Things to do in The Negev
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Negevland Tours
Best all-round adventure company in the area. It offers jeep crater tours, abseiling, paintball, and licensed hiking guides who speak English, French and Spanish. Negevland also has the only professional bike-repair shop between Be'er Sheva and Eilat and rents 21-gear mountain bikes.
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Alpaca Farm
Inspired by their love for South American wildlife and culture, Ilan and Na'ama Dvir flew 188 camelids (llamas and alpacas) here from Chile. Starting with 188 creatures, they now have over 500 at their beautiful Alpaca Farm tucked into a hidden valley about 3km from Mitzpe Ramon. The animals are being raised for their wool, which is for sale as hats and scarves. If your timing is right, you can see such activities as shearing, washing, spinning, weaving and, for kids, there is a llama ride. You can also stay in their attractive hillside suites. Each cabin is decked out with wood floors, cable TV, kitchenette and a great balcony for enjoying the views of the desert and all…
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Underwater Observatory Marine Park
For as much aquatic action as you can handle without getting wet, head to the Underwater Observatory Marine Park , south of Coral Beach. Aside from standard aquarium features such as shark tanks, turtles and stingray pools there are highlights like the magical glassed-in observatory, 4.25m below the water's surface, through which you can view the usually rich Red Sea marine life.
In case the fish outside fail to put in an appearance there are plenty of captive specimens in the accompanying aquarium. There's even a pitch-black room for viewing phosphorescent fish. Kids will get a thrill out of the petting pool and the regular feedings that take place between 11:00 and 15:…
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Bio Ramon
If you missed out on seeing desert creatures during your time in the Negev, don't worry as the entrance fee to the visitors centre includes the very worthwhile Bio Ramon, where you can see scorpions, porcupines and snakes all in a rather scaled-down version of their natural habitat. The 'bedroom hatches' mean you can even view nocturnal animals, but the knowledgeable staff recommend coming as late in the day as possible for best sightings. The Bio Ramon is just down from the visitors centre.
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Eddie's Hide-A-Way
For more than 30 years Eddie has been hiding in the back streets of Eilat making really good steaks and turning out inventive dishes such as delicate Shanghai fish with spicy soy paste. Vegetarians are not excluded, with an excellent meat-free lasagne on the menu as well as soups, and a mouth-watering stuffed mushroom dish. The intimate dining room is great for romantic dinners, the sort of place you can easily sit over a bottle or two of wine. The entrance to the restaurant is on Elot Ave.
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Last Refuge
If you're planning on a seafood dinner while you're in Eilat, locals and returning Israelis have been wholeheartedly recommending this cosy but kitsch fish restaurant for over 20 years. Try the catch of the day grilled over the charcoals or the spicy crab speciality, or tuck into seafood soups a Bostonian would be impressed with. Order ahead for specials such as lobster; in fact, ring ahead anyway, especially if you want a table on a Friday night.
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Haksa
Enjoy delicious home-style grill dishes such as meatballs with aubergine and couscous at this friendly restaurant in the industrial zone. There are no real vegetarian options but the owner will happily bring out salad, hummus and oven-hot pita if you ask. The library in the next room has every Marxist/feminist/anti-globalisation handbook there is translated into Hebrew, but also some English magazines that can be read on the couches out the back.
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La Cucina
Eat with the angels at this elegant Italian restaurant under the Royal Beach hotel with its heavenly murals, mood lighting, smooth suede furniture and bougainvillea-draped terrace. Decoration aside, the food is very good, with highlights being the wonderfully thin pizzas and fresh pasta dishes. Deserts such as lemongrass consommé with passionfruit are a refreshing change and certainly worth saving room for.
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Unplugged
Next door to the Underground Pub, this place has a main bar plus a popular outdoor tented area that attracts rowdy young things pretending to be drunk, and sleazy soldiers who commandeer the picnic tables with impressive MTV rip-off dance moves. While it would be an OK place to puff on a water pipe and relax on the couches, the music is so loud it makes chatting with friends a distinct impossibility.
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Three Monkeys Pub
The beating heart of Eilat's nightlife can be found at this wannabe English pub, which has 12 types of beer on tap (whether they can pour them is another question) and enough fruity cocktails to keep the sunburnt punters happy. Sit out on the sand under the fairy-lit palm trees, until you are drunk enough to think that the live cover band is good enough for a boogie.
