Muharraq

Muharraq, Bahrain — the country's former capital and pearling heart, its restored coral-stone houses and souq now stitched together by the UNESCO-listed Pearling Path.

Walk the Pearling Path between 17th-century merchant houses, oyster beds, and the Qal'at Bu Mahir seafort where pearling dhows once departed. Siyadi House and the Isa bin Ali house showcase traditional wind-tower architecture, and Muharraq's souq is a quieter, more local alternative to Manama's.