenating treks. Wondering how to get there? There’s an AED 25 bus ride that is the cheapest way to visit Hatta from Dubai using public transport.