Eilat . Located at the southern-most tip of the country, within its small "window on the Red Sea", is first and foremost a resort town these days, devoted to sun, fun, diving, partying and desert-based activities. 320 km (200 miles) away from the tension often felt in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, Eilat is a convenient escape for Israelis on vacation, but during the mild winter months also attracts thousands of European sun-seekers
Today, the 2-kilometer (1.2-mile) North Beach area is full of hotels with opulent names like Herod's Palace and Queen of Sheba. The Tayelet promenade extends the length of the beach front and hosts numerous stalls, street artists, restaurants, and fashionable shops. The promenade has great views of the bay, and each evening it is full of strolling tourists. The southern beach, which has coral reefs, is protected by the Israel Nature Reserve Authority. It has many public beaches and excellent scuba diving centers. The Navy and commercial ports lie between the south and north beaches.
GETTING HERE By plane -Eilat Airport (ETH) is right in the middle of the city. Flights to Tel Aviv are frequent and take only 50 minutes, but expect to pay around NIS 250 for a one-way trip. However, if you fly EL-AL, your flight ticket to Eilat is included in the price, tourists can also arrive in Eilat on charter flights via the Ovda International Airport (VDA), also known as Uvda, 65 km (40 miles) and nearly a 50 min drive from town .By bus All buses in Eilat leave from the Central Bus Station on HaTemarim Boulevard.Egged express buses drive from Tel Aviv (390/394) and Jerusalem (444) to Eilat hourly, the trip takes around 5 hours and costs NIS 75 one way (60 for students) or 128 NIS for a return ticket.Local bus 15 shuttles from the bus station to the Egyptian border at Taba, from where you can continue on south into Sinai. There is at least one bus a day heading from Taba bus station to Sharm-El-Sheikh via Nuweiba and Dahab By carThere are a couple of ways to drive from Tel Aviv to Eilat. One is via Mitzpe Ramon. Another nice alternative is from Tel Aviv to the Dead Sea via Arad, stay a couple of days there or just make a short stop and then continue to Eilat. It takes approx 5 hours from Tel Aviv.GETTING AROUND Central Eilat can be covered on foot, although during the summer the scorching temperatures make walking around unpleasant. A limited bus system serves the suburbs, and taxis prowl the streets looking for fares. Insist on the meter or at least agree on the fare in advanace, as Eilat's taxis are famously mercenary.Here are some numbers , for full list see our local info page.
Shachamon Taxi service - 08-6338181Taba 08-6333339Melech shlomo 08-6333338
The main beach is in the North beach, and many of the major hotels are situated here. The south beach area (Coral Beach) is protected by the Israel Nature Reserve authority, but recent years have seen a decline in the marine life and reef quality. Fortunately, since the removal of the controversial fish cages from the Gulf water in 2008, a steady recovery of corals has been seen at all dive sites. While many divers head south to the Egyptian Sinai coast to Dahab or Sharm el-Sheikh, to experience better diving conditions, many divers still prefer Eilat, with far smaller crowds, interesting macro life.Coral Beach - is the best place for scuba diving and located here are some of the most professional and best dive clubs in Israel, offering technical diving courses, rebreather, nitrox, tri-mix etc.. The whole coastal area is protected by the nature reserve authority and divers are expected to follow regulations. The south beach is a great place for snorkeling, windsurfing and kite-surfing plus it has fantastic views over the bay.see our list of "recommended" diving centers.
Underwater Observatory. - One of Eilat's most popular attractions is a good way to view the Red Sea marine life without getting wet. It's white tower (Eilat's most famous landmark) offers great views of marine life, where sharks, sting rays, turtles, plus lots of multi colored Red Sea fish can be seen.. The huge glass windows allow visitors to get a great view, and the Oceanarium simulator is also a lot of fun for kids -
Dolphin Reef - South Beach (3 km south of town towards the Egyptian border), . Not just a tourist trap, the staff actually work to rehabilitate dolphins for life in the open sea - from whence they came. Various options are available for interacting with the dolphins, starting with snorkeling with the dolphins at NIS 227. It's a very nice beach with lots of small pools and rich shrubbery. It has a fantastic spa (relaxation pools) highly recommednded by us, and is well worth a visit. "What's Up" The Observatory in Eilat has begun a new show. With the addition of a special camera we can show you the deep sky as well as the moon and planets on a computer screen rather then through the eyepiece of the telescope. We can now collect photons in a way the eye could never do and see the wonders of the sky in living color. Watch the image build as the light is collected and hear tales about the personalities of the heavens as well as scientific explanation of what is going on up there. "What's Up" is suitable for all ages as well as being accessible to the handicapped.
Kings City in Eilat is a biblical theme park in Eilat, which has been inaugurated in June 2006. Built over a 40,000 square feet area on three levels, the park resembles a king's palace. The palace has four sections: Journey to the Past, Cave of Illusions and Wisdom, Bible Cave and King Solomon Falls. A great family outing - kids love this place.
The "WOW" family show, on every night at the Royal Garden theater, is a spectacular Ice show, and a "must see' for all visitors.
