Side Trips in Israel's Wine Country

On Hwy. 2, the highway that skirts the beach, signs announce Nasholim, a kibbutz located on one of Israel's most beautiful bathing beaches, Dor Beach. A wide expanse of sandy beach, it's touched by the gentle waves of natural lagoons. Looming nearby is Tel Dor, a mound containing the remains of an ancient city that was inhabited since Bronze Age times by Phoenicians, Israelites, Greeks, and Romans. The ruins of a massive Greco-Roman temple dedicated to Zeus on a hill at the southern edge of the beach add drama to the site. Entrance is free. Farther to the north at modern Dor is a picturesque area of caves eroded by the sea to form a natural tunnel at the water's edge. Unfortunately, tides sometimes fill the sheltered lagoons with a soup of garbage, and weekends can be dreadfully crowded. There are changing facilities and a simple place for snacks. Admission in season is NIS 20 ($5/£2.50) for adults and NIS 10 ($2.50/£1.25) for children. It's open Saturday to Thursday from 7am to 5pm and Friday 7am to 4pm. Visitors swim at their own risk out of season and after hours.