Ein Gedi

Ein Gedi is an oasis in the desert and a green Garden of Eden in the wilderness. It is situated on the shore of the Dead Sea – the lowest place on Earth - at the feet of majestic mountains and cliffs. 

One of the most exciting places in Israel, Ein Gedi combines a wild, natural setting with a primeval panorama, history and archaeology, tourist attractions, and spas. Its unique climate and atmosphere make it a place for a unique desert adventure.  

Ein Gedi contains the historical and archaeological remains of its first inhabitants, who discovered the magic of the place more than 5,000 years ago it has also served as a landmark in the history of the Jewish people throughout history. David took refuge in Ein Gedi when he was pursued by King Saul, and rebels fled there from Jerusalem. Valuable persimmon oil and rare perfumes were produced there, and temples and synagogues were established here to strengthen the Jewish stronghold in the area. 

Ein Gedi has an international reputation as a health spa. Tourists from all over the world come there to take advantage of the hot springs, mineral waters, and mud baths, and to  enjoy the desert climate, bathe in the healing waters of the Dead Sea, and breathe healthful bromide-filled air. 

Ein Gedi is an ideal place to become familiar with the desert and its hidden wonders. Nature reserves such as Nakhal David and Nakhal Arugot have water flowing through them throughout the year. Rivers run through deep canyons surrounded by lush vegetation – a sharp contrast to the surrounding desert. If you are lucky you will also be able to spot ibexes and other animals that come to the rivers to drink. There are other tourist attractions nearby such as Einot Tzukim and Ein Bokek.  

Kibbutz Ein Gedi, founded in 1953, is located on a nearby hilltop overlooking the area.  The kibbutz has a botanical garden with plants and trees from all over the world. If you walk among the houses in the evening you can view the flowering cacti and baobab tress, as well as other unique plants. Visitors to the area can lodge in the attractive kibbutz guest house, in the nearby field school, or camp out on the shore of the Dead Sea.  

Other recommended activities in the area include jeep excursions and safaris through the desert, tours of Massada, and the Qumran caves. 

The Judean Desert

The Judean Desert is bordered by the Mountains of Judea to the west and by the Dead Sea to the East. It is considered a relatively small desert, spanning only 1,500 square kilometers, but it contains many fascinating nature reserves, historic sites, monasteries and primeval panoramas that make it an exciting and unique place to visit.

The Judean desert is full of breathtaking views that are constantly changing. Mountains, cliffs, and chalk hills stand alongside plateaus, riverbeds, and deep canyons. The width and breadth of the desert is crossed by several rivers that have created canyons up to 500 meters deep. Some of these rivers have water all year round, and create oases such as Nahal Arugot, Nahal Prat, and Nahal David. The ancient cliffs on the eastern edge of the desert tower to a height of 300 meters above the shore of the Dead Sea, and nature reserves such as Ein Gedi and Einot Tzukim lie at their feet.  

The Judean Desert is close to Jerusalem and relatively sparsely populated. The few settlements that are there were established at its perimeter.  The desert is known for its rugged landscape, which has provided a refuge and hiding place for rebels and zealots throughout history, as well as solitude and isolation to monks and hermits. During the days of the Maccabees (about 2,000 years ago) large fortresses such as Massada and Horkenya were established in the desert. During the period of the great rebellion against Rome the last battle of the Jewish zealots was fought on Massada, and during the period of the Second Temple members of the Judean Desert cult lived there.  

Several decades ago the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered hidden in a cave in Qumran, which shed light on the Bible and on the period during which they were written. It is worthwhile to visit Qumran National Park and see the archeological remains of the Jewish settlement that existed there.

Jewish rebels were not the only people who lived in the Judean Desert. During the Byzantine period (approximately 1,500 years ago) a special order of monks known as the Laura lived there and based their lifestyle upon total isolation and solitude. The magnificent monasteries that belonged to monks of this order were built in the cliffs and rock crevasses, with small, personal chambers and cupolas for common meetings during days of prayer.  

Many monasteries have been established in the Judean Desert. Some of these are still active, and others, such as the Mar Saba Monastery, the Mar Jirias and others are empty and only the ruins remain.  

Near the Judean Desert and the monasteries is one of the most important sites in Christianity, the Baptism site on the Jordan River, where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. According to Christian tradition, the waters of the Jordan River are sacred, and many pilgrims come to the spot and immerse themselves in the waters. (The site was later moved to the spot where the Jordan River flows out of the Kinneret, which is more easily accessible.)  

Visitors can go on excursions in the Judean Desert for several days on foot, by bicycle, or with an SUV. Tourists can lodge in one of the many hotels in the area or camp out under the stars for a real desert experience.

Rosh-Pina

One of the oldest moshavot in Israel, Rosh Pina has aged gracefully over the past 120 years. The small town of today is very different from the moshava founded in 1878 when a group of ultra orthodox Jews settled here and became farmers with the support of the Baron Edmund de Rothschild. Today it is a place of trendy cafés restaurants and guesthouses in a town whose main source of income is upscale tourism.

Rosh Pina is located on the north eastern slopes of Mt. Canaan overlooking the Hula Valley and the Golan. The old houses in the heart of the moshava have been beautifully preserved as have their cobblestone streets. In the center is the House of Officials which was built in 1885 as an administrative center for Rosh Pina during the time it was supported by Baron Rothschild. Now one can watch an audiovisual presentation about the history of Rosh Pina in the House and from there proceed to the nearby Baron’s Gardens, also built for the Baron’s staff, which were said to be modeled on the gardens at Versailles. Also in the center of old Rosh Pina is the synagogue, the second modern Hebrew school built in Israel, and the house of Dr. Mer, who researched Malaria in the Hula Valley during the 1930s. At the back of Rosh Pina there is the old cemetery with the graves of the moshava’s founders.
The old part of Rosh Pina is full of cafes, restaurants, guesthouses and art galleries. There are also many guesthouses in the newer parts of Rosh Pina as well as boutique hotels and a busy shopping center.