The Negev desert surrounds Eilat and its scenic Eilat Mountains Nature Reserve has some of the most spectacular desert routes in Israel. Trails include ancient trading routes and the Great Rift Valley. Desert Hiking, 4x4 jeep tours and camel treks are major attractions in this area of the Negev desert. Eilat has many experienced and professional tour guides and companies to choose from.see "our recommended " Desert tours
Every summer, the Red City music festival is held in Eilat. This beach festival is held on the beach and consists of consecutive days of all night performances (Hip-Hop, rock and especially trance)Red Sea Jazz Festival This annual event takes place in the last week of August and Jazz musicians from all over the world come to Eilat, for a week of fun, sun and lots of Jazz.Kite surfing, Club Med Beach, Eilat is one of the best locations in the world for learning how to kitesurf. The weather and sea conditions are perfect for beginers with steady northern winds and a calm sea. KiteXEilat offers various beginners classess. LEARNING PROGRAMESThe Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Eilat Campus, offers short and long term academic programes for students wanting to study and live in Eilat. RESTAURANTS and BARSThe main promenade is packed with stylish restaurants catering to tourists and locals alike, offering some of Israel's finest cuisine prepared by Israel's master chefs. The vast variety of restaurants understandably come at a price, but they don't get as pricey as the restaurants of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.For Eilat's cheap yet excellent falafel, check out the falafel joint just across the street from the bus station at the International Birdwatching Centre, on HaTemarim Boulevard.Pago Pago floating restaurant on the Marina, is an attraction in itself. The restaurant is strictly non-kosher, serving great sushi, sea-food and fantastic steaks. Pedro's Restaurant, for an excellent steak, in the "yealim" residential area, Very highly recommended by Eilat locals.Eddies Hideaway, also hidden in the Yealim residential area, Excellent cuisine and personal service, satisfaction Guaranteed.Redsea Star, underwater restaurant, also an attraction in itself, located next to Meridien Hotel, Great place for family or group gatherings.Refaelo's in the Tourist center, cozy atmosphere, great food and service, Live entertainment with ENGLISH singerGary Thomas- great " English pub" atmosphere.For more english music, The Monkeys Pub have various bands from England, changing every few weeks.Very popular place and always full. see our "local info' for full list of bars and restaurants.
WHERE TO SLEEP?Sleeping Outdoors - for a cheap holiday, if you have a tent and dont mind the heat, is possible at the North Beach, next to the Jordan border, and also at the South Beach, , south of "Migdalor beach".Getting there: North Beach – take a bus route 15 to the hotel area of the North Beach, then just walk to the seashore and the promenade will take you to the end of civilization and there you may put your tent.South Beach: bus route 15 to Migdalor beach. Then just walk further south and find yourself a place for a tent.Important Note: When staying outdoors please keep all your garbage with you and DO NOT light fires – the beaches are protected by Israeli Nature Protection Organization.Sleeping "almost outdoors" -you can stay at the organized camping site. There is only one such site in Eilat, owned by the Field School which is situated on the South Beach. In addition to a clean and quiet camping area, they provide running water, shower and electricity.They also offer meals in their diningroom . The Field School offers rooms at very reasonable prices, recommended to book in advance. Getting there: take a bus route 15 from the Central Bus Station (CBS) – gets directly there for less then 5 NIS (2010). A cab From the CBS would cost about 25 NIS.The hillside around the Central Bus Station is home to many hostels which are popular with backpackers. You can find some real gems hidden among them but be prepared to take some time checking them out.Check our "recommended" hostels for more details and contact numbers.
Private rooms - As you reach Eilat, especially by bus, the second you step down on Eilat land, you will get surrounded andpounded by numerous people offering their houses or parts of them for your accommodation. These are really a gamble, because you never know what to expect. .Always best to make a booking and find accomodation before you arrive. check our "Vacation rental" page for all types of "recommended"accomodation, and full list of hotels and hostels on our"local info" page.
OUT OF EILAT Yotvata Kibbutz - specializes in fruit cultivation and dairy farming. It supplies much of the milk and several varieties of fresh fruit and packaged goods to the Negev / Eilat region under its logo of a setting sun with two linked palm trees. They also take in traveling volunteers and have a Hebrew school for foreigners.In Israel itself, Jerusalem, Masada and the Dead Sea are a few hours away by bus, and can be easily visited in a day or two on organized tours.South of Eilat is the border crossing to Taba Egypt, where the Taba Hilton and nearby Taba Heights beach resorts are situated. Here begins the Egyptian Sinai peninsula where St. Catherine's Monastery andMount Sinai are located.Within walking distance of Eilat's North Beach is Israel's border with Jordan. A short drive away is theRabin border crossing to the adjacent Jordanian town of Aqaba, Jordan's largest port and tourist resort. Further inland is the ancient Jordanian city of Petra.To get to the Egyptian border take a taxi (35 NIS) from Eilat to the border, or take bus line 15 (6 NIS) and walk across. On the Egyptian side there is a minibus station as well as further along a full bus station. Note the border can take between 20 min to 2 hours. You will need to pay an exit fee when leaving Israel (94.50NIS - Apr 09) and if travelling further south than Taba another fee (75EGP - Apr 09) at the checkpoint south of the border. If you plan to continue further than the Sinai, deeper into Egypt (Cairo) then you need to apply for a visa in the Egyptian consul in Eilat. The embassy is open from 9:30am to 2pm on Sunday to Thursday. It takes aprox. 20 min for European and American tourists, and costs 100 NIS. Remember to bring a passport photo with you to the embassy - it is required for the visa, and the embassy has no photo-taking facilities. If you don't have a passport photo handy, you can take one on the 2nd floor of the shopping mall right at the corner of the Eilat beach. If you are on an organised tour, some tour companies can arrange the visa on the day of the tour at the border.Eilat-today.com offers help, information and recommendations in English - to English speaking tourists. If you need our help or advise, we can be reached at 077 5260943 077 4030852
