The Negev

Introducing The Negev

Where the Judean Desert ends, the Negev begins, a spectacular region of low sandstone hills, rocky peaks and fertile plains furrowed with narrow canyons. Far from being a simple expanse of sand, the Negev is a seductress.

The Negev was once the heart of the Nabatean empire, and you can still follow the ancient trade route along which incense and spices were brought from southern Arabia to the Mediterranean. The archaeological sites of Avdat, Mamshit and Shivta reflect the way the desert was colonised for agriculture by the Nabatean people.

Someone else who recognised the potential of the desert was David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister and ‘father of the Negev’, who launched a development program to turn a wilderness into fertile farmland.

The Negev constitutes 62% of Israel’s land areas, but despite Ben-Gurion’s view that if the state does not put an end to the desert, the desert may put an end to the state’, it is home to only 10% of the population. This emptiness is its greatest attraction. Explore lofty plateaus and deep wadis on foot or from atop a camel on a Bedouin-style safari. The region’s most outstanding features are the world’s three largest craters. The biggest, Maktesh Ramon, can be visited from the peaceful town of Mitzpe Ramon, which clings to the crater’s edge. The Arava Valley, usually seen only from the bus window, is a stunning area worth discovering for its national parks.

Finally there’s Eilat, a razzmatazz of flashy hotels, suntan and sleaze parked on the coast of the Red Sea, an underwater paradise that makes up for the carbuncle on the shore.

Last updated: Mar 2, 2009