Alongside Jerusalem and its many historic sites, for some years now, Israel has been promoting its deserts to attract more tourists. Among those worth visiting is one that joins the Mediterranean, the Red Sea and the Dead Sea.
It’s a place to discover for its beauty and also its proximity to several other interesting sites.
Masada, an exceptional yet still little known site
Speaking of tourism in Israel, one tends to think of Jerusalem and several other religious sites where millions of tourists gather every year. Yet the country’s tourist riches aren’t just limited to these. Several natural sites of great historic value, still largely unknown to the general public are waiting to be discovered, in particular in the desert.
This is true for Masada, a site situated at 450 metres altitude. Access is by cable car, previously King Herod’s palace was here and the ruins can still be seen. Once you arrive, it’s completely amazing. From Masada one can easily reach the Dead Sea, the most salty sea in the world.
The Negev Desert, King Solomon’s mine
Solomon was the richest king in Israel’s history. According to the Bible, during his reign gold and precious metals were quite common in the country. Not far from Masada, in the Negev desert, we can see one of the mines he excavated. The scenery is absolutely breath taking with magnificent red coloured canyons.
Just a few kilometres from this site, is Ramon’s Crater, where one can admire the effects of rocks eroded millions of years ago. The crater is named after Colonel Iian Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut, who died on the 1st of February 2003 when he was returning to earth aboard the Columbia space shuttle. A museum in his honour has been built on the site. It’s best to travel to the site by jeep to be able to admire the local wildlife.
Two modern cities
Israel is a country where most cities have kept signs of tradition but Tel Aviv and Eilat stand out for their modernity. A very dynamic city, Tel aviv has an immense 14km long white sandy beach along with the famous Ali Baba’s cave. Eilat is an equally attractive city with its 12 km long beach on the Red sea, where one can watch dolphins.
If you’re looking for a unique communal living experience in Negev desert, visit Kibbutz. The town is known for its hospitality and its inhabitants’ sense of solidarity. Absolutely everything is shared: housework, food, agriculture, energy, lodgings etc. The needs of each member of the community are met thanks to this solidarity and the proceeds of economic activity are shared. To discover the region, you can use an app to reserve one of the cars bought by the collectivity.
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