Rosh Pina is a convenient base for touring many attractions in the area such as Nahal Rosh Pina the Korazim National Park, Safed (Tsfat) and Tel Hatsor. It is also a good base for guided hiking tours, horseback riding, bike tours and jeep excursions.

Ashdod

The best place to begin your visit to the vibrant port city of Ashdod is at Givat Yonah, the towering hill the traditional site of the tomb of the sea-faring Jonah the prophet, who was swallowed by a whale. A wonderful overview of Ashdod awaits you here: You’ll see Israel’s busiest cargo port, where over 100,000 tourists also enter and leave the country. 

Givat Yonah is also an archaeological mound, which makes it the best place to appreciate how this city, which started out in the Bible as a Philistine town, has expanded––thanks to its port, industries and its energetic new immigrant community––to a showcase city of over 200,000. 

The wide boulevards that cross its new neighborhoods, with their gleaming white Mediterranean-style apartment houses and numerous parks, show the meticulous planning that has made Ashdod an inviting place to live and to visit.

As you tour the city, look for the Blue Route tourist signs, which explain various points of interest. In northwestern Ashdod you can take a relaxing walk along the Lachish Stream promenade where a free zoo features zebras, rare Berber sheep, deer, ostriches and other animals. Try to time your stroll to end with a romantic sunset where the stream meets the sea. 

In the southeastern part of town is "Ad Halom" Park: The "Ad Halom" (“thus far”) Bridge, dating back to Turkish times, is the furthest point north the Egyptian army reached during the War of Independence. A war memorial and lookout tell the story, and following the 1977 Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty, Israel invited Egypt to build the obelisk-shaped memorial you’ll see here.

Ashdod has many bathing beaches, including one, the Marina Beach with gender-separate facilities for Orthodox bathers. At the Keshatot (arches) Beach, you’ll find a number of eateries popular with the locals. This is one place where you can get a feel for the varied local population––at each table you pass diners seem to be speaking a different language!

For art lovers, there’s the new glass-roofed “winged” Ashdod Art Museum. And don’t miss the Corinne Maman Museum, with its unique interior design echoing the city’s ancient history (the focus of the museum), along with changing exhibits of Israeli artists.

Spend part of a morning or afternoon at Ashdod while touring the region, whose attractions include Beit Govrin National Park, British Park, Tel Lachish, Tel Tzfit and Ashkelon National Park.

The Uvda Valley and Eilat Mountains

Visitors so look forward to their arrival at Israel’s Red Sea Riviera of Eilat that many dash straight there without realizing that along the way lie some of the most interesting sites in southern Israel. One of these areas is the Uvda Valley, west of and high above the main Arava Valley road linking the Dead Sea with Eilat. The road to the Uvda Valley (road 40) ascends from the Arava, past Kibbutz Neot Semadar, whose vineyards are beautiful green splashes against the wilderness, about 60 kilometers north of Eilat.

The Uvda Valley’s claim to fame is that despite its seeming bleakness, its soil is surprisingly rich, having flowed down from the surrounding mountains over countless millennia. That is what made it prime land for settlement going back to prehistoric times. The ancient valley dwellers send their regards to modern travelers and hikers; experts have found over 150 settlement sites dating between 10,000 and 6,000 years ago. One interesting site is located very close to Road 40, near the turnoff to the small community of Ma’aleh Shacharut. It’s called the Leopard Temple – a 9,000-year-old enclosure with stones bearing mysterious carvings of feline figures. Just south of the temple, about 500 yards from the road, are smooth, gleaming sand dunes just perfect to roll down and let off energy pent up during the ride.

The ridge of Ma’aleh Shacharut affords a magnificent view of the Arava Valley and across to the mountains of Edom in Jordan. This is only one of the area’s more visible highlights; its many hidden delights have made it a favorite for camel treks, hiking, jeep and cycling tours of varying durations, which can be arranged through tourism service providers in Eilat and elsewhere.

South of Ma’aleh Shacharut you’ll see Uvda Airport, where charter flights bearing visitors to Eilat land straight from Europe. Try to plan the remaining 40 minutes or so of your journey to Eilat to get your first glimpse of the Red Sea at the magical moments just before sunset. It is then that the rugged rose mountains that frame the sea, with their gold, black and blue-green stripes, are at their most dramatic. Before finishing your drive to Eilat, look for the road sign to Mount Yoash, with its incomparable four-country panorama: Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia!

This is the area of the Eilat Mountains Nature Reserve, which offers fabulous hiking trails. One is the Red Canyon, which hikers can explore by climbing up and down ladders. Unusual geological formations are the stars of the Shechoret Canyon, Ein Netafim is a spring in the desert. These and other trails require good orienteering skills and detailed maps.

The Dead Sea

How far does one have to descend to reach the Dead Sea? About 400 meters below sea level. How deep is this salty lake? Almost the same (in the northern section). Fascinating? Absolutely! Every detail about the Dead Sea is fascinating.

Here are a few more facts: The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth in any land mass (417 meters below sea level, to be exact). The quantity of water that evaporates from it is greater than that which flows into it, such that this body of water has the highest concentration of salt in the world (340 grams per liter of water).
 

It is called the Dead Sea because its salinity prevents the existence of any life forms in the lake. That same salt, on the other hand, provides tremendous relief to the many ailing visitors who come here on a regular basis to benefit from its healing properties. All these and more make the Dead Sea so fascinating, so different and so interesting.