Let’s start from the bottom line – there are plenty of things to do in Eilat.

{and no, I’m not talking about the usual touristy attractions like the underwater observatory, the camel farm or just sitting by the hotel’s pool all day}.

Eilat is located in one of the most amazing areas in our small country – where the spectacular desert colors, the reds, browns, golds and blacks meet the blue and calm Red Sea. There aren’t a lot of places in the world that have a special landscape like Eilat, and yet, Eilat can’t seem to reach its full potential. The problem with Eilat is that everything runs on “Eilat time”, just like locals in Eilat like to boast about… everything moves slowly, including the development of the city, hotels and the culinary scene, so instead of starring as one of the most desirable tourist cities in the world, it remains far behind.

Now let’s go back to the beginning…

If you’ve been following the blog a long time, you probably already know that I live in Eilat over two years already.

No, I never dreamed of living in Eilat, but because of the circumstances, my destiny was to spend time in the most southern city in Israel for a few years of my life {for the full story click here}.

Although Eilat isn’t my first choice {and not the second or third…} of a place to live, there’s no doubt that during the long period living there I got to know all the better things and less familiar ones for tourists that this city has to offer.

In this guide I’ll share with you the 5 things I like most about my temporary city 😉

If you’re planning a vacation in Eilat, you should continue reading…

What’s the best way to get there?

If you’re not coming for a vacation in Eilat as part of a flight and hotel deal, you’re probably wondering what the best way is to get to the southernmost city in the country. The considerations to be taken are of course time, money and comfort and the options given are bus, car or flight:

• Flying is definitely the fastest and most convenient option if you departure from Tel Aviv, but as a result, it’s also the most expensive option of the three. You should know that flights to Eilat on Saturdays are much cheaper than on any other day of the week, especially from the Ben-Gurion Airport.
• If you’re traveling to the city as a couple or part of a group, arriving by car is the most economical option, although the drive is relatively long {driving from the center of the country takes 4-5 hours}. In order to make the whole experience of the trip more enjoyable, don’t forget to stock up on snacks and good music for the way 🙂
•  A bus ride to Eilat is my least preferred option, even though it’s the cheapest option if you’re visiting the city by yourself.

Sleeping Arrangements – Hotel vs. Apartment

If you follow my tour guides, you’ve probably seen that sometimes I prefer to spend my vacation in an apartment and sometimes in a hotel according to various considerations {cost, experience, room size, etc.}. Since I’ve been living in Eilat for over two years, I didn’t stay in the city for a long time as a tourist, so in this article I won’t recommend about specific apartments or hotels; But you’re welcome to check out the options found with the Airbnb search engine {if you order through my link you’ll receive a $40 discount code for your next trip} or my favorite search engine:

Don’t forget to use this article to choose the perfect sleeping arrangements for you.

Okay, so after covering how to get to the city and sleeping arrangements, it's time to talk about things that will make your vacation in Eilat far less banal, and much more interesting…

1. FEEL LIKE YOU’RE IN PARADISE AT MOSH’S BEACH

Mosh’s beach is a real piece of paradise in Eilat. I’ve said many times that if all of Eilat looked like this charming corner, with the same positive vibes you can find there, it would turn into the most perfect tourist city in Israel, and perhaps even in the world.

This tiny coastal strip is known by almost everyone thanks to the Israeli singer Mosh Ben Ari {who is also one of the owners}, but even if we put all the buzz on the side, this beach is one of the most perfect recreation places in the city. The Mosh beach will take you back to the calm and beautiful in Sinai, even if you’ve never visited there. It’s a beautiful laid back coast letting you lounge around from morning to night, to the sound of Indian, African and reggae music, on comfortable sunbathing sofas, mattresses and mats scattered around the beach right up to the water line. You can find a bar-restaurant that serves a variety of vegetarian dishes, good and simple food, for example, an Israeli breakfast, Sabich on a plate, beet carpaccio, Indian dishes, and beers, cocktails, hot drinks and fresh fruit smoothies. Keep in mind that this is an ecological beach, and therefore they don’t use any products which can pollute the environment, like plastic cups, straws and plastic bottles – so if you can’t drink your cocktail or fruit shake without a straw, you should bring one from home {and it’s better to bring one made from paper 😉 } .

Besides the bar-restaurant, in this magical beach you will find also a very successful stand that sells Bedouin pita bread and a cute store where you can buy the perfect beach wardrobe.

I recommend arriving on weekdays to enjoy the quietness and privacy, as the weekend tends to get a little crowded – and the service, which is slow normally from an ideological stand, sometimes becomes annoying to people who aren’t used to “Eilat Time”. And yet – if you go to Eilat over the weekend, don’t skip the new concept of a breakfast buffet every Friday morning called “Shishulchan” {Friday’s table} 🙂

The entrance is free but you should keep in mind that unlike other beaches in the city, it’s forbidden to bring food and drinks from outside, so you should prepare your cash.

