Glass-Bottom Boats -- Boats leave from the jetty just north of Coral Beach, or from North Beach near the Neptune Hotel. These boats offer a wonderful view of a fairy-tale marine world, with mounds of coral and clusters of rainbow-colored fish. Israel Yam (tel. 08/637-5528) operates daily 1 1/2-hour glass-bottom boat trips, leaving North Beach several times during the day for NIS 60 ($13) per person. You can book a boat ride through the Reservoir or Shiran Attractions Desks that operate at almost every Eilat hotel. Look for a 15% discount coupon, often available in the free Hebrew and English language tourist brochures.
A newer state-of-the-art vessel that offers underwater vistas is the Jules Verne Explorer (tel. 08/637-7702). The price is NIS 82 ($18) per person for a 2-hour tour. Mornings, when the sea is calm, usually provide the clearest water for viewing. A 50-minute dive in the Yellow Submarine (tel. 08/637-6666 or 08/636-2000) runs about NIS 300 ($65) for adults, NIS 163 ($36) for children, including entrance to the Coral World Observatory. Off-season and midweek, there are sometimes deals, such as a child in the company of two adults goes for free.
Sailboat Cruises -- Several yacht and sailboat cruises will take you on a full-day (10am-5pm) excursion to Taba, on the Egyptian border, and on to the Coral Island and the Fjord -- two points of interest along the Egyptian Sinai coast south of Eilat. The price for these cruises begins at $59 per person, and includes a boxed lunch; drinks and other refreshments are extra. If you go to the Egyptian coast, you can't land (you won't have a visa, and there's no Customs post on the beach!), but you can swim from the boat, snorkel, scuba dive, relax in the sun on board, and have a lunch that is included in the cost of the cruise. For a bit more money, you can also water-ski or go sailboarding, or book a cruise with a better quality lunch (several of the boats have kosher kitchens). Elsewhere at the marina, you can arrange a simple short sail for around NIS 55 ($12). Special diving cruises can, of course, go above the $60 range. Walk along the marina in front of the North Beach lagoon and see which boat or itinerary appeals to you; you can reserve in advance at most travel agencies, at the marina, or at large hotel desks, but it's worthwhile to do a bit of personal investigating and find the boat and cruise program you'll most enjoy.
