Botanical Garden of 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 began as a plant nursery) features a stream, waterfalls, walking tracks and – a lush surprise in this arid landscape – a misty rainforest. A taxi from the centre of town costs about 22NIS.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

2. Aqaba Bird Observatory

1.21 MILES

Run by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, this bird sanctuary is an artificially created wetland that's become host to a variety of species…

3. Eilat Museum

1.66 MILES

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…

4. North Beach

1.72 MILES

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…

5. Dekel Beach

2.56 MILES

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.

6. Ancient Church at Ayla

3.51 MILES

To the untrained eye, these ruins look unprepossessing to say the least, but archaeologists maintain that the remains of this ancient mud-brick complex…

7. Ayla

3.66 MILES

Located along the Corniche and incongruously squeezed between the marina and the Mövenpick Resort Hotel, Ayla is the site of the ancient port of Aqaba…

8. Dolphin Reef Eilat

3.67 MILES

This privately run beach is famous for its abundant shade trees, free-range peacocks and resident pod of semi-wild bottlenose dolphins. Originally from…