Hai-Bar Yotvata Nature Reserve
The Negev
Established in 1968 to reintroduce animals that had died out in Israel, this 32-sq-km reserve on the Yotvata salt flats is home to a wide variety of…
Must-see attractions in The Negev
Mitzpe Ramon
Sometimes described as Israel’s very own grand canyon, Makhtesh Ramon is the largest protected area in Israel and is home to a huge number of hiking,…
Eilat
The crystal-clear waters of this 1km-long reserve are the best place on the Israeli Red Sea coast for snorkelling. Access to the reef wall is by two…
The Negev
En (Ein) Avdat comes as a huge surprise in this otherwise bone-dry desert: a year-round, freshwater spring that miraculously flows over a waterfall and…
The Negev
Dominating the surrounding desert, the beautifully preserved ancient Nabataean city of Avdat served as a caravan stop on the road from Petra to the…
The Negev
The site of some of the world's earliest copper mines (c 5000 BCE), the Timna Valley offers an awe-inspiring desert landscape of cliffs and rock…
International Birding & Research Center in Eilat
Eilat
Hundreds of millions of migrating birds pass through Eilat twice a year as they fly between Europe and Africa. The best place to spot them is this…
The Negev
One of the most gloriously isolated spots in Israel, Shivta was founded during the early Roman period (1st century BCE). Its well-preserved ruins –…
Underwater Observatory Marine Park
Eilat
The stand-out feature of this aquarium complex, hugely popular with families, is the observatory, which takes you 12m below the surface of the Red Sea…
The Negev
Declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 2005 (along with two other ancient cities in the Galilee, Hatzor and Megiddo), Tel Be'er Sheva was an important…
The Negev
In his will, Israel's founding father asked that the unassuming kibbutz quarters where he lived with his wife Paula remain exactly as he left them, and…
The Negev
Parked on the tarmac, about 120 historic aircraft – including a Spitfire used in the 1948 war, captured Syrian and Iraqi MiGs, fighter jets and attack…
Eilat
Pebbly North Beach and its promenade are often very crowded – for some people, that's one of the main draws. This is by far the most popular place in…
The Negev
The graves of David (1886–1973) and Paula (1892–1968) Ben-Gurion lie in a spectacular clifftop setting overlooking sublimely beautiful Wadi Tzin (Zin)…
The Negev
This dignified WWI cemetery, its gardens and grave markers neatly tended, is the final resting place of 1241 Commonwealth soldiers, including 174…
The Negev
Nestled in a valley richly planted with olive and other fruit trees, surrounded by stony Negev slopes, this family-run boutique winery was built on the…
Mitzpe Ramon
This pocket-sized wildlife park is an excellent place to see desert creatures you're unlikely to encounter in the wild because they are either nocturnal,…
Mitzpe Ramon
Affords spectacular views of Makhtesh Ramon. Ibexes often wander along the cliff rim around here
The Negev
At the the Boker Valley Vineyards Farm, run by a friendly Israeli-Dutch family, the heady aromas of red wine permeate the cooperative wine cellar, where…
Eilat
This privately run beach is famous for its abundant shade trees, free-range peacocks and resident pod of semi-wild bottlenose dolphins. Originally from…
The Negev
The smallest but best-preserved Nabataean city in Israel, Mamshit was established in the 1st century BCE; in the 4th century, it became the only fully…
The Negev
Built in 1915, the train station compound now houses a fascinating photo exhibit on Ottoman- and Mandate-era Be'er Sheva, including the town's capture by…
The Negev
Established in 1991 to provide income for Bedouin women and to preserve traditional wool spinning and hand-loom weaving techniques, this social enterprise…
The Negev
In the Early Bronze Age (3100–2650 BCE), Tel Arad was the site of an Early Canaanite walled city whose remains can still be seen. After being uninhabited…
Negev Museum of Art & Museum of Islamic & Near Eastern Cultures
The Negev
Housed in the elegant Ottoman governor’s mansion (1906), the art museum hosts temporary exhibitions that change three times a year (see the website for…
Eilat
Planted with more than 1000 different types of tropical trees, plants and bushes from around the world, this lovely, privately run botanical garden (it…
Eilat
Tells the fascinating history of Israel's Red Sea outpost. Exhibits cover the capture of Eilat in 1949 and include some great photos of the city's…
Eilat
Situated just north of Coral Beach, this section of South Beach has free umbrellas, clean water for snorkelling and a bar hosting loud parties during…
Eilat
Wedged between the port and the naval base about 1.5km south of the city centre, Dekel is less crowded than North Beach and is a popular snorkelling spot.
The Negev
This grand Mandate-era villa (1933) is now a four-room gallery featuring compelling works by artists from the Negev.
The Negev
According to the Bible, Be'er Sheva is where God appeared to Abraham (Genesis 26:23–25) and where Abraham made his covenant with Avimelech (Genesis 21:25…
Makhtesh Ramon Visitors Center
Mitzpe Ramon
Perched on the makhtesh rim, this visitor centre has extremely helpful staff who are willing and able to answer questions about the Makhtesh Ramon Nature…
The Negev
This winery was established in 1999 in association with the Hebrew University's School of Agriculture in Rehovot to test the possibility of growing wine…
The Negev
A good introduction to Bedouin life in the Negev. Exhibits include traditional clothes, household utensils, carpets, tools and jewellery as well as…
The Negev
As remote as it gets, the Ramat HaNegev Winery is situated in the tiny village of Kadesh Barnea, right on the Israeli-Egyptian border. This commercial…
Mitzpe Ramon
Nana is a high-altitude winery, set some 800m above sea level atop Mt Ramon. This location, in the middle of the Negev desert, overlooking the Mahktesh…
Mitzpe Ramon
Run by a friendly family from Dagestan, this one-room museum has exhibits and demonstrations on the weaving and tying techniques used to make the…
The Negev
Rota is one of the northernmost wineries along the Negev Highlands Wine Route. Run by artist Erez Rota, this small vineyard and winery, set amongst cacti…
