Eilat Attractions

In the past Eilat was called Um Rash-Rash, or Etzion Gever – a port and a tourism city in the south of Israel. The main attractions here are the Red Sea and its beaches. Eilat has the perfect climate, even in winter, with a mesmerizing panorama of desert mountains and blue sea.

The city offers plenty of entertainment, fun, attractions and fine hotels.

Eilat – You don’t want to miss it!

Dining

As a major tourist destination, Eilat offers dozens of restaurants, serving foods from all over the globe. Restaurants are scattered all around the city, at all price ranges. The list is endless, including far eastern restaurants, Italian, Indian, French, Yemenite and Brazilian restaurants, fish, meat and of course, Humus. You may also find excellent dining possibilities at all the different hotels.

Fun in the Sun

Want a perfect bronze tan? Well, Eilat is no doubt the perfect place to get it. Get out to Eilat’s beautiful beaches and join locals and tourists in their favorable pastime – sunbathing. Each one of the city’s beaches has something different to offer, so you can find your favorite place where you can feel right at home. Some beaches are open free of charge, while others charge admission fees. If you are looking for some quiet time you may find it in one of the virgin beaches, watching the Edom Mountains and the turquoise Red Sea.

Eilat beaches run from the north edge of the Eilat bay, near the Jordanian border down to Taba, at the Egyptian border. Many of the hotels offer beach services including snack bars, beach games, and sports activities. Don’t let the light north wind confuse you and remember to always wear sunscreen and a hat. In most beaches you find parasols, or you can rent one. Action seekers will find plenty of attractions and activities. Water sports are very popular around here, so you can chose to play netball, enjoy a paddle boat, tear through the water on an inflated “banana boat”, fly above the sea like a bird with a parachute pulled behind a speeding boat , surf, hop on a sailboat, and much more.

The Almog Beach (admission fee applies) is a nature reserve known as one of the most beautiful reserves in the world. Bring your own snorkel gear or rent here, or go “snuba” diving among the colorful fish. Another great attraction in Eilat is the Dolphin Reef (admission fee applies). Here you can swim, snorkel, dive and even take a picture with the reef’s lovely dolphins. Beach services here are great, including clean restrooms and showers, restaurants, snorkeling and diving center, and of course parasols and sun beds. There is also a floating pier with observation points where visitors can enjoy getting close to the dolphins.

Above and Under the Water

If you think of Eilat as a barren desert, all you need to do is put your head in the water and find all the wonderful underwater jungles of corals teeming with colorful and unique flora and fauna. If you prefer to stay dry you can still enjoy all these on board the “Mitslol Jules Vern” – a mobile underwater observatory in the bottom of a sightseeing ships, on board of one of the a glass-bottom boats, and of course at the Underwater Observatory Marine Park.

The observatory is the proud owner of the largest collection of exhibition pools and aquariums in the Middle East. Most of the observatory is air-conditioned, allowing you to take your time watching the dozens of fish and creatures, plants and corals, sea turtles and stingrays, as well as the shark tank. Prepare to shake, rattle n’roll at the Oceanarium – an underwater dive simulator motion theater taking you to a journey beneath the sea.

This summer you can still enjoy the unique Amazon exhibit – snakes, poison frogs, piranha fish and colorful parrots alongside tropical plants, special activities for kids, and two lovely Ara parrots asking for crackers and interacting with visitors. The jewel of the crown is the three-story building taking visitors 6 meters (20 ft) below the sea surface. Through the large panoramic windows you can observe an amazing variety of fish leading their fascinating lives in their natural environment, right before our eyes.

Desert Life

Eilat is situated at the heart of the desert, and the desert, you should know, is full of life. By jeep (4×4), ATV, horse or camel, come discover the desert animals and plants. There are many tour guides in Eilat who will offer you fascinating tours into the deserts. Those range from one hour tours through magical nocturnal trips with Bedouin-style refreshments.

