Sara Hamaoui
In-the-Aretz Correspondent
Israel is the most beautiful country in the world, right? Well, yes of course. It’s the land that we inherited from generations of Jews that came before us and Jews don’t mess around when it comes to beauty. So, where to begin? In such a diverse country it’s not always easy to get your bearings and figure out what is most important to see. Well look no further! Your In-the-Aretz correspondent is here to rescue you yet again.
Disclaimer, this will be nothing close to a complete list of things to look out for. If anything, it’s the opposite. This piece will barely scratch the surface of important things to do and see if you want to cover a little bit of everything in the holy land. However, it’s a good place to start!
Starting from the North, we have the Golan Heights. The picturesque mountains make the Golan the peak of the country. With hiking trails around every corner, this is the perfect place for anyone who wants to get outdoors but can’t really handle the dry desert of the South.
I recommend visiting the Tel Saki base, an IDF base that is no longer used but was absolutely crucial in the operation to reclaim the Golan. They give incredibly educational and beautiful sunrise tours, so if you’re looking to learn, this place is for you! Some more casual and fun activities would be the hikes in Habashan and the gorgeous views from Ein Zivan. Lastly, the water hike in Ein Tina is unlike any other, and has different areas for different skill levels. Perfectly refreshing for a hot day, Ein Tina would be one of my must-sees in the Golan.
Next, there is the Galilee. This is slightly lower than the Golan, and features the beautiful Kineret lake. The most challenging yet rewarding hike that I’ve encountered here would be Nahal Kziv. Following a river along a mountainside, this hike is long but absolutely worth it.
Slightly to the West, is the Achziv beach. This beach is on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea, and is definitely an important visit. Some other beautiful hiking options would be in Arbel, Tiberias, and finally Tzipori. For anyone who likes fresh water, take a trip to Nahal Amal, a long and fresh body of water with hundreds of little fish who will not leave you alone.
For all my spiritual readers out there, do not skip out on visiting Tzfat once you’re in the North. This hub of spirituality and art is home to some of the hippiest, kabbalah-loving, sunrise-watching, crystal-wearing people you will ever meet, not to mention the rich Chabad history there. Another important spirituality stop is Pki’in, home of the cave where Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai hid for 13 years!
Traveling down along the coast, we have now come across Haifa and Acco! These two cities are beautiful residential areas with an abundance of beaches and parks to explore, including the incredible Nesher park, which looks out onto all of Haifa!
A little further South we have Zichron Ya’akov, a small city with beautiful infrastructure that housed thousands of Jews during the first aliyah!
Next, we come across Caesarea, Hadera, and Netanya. These places are all home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the country, but they are also some of the hottest places, so take this with a grain of salt.
Moving away from the coast, the rest of the country at this level is considered to be part of Judea and Samaria, or more widely known as the West Bank. This area is not always thought of as the safest place to vacation, due to a history of conflicts in the area. However, with the correct knowledge and safety measures, it can lead to some pretty amazing trips. This area is huge, and requires its own article, as well as its own very specific research, so I will just say that some of my personal favourite places there include the Ein Prat nature reserve, which is one of the greatest trails I’ve ever walked. Additionally, the Mishor Adumim zone has a super cool mall and a brand new amusement park! Shiloh, Beit El and Pisgat Ya’akov are also some important visits, featuring the supposed location of the rock that Yaakov took a nap on all those many years ago. All in all, Judea and Samaria can be an incredible place to explore, as long as you take the time to research exactly where it is you’re going.
Heading back to the coast, we’ve made it down to Tel Aviv! This city speaks for itself, as the central party and business city of the country. It has beaches, shops, markets, and restaurants galore. It also has an incredibly important history, as it used to be the most desolate place in all of Israel before it became what it is today.
Further down we now have Holon (they have great waterparks), Rishon Le’tziyon, Rehovot, and Ashdod. All of these are mostly coastal cities, so they too have beaches! And once we’re talking about Ashdod, if one were to venture just 15 minutes East, they would come across Givat Washington, the incredible campus that this author lived on for an entire year during seminary.
