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Haifa |
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Around Haifa - Acre and Caesarea |
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Rosh Hanikra – Today
this is a lovely tourism area, but it's been a stop-off since pre-history
for trade and armies between Lebanon (2 km away) in the north and Egypt
to the south. The spot was a border town for the Israelite tribes of the
bible and the town's cliffs appear in the Bible as "The Ladder of Tire."
Alexander of Macedonia hewed a tunnel here for his army after the siege
of Tire and the British thought that was such a good idea – they dug their own 250 meter long tunnel during World War II for a railroad
between Haifa and Beirut. The landscape here is unique in Israel: chalk
cliffs falling into the ocean. The main attraction here for kids is the
spectacular ocean grottoes. |
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 Beaches – The seashore supports many unusual
animals and plants. On the slopes of the cliff you'll see Bonsai-like bushes
shaped by the wind, while seashore lilies bloom in the fall. Bats and pigeons
nest in the grottoes, and flocks of local and European sea birds pass through
in winter. Divers will find fishes of all kinds; if you're here in early
summer, you'll see female loggerhead turtles dig pits on the shore for their
eggs. Later in the summer come out in the moonlight to see the baby turtles
dig out of those pits and run for the sea. |
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Cable
Cars – Take the cable cars to reach
the grottoes. Kids love the ride and there's a great bonus: spectacular
views of the cliffs and ocean. |
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The
Grottoes – 200 meters of tunnels
formed by the sea in the chalk rock cliffs. Before the 1960s only divers
could reach the tunnels, but in 1968 the Israelis spent two years digging
a tunnel to make them more accessible. A beautiful hike that looks completely
different depending on when you go: sunrise or sunset, winter or summer
the rocks reflect back light and color. |
