About two kilometres south of the village, a natural spring seeps from the rock face on the slopes of Jabal Rum. The climb up to it is short but steep, through thickets of wild mint and fig trees — a startling burst of green in a landscape that is otherwise entirely mineral.
The spring itself is modest. A trickle of water runs down the rock into a small pool, and Bedouin have channelled it with simple stone walls. But the view from up here is worth the scramble: the flat desert floor stretches out below, and you can see the village, the visitor centre, and the Seven Pillars in the distance.
This is usually the first stop on a jeep tour and a good introduction to the desert's surprises. Even in this seemingly lifeless landscape, water finds a way.