Visiting Israel: Netanya

Along the Golden Coast Region of western Israel you will find the beach resort town of Netanya. Located approximately twenty miles north of Tel Aviv, Netanya is a picturesque coastal town perched atop green cliffs that overlook the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. This quiet, lazy beach town is a favorite vacation spot for the local Israelis, but also attracts tourists from all over the world. There are a lot of Eastern Europeans who have made their home here, so it often feels more European than Israeli.

In Netanya you will find everything you need along the beach available for use by the public, including beach chairs, large umbrellas, equipment rentals, play areas, and plenty of food options. The water here is quite calm and shallow, which is great for swimming, especially with children. The weather is almost always comfortable here and the area is quite safe, except maybe at night. While the biggest draw is certainly the beautiful beaches, it also has a nice sized city center that provides plenty of restaurants, clubs, shops, and hotels to choose from.

Israel is considered the number one country in the world for cutting and polishing diamonds and Netanya is known as the diamond capital of Israel. There are two diamond cutting factories here and you can take a very interesting tour of the National Diamond Center if you choose. If you are in the market for purchasing diamonds you will save a lot of money buying directly from the factory, but if you just want to look you will also find this a very interesting experience.