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Israel Yam Boat Cruise
A popular excursion from the main hotel area is the Israel Yam Boat Cruise, on a glass-bottomed boat that cruises between the Egyptian and Jordanian borders, before heading to the Coral Beach Nature Reserve. It lasts two hours and operates at least three times daily. The underwater scenery is fairly spectacular and there's an accompanying English-language commentary.
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Regata
Unless you want to deal with a snarling maître d' and an hour-long wait, don't even consider turning up to this colourful Italian trattoria on the weekends without a booking. During the rest of the week it's a popular place for wood-oven pizzas, big bowls of pasta and plates of fish that you can eat outside or in the inviting multi-level dining room.
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Shibolim
Shibolim serves up the sort of breakfast you'll dream about for days to come. This rustic bakery makes a variety of interesting breads and pastries, a few of which will turn up on your plate along with home-made jams, tasty salad and dips. Coffee comes with a sample of their biscuits and the service is as sweet as the yummy range of cakes.
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Co-op Supermarket
A number of small restaurants, cafés and shwarma stands can be found in the New Tourist Centre, opposite the IMAX theatre, as well as the food court inside the Red Canyon Mall. If a sandwich is sufficient - and it probably will be given Eilat's appetite-busting temperatures - try the Co-op Supermarket, or the one in the Shalom Centre.
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Made in Mitzpe
To see regeneration in action, check out the industrial zone at the entrance to town, where an assortment of artists and urban-escapists have transformed the old hangars into studios and galleries. Stop by Made in Mitzpe studio for local ceramics, jewellery and clothing. Out the back a designer makes mud furniture.
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HaHavit
Located next to the visitors centre, the inviting HaHavit (Barrel) serves up huge portions of fresh salad, soups, sandwiches and pasta dishes. On Tuesday nights, young soldiers leave their Uzis in the corner and dance up a storm. By the way, it's not the well-stocked bar making you drunk; those views are for real.
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Ginger Asian Kitchen and Bar
A slick restaurant with black leather banquets and a wraparound bar, this is where the beautiful people come to nosh on late-night Japanese gyoza dumplings and sip Asian-infused cocktails. Food crisscrosses the Far East, from Thai curries to Indonesian noodle dishes and seafood tempura.
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Snuba
Snuba is a guided underwater adventure for beginners who have no proficiency with tanks but would love to see some of the aquatic sights. Guides take snuba divers to the Caves reef, considered one of the best coral reefs in Eilat. The cost includes two hours of snorkel rental after the activity.
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Coral Beach Nature Reserve
With over 100 types of stony coral and 650 species of fish, the Coral Beach Nature Reserve is a utopia for snorkellers. A wooden bridge leads from the shore to the beginning of the reef (which is over a kilometre in length), where you can follow several underwater trails marked by buoys.
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Village
After a big Friday night, the action gets started early with a beach party gearing up around 11:00 on Saturdays. It's cheesy but lots of fun, with a sandy dance floor, a DJ playing Israeli rap and staff hosing everyone down just in case they get too hot, hot, hot.
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Spring Onion
This is a popular two-storey dairy and vegetarian place beside the lagoon bridge in the hotel area. In addition to a great Israeli breakfast, you'll find fruit shakes, salads, pizza and fish dishes. The huge portions should tide you over for most of the day.
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Underground Pub
A travellers' favourite, pub grub, easy music and nightly live entertainment including a popular Wednesday-night karaoke party. Cheap beer fuels a lively crowd. There are several outdoor pool tables and live sports on the big screen inside.
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Desert Archery
A beautiful and intriguing sport, not dissimilar to a game of golf, but with a bow instead of a club and desert terrain instead of a putting green. Training is provided and it's around 50 per person for two hours with a guide and equipment.
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Desert Eco Tours
A good choice for wilderness tours is the reputable Desert Eco Tours, which does half-day to multi-day jeep, camel and hiking tours in the Negev, Sinai (St Katherine's Monastery) and southwestern Jordan. Prices don't include border taxes.
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Peter Bugel Tours
Caters for travellers who are interested in desert culture, geology and botany. It's a sophisticated outfit run by a fellow who speaks Dutch, German, English and Swiss-German. Overnight trips cost from US$350 for a group of seven.
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