By the way – Kosher keepers will be happy to hear that the beach will also kosher for Passover.

2. HAVE A PICNIC AT THE YOASH MOUNTAIN LOOKOUT

Surprisingly, most tourists who come to Eilat for vacation ignore the natural resources hidden there and the breathtaking scenery, and choose to spend most of their time in hotels, malls and the best case – on the beach.

There’s no doubt that a vacation in Eilat should include getting pampered at the hotel and shopping without taxes, but if you’ve already decided to reach the southernmost point in Israel – isn’t it a shame to skip a picnic in one of the most beautiful observations in the country?

The Yoash lookout, overlooking the Gulf of Eilat into Sinai from the height of 734 meters, is a 15-minute drive away from the city and is the perfect place for a picnic made from local ingredients which you can buy in the city.

In the picnic basket you should pack the special sourdough breads baked on a daily basis at the small “Broitman Bakery”, add sweet pastries, great cheeses, wine and natural fruit juices from “Neot Semadar” which you can buy there, and don’t skip the “Artzieli” tahini made in a small factory in Eilat. Plan to get there towards sunrise or sunset to enjoy a spectacular sight with a contrast created between the magnificent mountain colors and the deep blue sea.

To get to the lookout – drive on Route 12 and turn left at the Netafim checkpoint, where there’s a sign to the Gashron river. From there, continue driving up the dirt road until you get to three organized levels where you can park your car. The lookout is within walking distance of the antenna located there.

3. CONNECT TO THE DESERT NATURE

If you want to take your nature experience one step forward, you'll be glad to discover that it’s very easy to arrange a short and pleasant trip in the desert {better by jeep but a regular car is also okay}.

Since I’m a girl known for my affection for urban experiences rather than those related to nature, I went on this trip after two years in the city, thanks to my friend who decided that it’s time to experience the beautiful and less popular things in the city, and he took me and Daniel on an amazing trip in his jeep {by the way, he also rented a room via Airbnb – worth checking out 🙂 }.

You should start the trip in Eilat’s bird park, which attracts birds from all over the world. It’s worth visiting the park during migration season, which begins in mid-February and lasts until June, and stop at different viewpoints. From there, go along the flamingo path where in the salt pools you can watch pink flamingos and, from there, continue to the land of the desert dragons which is a 5-minute drive away. And yes, this is exactly what you think – a desert area used as a habitat for giant spiny-tailed lizards. They hang around freely, and are out mainly in the summer when it’s sunny outside.

You should take into account that there’s a chance you’ll get there and hardly see a lizard. Yes, it happens… But the best part of this trip is definitely the Hidden Lake in Timna.

There’s no doubt that you don’t see natural resources like this every day – deep blue lake, which seems as though it was created out of nothing in the middle of the desert, surrounded by the red cliffs of Eilat. You should go to splash around in the lake or even just to enjoy the magical view resulting from the combination of colors. I recommend bringing tea and coffee, or at least a couple of cold beers 🙂

4. DRINK AT A BOUTIQUE BEER BREWERY 

If I would ask you which bar you may know in Eilat, the first place that will most likely come to your mind is the famous and touristy “Monkeys” bar. If you want to go for a local option, and much cooler, you should got to Eilat’s industrial area.

The “Soof” brewery is a relatively new bar, which opened in the industrial area of ​​Eilat in 2015 by three friends who decided to fulfill an old dream and create Eilat’s first boutique beer. The small and homey space is divided into two areas separated by a glass wall – one side is the brewery itself, which is where the special beers are made in a long process and are sold at the bar itself and in various businesses in the city; And on the other side is the bar, where you can enjoy a variety of beers made on site, as well as small range of wines along with tapases, main courses and desserts.

Apart from the fact that it’s the local boutique Eilat beer, the uniqueness of the beers is that apart from the usual raw materials which beer is brewed from, at “Sof” they add special ingredients like cherries, coriander, coffee, ginger and more… The staff working there will be happy to give you a tour of the brewery and show you the process of brewing, making and bottling this special local beer. Fun!

It’s highly recommended to arrive for a business lunch and enjoy a cold beer after the beach on Fridays & Saturdays, or spend the evening at the bar and taste the interesting tapases.

5. SHOPPING WITHOUT VAT

One of the most attractive attractions in Eilat is the shopping without VAT! But as nice as it is to save a little money on clothes and accessories in fashion chains, the VAT discount is felt much more significantly on expensive items such as electronic products – so if you come to Eilat for vacation, this is exactly the time to buy a cell phone or the computer you’ve been dreaming about and save a few hundreds or thousands of shekels 🙂

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Drone pictures were taken by Ruslan Paul

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