In this sun-and-fun resort, the crowds move from beach to bar, disco, or club after the sun goes down. The Eilat Tourist Information Center's weekly bulletin, Events in Eilat, available for free at the tourist office, will let you know what's happening where.

Several of the major hotels have nightclubs, piano bars, and discos. These are some of the liveliest places in town, patronized by international tourists, Israelis, and native Eilatis alike. Of the discos, Platinum, in King Solomon's Palace Hotel, is popular, with spectacular laser and sound effects. Admission at top hotel discos runs NIS 60 to NIS 125 ($15-$31/£7.50-£16). My favorite for easygoing beach atmosphere and spirit is the Dolphin Reef (tel. 08/637-4292), with its thatched-roof, sand-floor cafe/bar. There's often dancing on the beach Monday and Thursday nights (cover charge is NIS 40/$10/£5), and Friday afternoon/evening there's a quiet kaballat Shabbat (receiving the Sabbath) ceremony, with the dolphins flipping offshore. Bus no. 15 will get you there. Call Dolphin Reef for more information. The New Tourist Center and the North Beach Waterfront Promenade also have a lot going on in the evening, with numerous pubs and indoor/outdoor cafes humming with activity. Check the blasting Underground Pub (tel. 08/637-0239; www.underground-pub.com), with cheap beer before 9pm and Wednesday night karaoke parties. The Three Monkeys, on the promenade near the Royal Beach Hotel, is Eilat's biggest, busiest spot for drinking and dancing, with live music every night, a dual-level indoor area, an outdoor section beside the water, and an international crowd, largely in the 25-to-30 age range. It opens every night at 9pm, gets busy toward midnight, and has a dress code: no shorts or flip-flops, and neat (preferably informal but stylish) clothing. Dining and dancing cruises with live music and stars or moonlight are offered in busy seasons: Call Red Sea Sports Club (tel. 08/637-9685), or check with the tourist desk at your hotel. Prices start at about NIS 120 ($30/£15).

Various Israeli folklore evenings are sponsored by the big hotels, usually beginning at 9:30pm several nights a week. Music for dancing, or a disco, often follows the performance. The fee (about NIS 25-NIS 35/$6.25-$8.75/£3.10-£4.40) includes a first drink, or perhaps wine and cheese. Kibbutz Elot, 5km (3 miles) north of Eilat, often offers Saturday evening performances of Israeli Folk Dancing and Song. The price, including transportation and a kibbutz-style buffet dinner, is NIS 160 ($40/£20).

The Cinémathèque Club screens films in English at the Philip Murray Cultural Center (tel. 08/633-2257), at the corner of Hatmarim Boulevard and Hativat Ha-Negev. Regular starting time seems to be around 9pm; admission is charged. The major hotels show films and videos about excursions in the Eilat area as well. Check the tourist office's Events in Eilat for details.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.