Things to do in Hawar Islands

Best time to visit Hawar Islands

• a note or something on   ✦ an occasion worth the trip

• November to March

  Cool season, the best window: boat trips, safaris and beach days work at normal hours, with wintering flamingos in.

• April and October

  Shoulder months, warm to hot: good sea conditions, early starts advised, better value than the cool season peak.

• May to September

  Extreme heat, often over 40 C with high humidity: outdoors at dawn and dusk only, despite cormorant and August sooty falcon breeding.

What's on

• Bahrain Grand Prix 12 to 14 March 2027 at Sakhir, mainland Bahrain

  Returns as the 2027 season opener after not being held in Bahrain in 2026; combine with Hawar and expect mainland price pressure.

• Bahrain National Day 16 December

  National day celebrations on the mainland and a busy domestic booking weekend in the best weather window.

• Sooty Falcon Breeding Season August

  Sooty falcons breed on Hawar timed to migrant prey, in extreme heat; view nesting islands from a distance only.

Best things to do in Hawar Islands

• Socotra Cormorant Colonies, Hawar Islands

  Outer islands, Hawar archipelago · $$

  One of the world's largest Socotra cormorant breeding concentrations, seen from the main island and by boat.

• Falconry Display, Hawar Resort by Mantis

  Hawar Island · $$

  A resort falcon show introducing Gulf falconry heritage, with wild sooty falcons breeding on the islands.

• Bear Grylls Adventure Zone

  Hawar Island · $$$

  Survival courses and outdoor challenges run with the Bear Grylls Survival Academy at the resort.

• Hawar Island Beach

  Hawar Island west coast · Free

  A quiet private beach and shallow sheltered shoreline, reached only as a guest of the island's one resort.

Where to stay in Hawar Islands

• Hawar Island west coast

  the only island base, wildlife and resort stays

  The single resort site, from which every activity, restaurant and boat on the islands operates.

• Mainland Bahrain

  fallback base if resort prices or boat times do not work

  Manama and the south near Durrat Al Bahrain give mainland hotels and food, but no walk up ferry to Hawar.

Think twice about

• Outer islands of the Hawar group

  Protected wildlife islands with severely restricted access and no beds, boats or visitor facilities. View from the water only, through the resort.

• Basing in Qatar for a Hawar trip

  The islands are Bahraini and close to Qatar on the map, but there is no visitor crossing from the Qatari coast. All access is from mainland Bahrain.

Best restaurants in Hawar Islands

• C-Salt

  Hawar Island · $$$

  The resort signature restaurant, built around seasonal pop ups and visiting chef concepts.

• Bahri

  Hawar Island · $$

  The all day dining restaurant for Gulf seafood and regional dishes, where most included meals happen.

• Beach Lounge

  Hawar Island · $$

  The beachfront lounge and sports bar, the closest thing the island has to an evening out.

Outdoor things to do in Hawar Islands

• Hawar Island Safari, Hawar Resort by Mantis

  Hawar Island interior · $$$

  A guided Land Rover safari to small herds of Arabian oryx and sand gazelle in desert island country.

• Dugong Boat Trip, Hawar Islands

  Seagrass beds around the archipelago · $$$

  A boat trip over seagrass beds for dugongs, turtles and dolphins in a Ramsar listed marine sanctuary.

• House Reef Snorkelling, Hawar Resort by Mantis

  Hawar Island · $$

  Guided snorkelling on the resort house reef in warm shallow Gulf water, with equipment provided.

• Kayaking and Paddleboarding, Hawar Resort by Mantis

  Hawar Island resort beach · Free

  Non motorised kayaks and paddleboards in sheltered water, complimentary for all inclusive guests.

Best hotels in Hawar Islands

• Hawar Resort by Mantis

  Hawar Island west coast · $$$

  The only stay on the islands: 104 rooms, beach villas and overwater villas in a wildlife sanctuary.

Is Hawar Islands expensive? What a day costs

A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room

What to book ahead

• Socotra Cormorant Colonies, Hawar Islands: weeks ahead
• Bear Grylls Adventure Zone: weeks ahead
• Hawar Island Safari, Hawar Resort by Mantis: weeks ahead
• Dugong Boat Trip, Hawar Islands: weeks ahead
• Hawar Resort by Mantis: weeks ahead
• C-Salt: a few days ahead

• Book the resort and confirm boat times weeks ahead for November to March, and confirm the Bear Grylls zone, diving and restaurant openings in writing.

Is Hawar Islands safe?

• The regional situation is unpredictable, with a risk of attacks and escalation and possible flight cancellations, airspace closures and travel disruption.
• Main local risks are extreme heat, sun, and distance from hospital care, which is a boat and a drive away in Manama.

Hawar Islands travel tips: tourist traps to skip

• Hawar is not a UNESCO World Heritage Site; it is a Ramsar site and Important Bird Area, and the 2002 World Heritage application was unsuccessful.
• Do not build a day trip on old aggregator ferry prices; no confirmed day pass or public ferry product was found, so a visit means a resort overnight.

Getting around Hawar Islands: public transport and more

• Fly to Bahrain International Airport, drive about 45 minutes to the Durrat Al Bahrain Pavilion, then take the resort boat for about 25 minutes to Hawar Island.
• Boat times are tied to check in and check out, not a public timetable; on the island you walk or use resort buggies, vehicles and boats.

Who Hawar Islands suits

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