A long covered walkway brings you from the car park to the various points along way to the river.

The archeological evidence supports the Jordanian side being the location of the actual baptism of Christ, due to the shifting of the river. Its current location is a number of meters away from the original route of the river and the four stone pillars that are assumed to be the baptism location are now on dry ground.

A Russian church is the only permanent structure here, with mosaics inside and a golden dome. The church is not above selling some holy water from the river Jordan in a pack with holy earth, a candle and some other paraphernalia for a baptism.

There is a wooden pier leading down to the water, with an armed guard on watch to ensure no one swims across the river. On the Israeli side, you can see people stepping down into the water to be baptised, but none are doing this on the Jordanian side, despite its more credible pedigree.

The impression you get here is one of seriousness and history. The Jordanian approach to the baptism site is one of archeology. Viewpoints show the ancient excavated ruins, a single church stands and the route to the water is simple.