And finally, we have landed on the gem of the country, Jerusalem! Jerusalem too would require its own article, so I will try to stay brief. When visiting Jerusalem, the Old City is absolutely crucial. This is where the Kotel (The Western Wall) is located, along with millennia of historical sights with unparalleled connections to the Jewish people. Moving away from the Kotel, there are the art shops of the old city, Ir David, Ben Yehuda, Shuk Machane Yehuda, and so much more. Some other super beautiful stops would be Gan Sacher park, and the Tachana Rishona market. Everything I’ve mentioned above are just the well-known tourist spots, but there are hundreds of hidden gems throughout the city, and all it takes is a stroll along the streets of Jerusalem stone to find them. I could go on and on about the wealth of historical and beautiful sights there are to see in Jerusalem alone, but it would never end, so let's move on.
Just South of Jerusalem we come to Gush Etzion, my personal favourite place in the entire country. The Gush is home to some of the most incredible places in the entire country, from hikes to cities to mountains and so much more. An important place to stop by would be Ma’ale Amos, a mountain that looks into the caves where King David hid in. Honestly, it doesn’t matter where you are in the Gush - you’ll probably find something beautiful.
Further South, we have Ashkelon on the coast, a beautiful beach city, and Sderot, a city known to be the most susceptible to attacks from Gaza. Sderot is not a place to visit without security, but if you can manage to make the trip there, it is so worth it, due to the wealth of history there in addition to the residents getting so much joy from visitors, as their lives can get quite hard out there. Moving East, we have Hevron, a city under similar conditions. Mostly Arab, Hevron is not safe to go to alone, under any circumstances. Nonetheless, it is the home of Maarat Hamachpela, the burial grounds of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah, making it a very important stop. With the right security, it can make for an incredibly fulfilling trip.
All the way East, we have the Ein Gedi waterfalls. These waterfalls are definitely a must-see, and some of the only natural ones in the whole country! This is definitely one of the top priorities when going on a nature tour.
Lower down, we finally start entering the Negev, which is the desert that takes up the Southern half of the country. Along the East coast, we have the famous Masada. This mountain features miles of ancient ruins to be explored, and most people like to do so at sunrise. If your endurance is high enough, do not miss out on climbing Masada. It’s worth it.
If you get really sweaty on the hike, worry not! Right at the bottom of Masada is the Dead Sea. Absolutely brimming with salt, the Dead Sea is the perfect place to visit for a relaxing float, but not if you have any open wounds. Believe me.
If we continue down, we enter the vast “emptiness” of the Negev. Although seemingly warm and dry with nothing to see, there are some super important places to visit down there. Some beautiful hikes down here include Nahal Tamar and Ein Avdat. Ein Avdat, aside from being a gorgeous mountain, is also right below Sde Boker, the old home-turned-museum of Ben Gurion himself! With the primary goal of building the Negev, he made sure to station his house right in the middle of it. Don’t miss this stop, I promise you’ll learn something. And Just West, in Chan Hashayarot, you can ride camels!
Finally, the most important place to go in the Negev is Mitzpe Ramon. Mitzpe is Hebrew for crater, and this crater does not disappoint. Miles and miles of open land, it is a place that will change you forever. From visiting the Ramon Center, to climbing down the side, to camping inside the crater itself, the joys of this place are endless, and you are going to want to spend the rest of your life exploring them.
Lastly, we have reached the absolute South. Welcome to Eilat! Globally known as a beach city, Eilat is even a vacation spot for Israelis. Snorkeling, deep diving, rafting, parasailing, it’s all at your fingertips here. Not only that, but Eilat is less commonly known for their absolutely stunning hikes. You can climb the most Southern mountain in all of Israel, the peak of which lets you see into three different countries at a time! Eilat is a lot of fun, and a super great place to check out if you have the time.
Another way to make sure you’re really getting the best of what Israel has to offer is by following the Shvil Israel. The Shvil is a 40 day trek from Eilat to the Golan, and stops through almost every city along the way. It is a huge commitment, and definitely not easy, but if this is your kind of stuff, it could be an absolutely incredible experience.
To reiterate, this list was not extensive. In fact, not even close. It was merely a glimpse into the wealth of variety that Israel has to offer.
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