Introduction to The Golden Coast

Like the rest of the country, the Golden Coast combines the old and the new in a uniquely Israeli juxtaposition. Neon and chrome exist side by side with biblical and even prebiblical ruins. And there's much to see and do on the beaches of sand, pebbles, or rocks; sports enthusiasts can swim, fish, dive, boat, ski, or surf.

Today, the narrow coastal strip (only 16km/10 miles wide from the sea to the West Bank in some places) is the heart of the State of Israel, and most of its people live there. In biblical times, the ancestral heartland of the Jewish people was in the Judean mountains and farther north, in the Galilee and the hills of Samaria. The coast was almost always foreign territory. The southern part of the coastal strip, including Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ashdod, was inhabited by the Philistines, a people originating in the Aegean, who by 700 B.C. had largely assimilated into the local Semitic population. To the north, the worldly port cities of Jaffa, Dor, and Akko were bastions of the Phoenicians -- coastal Canaanites who spoke a language similar to Hebrew, and who were renowned for their prowess as seafarers and traders (in the 8th c. B.C., Phoenician ships, sailing from Eilat, on the Red Sea, were circumnavigating Africa). Phoenician hegemony continued northward along the coast to include Sidon, Tyre, and Byblos, in present-day Lebanon; Hyram of Tyre was an ally of King Solomon and provided architects, craftsmen, and material for the building of the First Temple.

Over the centuries, the coast became more central to the mosaic of the Holy Land's history. The construction of the Port of Caesarea (20 B.C.-5 B.C.) was the greatest building achievement of King Herod. It quickly developed into an outpost of Roman civilization that counterbalanced the charismatic Jewish capital at Jerusalem, and was soon counted among the most elegant and important cities in the Mediterranean. St. Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea, and it was there that many early Christians were martyred. A thousand years later, cities such as Akko and Caesarea were conquered and fortified by the Crusaders -- the impressive Crusader ruins at Akko and Caesarea attest to the power of the clash between Islam and Christendom that took place here. The 20th century brought lush kibbutzim, vineyards, wineries, and fish farms to the coastal plain. The 21st century is bringing wonderful beachside and country restaurants (both el cheapo and gourmet), as well as shopping malls and traffic jams.

Seeing the Area -- It's best to see the Golden Coast in sections: The southern and central coasts are convenient to Tel Aviv and can also be visited from Jerusalem; the north-central and northern coasts are easily accessible from Haifa and the Galilee. The water can be almost bathtub-warm in summer and swimming is possible from April until November. In fact, in a February heat wave, some visitors from northern climes find the Mediterranean near Tel Aviv is as warm as the North Atlantic ever gets in August.

Warning: On many days undertows and whirlpools develop that not even the strongest swimmer can fight. Obey the lifeguards. Be extremely wary about swimming in unguarded areas if there is any wave activity.