Israel has three seas – the Mediterranean, the Red and the Dead – so beach holidays here are varied. And the warm climate of the country allows you to have a good rest here at any time of the year. We tell you about the best beach destinations in Israel for a holiday during the velvet season.
To visit Israel, tourists from Russia need to fill out a declaration (48 hours in advance) and provide medical insurance that covers the treatment of coronavirus. No visa required.
Russian Mir, Visa and Mastercard cards do not work in Israel. Exit – cash, foreign bank cards or money transfer.
How to get there: on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays you can fly from Moscow to Tel Aviv with a technical stop in Mineralnye Vody. Round-trip tickets will cost 79,100 rubles, the journey will take you 8 hours*.
You can fly with a transfer in Baku, Dubai, Istanbul or Antalya. A ticket costs from 63,100 rubles roundtrip. The journey will take from 11 to 19 hours*.
Another option is direct flights from Sochi and Mineralnye Vody to Tel Aviv. A return ticket costs from 67,700 rubles. Travel time – up to 3.5 hours*.
Which resort to choose: in the fall the weather allows you to relax in Israel on all three seas – the Red, Dead and Mediterranean. If you want, you can visit everywhere in one trip. You can travel by public transport or rent a car at Tel Aviv airport – from 4,360 rubles per day*.
Mediterranean Sea
On the Mediterranean coast of Israel, autumn comes only at the end of October or even the beginning of November. In September, in Tel Aviv and other coastal cities it is still very hot: during the day it is usually +30–35°C, and the sea temperature remains at +28°C. At this time, there are still many tourists on the beaches in this part of the country. In October, the heat subsides: the air cools to +26°C, and the water to +20–22°C.
Popular cities for a beach holiday on the Mediterranean coast are Tel Aviv, Netanya, Bat Yam and Herzliya. All of them are located 20–30 minutes by car from each other, so you can choose one resort to stay and visit different beaches.
Tel Aviv
An energetic and active city, where restaurants, discos and nightclubs operate almost continuously. Here you don’t have to stay in a hotel on the first line; you can stay somewhere in the center on a budget and combine a beach holiday with entertainment and sightseeing. .
The beaches in Tel Aviv are sandy and well-maintained; they stretch one after another and are connected by a long embankment. Almost everywhere there are umbrellas, sun loungers, sun loungers, and lifeguards are on duty. Some even have sports grounds with exercise equipment. All beaches except Ha Tsuk are free.
Where to stay:
ISLA Tel Aviv is a stylish hostel next to the Nahalat Binyamin pedestrian street in the city center. The beach is 1.5 kilometers away. A place in a shared room for six people costs 3,900 rubles per night*.
Tel-Aviving Apartments – apartments near the Carmel market, 700 meters from the sea. A night in a small studio with a double bed will cost 5,500 rubles*.
The Lusky- Great Small Hotel – five minutes from the beach. Superior room with sea view costs 13,750 rubles*.
Bat Yam
This suburb of Tel Aviv is located 10 minutes from the city center and is ideal for families with children. Almost all hotels in Bat Yam have cribs and play areas, and in the city itself there is an entertainment center with swimming pools, water attractions and playgrounds. Also in Bat Yam there is a well-equipped beach with breakwaters, there are practically no waves and the entrance to the sea is gradual, without sharp cliffs.
Where to stay:
Armon Yam Hotel is a well-kept hotel on the first line. Triple room with sea view and breakfast – from 14,500 rubles per day*.
Colony Beach Apartment 705 – apartment with sea views and a private beach. A night will cost 11,900 rubles*.
Herzliya
This resort is located 12 kilometers from Tel Aviv. Holidays here include fashionable hotels where the Israeli elite likes to relax, luxury yachts, expensive restaurants and boutiques. But the beaches – and there are seven of them here – free and almost the best in Israel: magnificent soft sand, gentle entrance to the water, toilets and enclosed areas with showers every 100 meters, sun loungers and umbrellas available for rent. It is also the largest marina in the Middle East, which welcomes yachts from all over the world.
Where to stay:
Okeanos Suites Herzliya Hotel is a hotel on the first line with its own access to the beach and swimming pool. Deluxe room with breakfast and sea view costs 13,700 rubles per night*.
