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Middle East and Africa / Israel / The Dead Sea and the Negev / Eilat

Things To Do in Eilat

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Eilat Attractions

At the southern tip of Israel, a 4-hour drive through the Negev from Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, the Red Sea resort town of Eilat is a world apart from the rest of the country. It’s a place where Israelis and tourists love to unwind and relax. There’s no ancient history to absorb, just easily accessible coral reefs to snorkel and plenty of beaches. Even in winter, when Jerusalem can be cold and raw and Tel Aviv can be chilly, Eilat’s beaches are usually warm enough for sunbathing and at least a quick swim in the Red Sea. It is packed with hotels at every price point, and although most are not directly on the town’s beachfronts, they have large swimming pools, many heated in the winter. Summers in Eilat are blazing hot and usually filled with vacationing Israeli families.

Eilat’s chief claims to fame for the tourist are sandy white beaches kissing calm blue waters, coral reefs filled with prismatic fish, and guaranteed sunshine (no matter when you go). What was once a small, relaxed desert and Red Sea resort town now hosts 50 gargantuan upscale hotels, vast shopping malls, and a boardwalk lined with jewelry shops, sneaker stores, and hawker booths where visitors are exposed to local arts and crafts while enjoying their evenings. (There’s no sales tax on retail purchased in Eilat, making it a shopping destination for many.) It’s easygoing, fun, and Israelis, both Jewish and Arab, flock here to forget the pressures of daily life. A number of European tourists jet directly into Eilat (and see nothing else in Israel). Eilat’s planners have not emphasized the desert and Bedouin traditions of the region—instead they’ve aimed for the generic look of a gleaming white international resort, such as Cancún. During Israeli school holidays, Eilat is usually overrun with families and kids.

Eilat is also a military outpost and a major shipping port—you’ll see ample evidence of this all along the shoreline. The city’s hotel area is less than a mile from the Jordanian border, and you can see the Jordanian port city of Aqaba, with a population of 30,000, across the bay in a haze of desert sand, ringed by date palms. Until Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty in 1994, Aqaba seemed as unattainable as a mirage. There is now a border crossing for tourists just north of Eilat, and from Eilat you can also book excursions to Jordan’s fabulous lost canyon city of Petra. Saudi Arabia is 20km (12 miles) south of Aqaba—you can see it from the beaches in Eilat.

During summer, the outdoor afternoon heat in Eilat can exceed 110 farenheit; it’s best to stay in the shade between noon and 4pm. In winter, the weather can be cool to chilly and dry, but the Red Sea is warm enough for swimming, especially if you’re used to the waters of the North Atlantic. Pools in better hotels are often heated.

Eilat Shopping

Eilat stones, a form of green and turquoise polished malachite, are sold throughout Israel in settings that range from contemporary to traditional Yemenite. They were popular in the 1960s and 1970s, less so now. Most hotel gift shops offer a selection of Eilat stone jewelry. You can visit Malkit (tel. 08/637-3372), an Eilat stone jewelry workshop in the Ha-Dekel part of town, Sunday to Thursday 8am to 7pm and Friday 8am to 1pm. The Egyptian Bazaar at the Hilton Nelson Village offers the chance to peruse Egyptian crafts and souvenirs you'd otherwise have to travel to Cairo to find. Some stock is tourist stuff; a few really beautiful crafts and objects will be found amid the stalls. It's easy to cross the border at the southern city limits of Eilat. Luxury shopping can be found at the Cardo Mall in Herods Palace; the North Beach Promenade runs the gamut from street fair booths to stylish shops that Israelis love because there's no VAT in Eilat.

Eilat Nightlife

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.

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