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Timna Park – About 20 minutes north of Eilat,
this is the site of
King Solomon's copper mines (probably the world's oldest). The Pillars of
Timma were created by water streaming through a crack in the rockface, but
Egyptians built Hathor's temple 3,400 years ago and made the drawings of
chariots. Thousands of artifacts have been found here, such as workrooms,
galleries, and a copper-smelting furnace. Timna Park is a great place for
kids, with an open air museum with rock carvings, a multimedia exhibit about
the copper mines and demonstrations of smelting copper, hiking trails, camping
in tents, pedal boats and camels rides. |
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Coral Nature Reserve – At the northern tip of
the Red Sea's
2,800-mile coral reef you only need a scuba mask to watch the see exotic fish swimming through coral of every color and shape. The
Moses Rock is a large coral formation that especially attracts
fish. |
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 Coral World – With an Underwater Observatory built 18 feet
beneath the sea in the middle of the reef, you can see the fish and coral
without getting wet. There's also shark and turtle pools and a snackbar.
Best way to get there? From the Eilat Marina in a glass-bottomed boat.
Check out the Underwater
Observatory site.
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Dolphin Reef – Home to pods of bottlenose
dolphins, who seem to
enjoy exploring humans as much as we like them. Click here for more details. |
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Literally
drop into the dive center –Snorkling in guided
groups of four people, minimum age age for kids is 10. Masks, snorkels,
fins and wetsuits are provided to snorkel in the sea (up to 45 feet deep)
for about half an hour. You may meet nose-to-nose with a bottlenose. |
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Underwater
photography – A great place for it, you don't
have to invest heavily in equipment. There are relatively inexpensive point-and-click
underwater cameras that do a great job and you won't flip when the kids want
a turn. |
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Special
Programs – The center offers programs for children over 7 who have
Down syndrome, autism, learning disabilities, hyperactivity, deafness, blindness,
etc. |
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Hai-Bar Yotvata– No, not
that kind of bar. It's actually a nature reserve 3,000 acres big, stocked with
onager, Arabian oryx, gazelles, ibex, addax, African wild add, leopards, hyenas, wolves and more. Take
the bus tours that leave every hour. |
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Mitzpe Ramon – The Visitor’s Center is
the place to get oriented, there’s so much to explore here, from walking
tours to a "round" of archery. |
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Ramon
Crater – Hard to believe this is a crater, it seems more like a
canyon at first glance. Tour the site in your rental car, or join one of
the walking tours, either way you'll be fascinated by the swirling colors,
and tell the kids to keep an eye out for the larks and chukars. |
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Lotz
Wells – At certain times of the year there’s a walking tour that includes a refreshment break in a Bedouin tent where you’ll
sip herb tea, coffee and munch on dried fruits – plan for about two hours.
There are also over-night tours available that feature spending the night
in a Bedouin tent – but most expect you to supply your own sleeping
bag. |
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Camel
tours – Rather ride a camel then a Mustang? There are camel
tours available as well. |
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Archery
park – This is restricted to adults and kids over the age of nine
– but if you love archery, don’t miss this stop. You can do anything from
a one to a four kilometer circuit designed to mimic a round of golf, with
convenient resting spots along the way. Modern archery equipment is available
for rental |
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Eshkol National Park – A huge oasis where
the Kibbutz Tze-elim features Israel's largest swimming pool as well
as an artificial lake where the kids can fish. Once a year it’s also the
site of a competitive sports festival featuring obstacle courses, climbing,
and archery. But no matter when you go, the suspension bridge, pool and
paths make for a fun day. |