You can also rent a bike and go for a ride in Wadi Shlomo, where you will find a camel ranch populated with many camels that will be happy to take you for a ride, and if you ask real nice, will even pose for a picture with you. Bird watchers will love Eilat’s bird watching Park, situated close to the Jordanian border.

There are rappelling tracks suitable both for travelers who are new to the sports as well as for experts. In these tours travelers can learn a lot about the desert plants and geology, as well as the history of the region, which up until a few thousand years ago was a thriving agricultural area. At the Texas Ranch visitors can wonder around the wild-west town constructed as a movie set, go horseback riding, take funny pictures and enjoy every second.

Recommended tours outside of the city go to the Amram Pillars. About 10 kilometers north of Eilat, and a few kilometers westwards, at the end of a dirt road you will find an impressive series of pillars of rocks carved by water and wind. Two other recommended trail are at the Red Canyon (a half hour drive from the city) – 600 meters of beautiful red sand stone layers – and Ein Netafim – a unique water spring at the base of a 40 meter high (131 ft) waterfall.

The Eilat Promenade

The promenade (or Tayelet, in Hebrew) is stretched along the shoreline, from the south to the north-east, for the convenience of all vacationers. Stroll along the promenade and take in the clean sea air, mixed with the smell of barbequed meat coming from the restaurants along the beach. In the summertime the promenade is teeming with locals and tourists sitting at the many eateries, eating ice-cream, corn on the cob and many other special treats and shopping for souvenirs, sunglasses, hats and much more.

Night Life

Most of the pubs in Eilat are located around the tourist area or along the beach side promenades under the large hotels. These pubs offer not only a wide variety of drinks and tasty nighttime snacks, but also live performances by artists from Israel and overseas. The discotheques are mostly located in the tourist area, although lately there have been some nice new openings down at the Eilat’s old industrial zone. Many of the hang-out places around the promenade are owned by the hotels but they will let non-guest join the fun. At night, many beaches turn into pubs, attracting hosts of young people.

The combination of music, dimmed lighting and the sound of waves is unbeatable. In recent years there is a flourishing dance scene in Eilat, with some of the world’s best-known DJs and the most up-to-date music. It is best to ask at your hotel or the taxi driver where you could find the best party of the day. The sound, lighting, décor and technology are state-of-the-art, and you better dress properly or the door guard won’t let you in. There are two movie theater complexes, both located in malls – one at the “Mall HaYam” at the end of the “Tayelet”, the other at the “Hakenyon Ha’adom” mall, downtown.

Shows run from the afternoon through midnight on Fridays. Granted Eilat is no Tel-Aviv, yet you can find plenty of little restaurants and coffeehouses. Alongside the regular chains you can find some lovely little local places serving light meals, freshly baked bread and pastries, special drinks and fine alcohol.

Shopping

What vacation is complete without shopping? Eilat is a tax free zone, which means you can shop for almost everything (except for a short list of electronic devices and cigarettes) and save the local VAT. There are dozens of stores all around the city, including most of Israel’s main chain stores, offering their goods for much lower prices.

Good stores can be found not only downtown and in the vicinity of the big hotels and malls. It is worth your while to get yourself to Eilat’s industrial zone where you’ll find many boutiques, jewelry stores, shoes, home apparel, music and almost everything your heart desires, and all for great prices. Every Monday and Thursday you can visit Eilat’s open air market. It is pretty small but offers quite a large selection of merchandise, with fresh fruit and vegetables, exotic spices, clothes, jewelry, posters and more.

During the last year there have been openings of two exclusive shopping centers: “Le Boulevard”, an air-conditioned shopping arcade at the Royal Garden hotel offers luxurious brand names, and the Queen of Sheba Shopping Center at the Hilton, where you will find a great selection of shoes and accessories.

For more information on sites of interest to visitors to Eilat, see:

http://www.eilatnature.com/

http://www.eilat-guide.com/

Eilat Municipality English site:

http://www.eilat.muni.il/?CategoryID=1430

Israel Government Tourist Office on Eilat:

http://www.tourism.gov.il/Tourism_Euk/Destinations/Eilat/Eilat.htm