Daniel Hotel Beach – apartment with two bedrooms and sea views will cost 28,800 rubles*.
Netanya
Netanya is located 30 kilometers from Tel Aviv. This city is famous for its 13-kilometer beach line with soft and clean golden sand. There are nine public beaches, which provide everything for a pleasant pastime: sun loungers and umbrellas for rent, toilets, showers, changing rooms, rescue towers and sports grounds.
Thanks to the gentle entrance to the sea, Netanya is a good place to relax with children. But there is a nuance: the city itself is located on a high cliff, and you will have to go down to the sea using stairs or an elevator near the Main Embankment. Therefore, when choosing a hotel here, you should take into account its distance not from the sea, but from this elevator.
Where to stay:
King Koresh Hotel is a budget hotel, 750 meters to the elevator. Standard room with double a bed costs 5,500 rubles*.
Cozy modern apartment – one-room apartment with everything you need, two kilometers from the elevator for 7,000 rubles/day*.
Residence Beach Hotel – the hotel is 100 meters from the elevator to the beach. A luxury room with sea view and breakfast will cost 14,500 rubles per night*.
Red Sea
October and November are considered the best time for relaxation, when it is warm but not hot: +33°C in October and +27°C in November. Water temperature in the Red Sea It doesn’t drop below +20°C until December, so you can relax and swim here all year round. The only resort on the Red Sea in Israel is Eilat. People come here for diving and the stunning underwater world. You can fly from Tel Aviv to Eilat in an hour.
Eilat
The beaches of Eilat stretch for 12 kilometers. They have good infrastructure: showers, toilets, changing rooms, sun loungers, umbrellas and a cafe. Coral Beach is considered especially beautiful, from the piers of which you can go into the sea to swim surrounded by exotic reef inhabitants.
On the beaches outside the city, entry into the water is somewhat difficult due to the presence of rocks and corals, but these are the best places for diving. If you are a beginner, take a test dive with an instructor. It will cost 200 shekels. A three-day diving course costs from 1150 shekels.
In addition to beach holidays, Eilat has a rich nightlife. You can also go on an excursion to the Timna Park with desert landscapes and rocks of unusual shapes, or to the Red Canyon with fascinating curves of the relief.
Best hotels of the format “All inclusive” are located on the first coastline. And if you want to save money, you can choose a budget hostel or one of the hotels far from the sea.
Where to stay:
Little Prince Hostel – a hostel with access to the beach on the first line, for a standard room with a double bed pay 5,000 rubles*.
Designer One Bed Room – designer apartment with kitchen two kilometers from the beach. A night in a double room will cost 11,500 rubles*.
Leonardo Club Eilat is an all-inclusive family hotel with animators and a spa center. Superior room with city view per night costs 26,500 rubles*.
Dead Sea
Here It’s good to come in the fall to combine a beach holiday with medical and spa treatments. The air in September warms up to +28°C, in November – up to +22°C, and the water temperature does not drop below +23°C. From Tel Aviv you can take bus 421 any day except Saturday. The fare costs 50 shekels.
There are three resort areas – the small villages of Ein Bokek and Neve Zohar, as well as Arad, 25 km from the sea. There are also several paid equipped beaches at kibbutzim. The bulk of the hotels are located in Ein Bokek, almost all of them are category four or five stars There is also a clean public beach with showers and changing cabins. There are no beaches in Neve-Zohar, the nearest is two kilometers from the village.
The best private beach according to tourist reviews is Kalia. It is 40 minutes by car from Jerusalem. Entrance costs 50 shekels. In addition to sun loungers and umbrellas, there are spas, restaurants, a water park and cosmetics shops, as well as a lot of natural healing mud.
Where to stay:
Spa Club Dead Sea Hotel is a spa hotel in Ein Bokek. One-night stay in a superior triple room with three meals a day – from 29,900 rubles*.
Herods Dead Sea is a hotel in Neve Zohar with a swimming pool, spa and private beach. A room for two with two meals a day and a sea view costs from 19,100 rubles per night* .
Kfar Hanokdim is an atmospheric Bedouin-style desert hotel in Arad. Luxury tent for five people with air conditioning and half board – from 19,500 rubles per day*. The price also includes one camel ride per guest.
*Prices valid at time of publication.
