Muscat Fish Market (Oman)

For those interested in cultural experiences, a visit to the Muscat Fish Market is a must do.
Although it attracts tourists, it is still traditional and geared towards the locals.
You need to have you stomach settled, but you get to glimpse at a real moment in the Omanis’ lives!
Below is my guide to help you plan your visit.

Before my tips + photos, here are my favorites for Oman:

My favorite platform to rent a car in Oman: DiscoverCars

My favorite adventure from Muscat: Dolphin and Snorkeling

My favorite excursion from Muscat: Wadi Shab and Bimmah Sinkhole

My favorite places to stay:

Muscat, the capital – see the best rated hotels or my favorite hotel: The Chedi
Sur, for the turtles – see the best rated hotels
Khasab, Musandam peninsula – see the best rated hotels
Wahiba Sands, in the desert – see the best rated hotels or my favorite camp: Desert Nights Resort

Content

Why visit the Muttrah Fish Market in Muscat?

PLANNING TIPS – Muscat Fish Market

Arrival of fishermen

Sardines out of the net

Selling area of the Muscat Fish Market

Fish Preparation

Traditional fishing in Oman

Rest of the Muttrah market

Why visit the Muttrah Fish Market in Muscat?

In the Muttrah area of Muscat takes place a traditional fish market, not far from the Corniche and the Souq. At the moment it is still small and full of charm. I hope it can keep its atmosphere.

This area is where you come to observe everyday life. I was surprised at how little impact tourism has on this tradition. They just keep going as if we were not here. I loved it!

However, beware, this is really not a place for the faint hearted – it is right under your eyes and under your nose. All your senses are stimulated:

You see so many different varieties of fish: tunas, squid, king fish, prawns…
You smell the fresh product from the sea
You hear the buzzing noise of the price haggling and laugh between friends
You feel the salt in the air
And if you buy one, you will be able to taste it!

If you have a few days, check out my list of things to do in Muscat, Oman.

PLANNING TIPS – Muscat Fish Market

How to get to the Fish market in Muscat

The Muscat Fish Market is near the northern section of the Muttrah corniche, near the fruit and vegetable market
Try parking in the area, wherever you can and walk. With all the construction work do not try to get as close as possible with the car
On the Map below, you can locate the Mutrah area to the North East of Muscat:

Map touristic areas Muscat Oman things to do

This location is included (with GPS coordinates, map of region and planning info) in my travel guide eBook that helps you easily plan your Oman road trip:

Plan your dream trip in Oman thanks to my guide

8 maps to easily plan your itinerary
190+ pre-selected locations
Tips to make the most of your time
GPS coordinates direct to the carparks
100+ original photos to help you choose

Discover it!

Visiting the Muscat Fish market

Fishes start arriving at sunrise and the activity is mainly during the first half of the morning
Wear closed shoes as it is muddy and bloody
Not recommended for vegetarian… and not for the faint hearted – again it is smelly and bloody

Accommodations in Muscat

You can stay near: Al Qurum beach to enjoy evening walks on the sands, or in Muttrah for more traditional restaurant and experience, o in Ruwi for the cheaper options.

Check out the best rated accommodations in Muscat

Need to rent a car in Oman?

My tips:

Compare prices on my favorite platform: Discovercars.com – one of the best rated comparison sites!
Choose a car with enough power for the mountain roads
Consider their full coverage option – for peace of mind!
Book early to have a large choice of vehicles!

See all my tips

See available cars

Arrival of fishermen

Before going inside the fish market itself, I stopped by the pier. It was quite late but I still saw 2 boats coming it. And here we are not talking about the big fishing boats I see in France. Just small boats with 2 or 3 fishermen on it. They go out in the middle of the night or before dawn and come back to sell their catch of the day.

Fish cover at Muttrah Fish market, Muscat

Fisherman on boat at Muttrah Fish market, Muscat

Fishermen showing what was captured at Muttrah Fish market, Muscat

catch of the day at Muttrah Fish market, Muscat

I don’t drink coffee

But I also like other drinks and sweets!
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Sardines out of the net

I spotted also a team of 4 men clearing a net from all the fishes it had caught. Mackerel I believe.
They were welcoming and happy to chat a little bit with us while still working.

removing fish from net at Muttrah Fish market, Muscat

removing fish from net at Muttrah Fish market, Muscat 2

And eel was spotted in the middle of it. It was soon removed and thrown away. I wish he had put it back in the water but he did not understand.

removing fish from net at Muttrah Fish market, Muscat 3

removing fish from net at Muttrah Fish market, Muscat 4

removing fish from net at Muttrah Fish market, Muscat 5

Selling area of the Muscat Fish Market

After that it was time for me to get ito the arena. As I said I was there late so it was not as lively as early morning, but still bargainings were happening.

I toured the are to discover the different types of fish they were offering.

Fish Preparation

Once you buy a fish you can pay one of the prepare to clear and gut it. It goes very fast! There were many 5 of them. But I forgot to ask the price.

The men I photographed below accepted that I capture his work removing the scales and cutting it with expert hands. I have often seen my fish seller in France prepare a fish. But somehow this was way more interesting.