Eilat

Eilat is Israel's southernmost city, a resort of 56,000 residents set at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba — the northeastern arm of the Red Sea — where Israeli, Jordanian, Egyptian, and Saudi Arabian coastlines converge within a few kilometres of one another. The city sits at an elevation close to sea level beneath mountains rising to 892 metres, and enjoys approximately 360 sunny days a year, with winter daytime temperatures averaging 21°C and summer water temperatures between 24 and 26°C. Its principal asset is the Coral Beach Nature Reserve, protecting the northernmost shallow coral ecosystem on Earth: a reef of more than 100 coral varieties sheltering upwards of 650 fish species, with approximately 250,000 dives recorded annually.

The Underwater Observatory Marine Park, inaugurated in 1975 and expanded in 1991, allows visitors to descend to a chamber 6 metres below the surface and observe the reef through panoramic windows — an experience accessible to all ages without any diving qualification. Some 25 kilometres north, Timna Valley National Park preserves sandstone pillars weathered into extraordinary forms alongside copper-smelting sites that represent some of the earliest evidence of metallurgy on Earth, with workings dated to the 5th millennium BCE. Between these anchors, Eilat offers glass-bottomed boat excursions, kite-surfing, a dolphin reef, and hiking trails into the Negev and Arava desert landscapes.

Eilat is 240 kilometres south of Tel Aviv, a three-to-four hour drive along Route 90 through the Arava Valley, or a short domestic flight into Ramon International Airport 18 kilometres north of the city. The adjacent Jordanian city of Aqaba, directly across the bay, is reachable via the Wadi Araba border crossing. Eilat combines well with Wadi Rum (approximately 60 km via Aqaba) and Petra (approximately 130 km). The cooler months of October to April offer the most comfortable conditions for outdoor activities.