Visiting Israel: Eilat

Located at the southernmost tip of Israel, tucked between Egypt and Jordan, you will find the winter resort town of Eilat. Positioned on the northern tip of the Red Sea, the town boasts busy beaches, calm waters, coral reefs, and year-round sunshine. Here you will find big, beautiful, modern resort hotels along the sandy beaches that might remind you more of Mexico than Israel.

Both Jewish and Arab Israelis, as well as plenty of Europeans, visit this area during the winter months. Eilat offers plenty of sun and fun and you can find all the usual beach resort activities, such as swimming, snorkeling, diving, and tanning.

One of the best beaches in Eilat is Dolphin Reef which is a little slice of heaven with its picturesque palm trees and thatched-roof huts. Offering the best swimming area in the city with flat, sandy sea floors, the real attraction is the dolphins that are found swimming in the clear waters. There is a roped off area that divides the human swimming are from the dolphin swimming areas, but you can pay to take a snorkeling tour that will allow you to swim with these wild dolphins. You can also take a walk out onto a pier for free that will give you a good view of these frolicking mammals.

Another Eilat highlight is the Coral World Underwater Observatory and Marine Park, located south of Coral Beach. Here you will find two underwater observatories which go out underneath the waves more than 300 feet where you can watch the sea life swimming by in their natural habitats in what is called the Japanese Gardens.