Four Fabulous Waters in Israel

By Michele the Trainer

One of my favorite tourist t-shirts says “Dead, Med, Red”, which of course relates to the seas in Israel.  If you’re a water person, scuba diver, swimmer or beach lover Israel has a lot to offer you with its amazing unique water features.  We will add the Sea of Galilee, also called the Kinneret, to our list of gems.

Sea of Galilee/The Kinneret

Kinneret comes from the Hebrew word kinnor which means “harp”.  The Sea of Galilee is not really a sea but a giant lake.  The Kinneret is shaped like a harp and is a fabulous warm fresh water lake, but it’s huge.  The water and air feel very soft warm and magical at the Kinneret.  There is nothing better than an onshore breeze after a swim in the Sea of Galilee.

The water is about 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit, fresh water and clean.  You can stand in the Kinneret and see the fish swimming near your feet.  It’s a special place to swim and when you’re in the water you feel like you can just keep swimming from shore to shore.  You will see a lot of families here as this water is perfect for children since there is swimming and no waves.

There is plenty of history here for everyone.  The Talmud of Jerusalem is said to have been compiled in the shoreline town of Tiberius. For Christians, this is the place where Jesus spoke the Sermon on the Mount, Walked on Water, shared a miraculous fish catch with his disciples and remember that story about feeding thousands of people with 2 loaves of bread?  Yes that all happened in or on the shores of the Kinneret.

Dead Med Red

The Dead Sea

The Dead Sea is not really a swimming place, but more of a floating place.  The mineral rich water feels like hot oil soup with blended jalapenos in it.  Most places where you can enter the Dead Sea are serious as well and include hand rails, clocks and emergency rinse showers.  Dead Sea water is not a social or fun amount of salt, it’s serious.  People come to the Dead Sea from all over the world for the healing mineral properties of the water.  The Dead Sea is a quiet spa like adult atmosphere.

You won’t see many children here because this is a no splashing experience.  If you get the Dead Sea Water in your eyes, you have to flush them right away.  The water is warm here, reaching over 90 degrees F in the summer months.  If you put a plastic chair into the Dead Sea it will float on top of the water.  You will almost feel gravity free in this miracle water; it will require some strength to keep your feet on the bottom.

The Dead Sea is the lowest elevation point on earth, borders the West Bank and Jordan, and you will see a lovely view of Jordan in the distance across the sea.  Many of the spa hotels on or across from the shore will let you purchase a day pass, which may include their interior spa amenities (Dead Sea Mud treatments, pools, Jacuzzis, sauna,  massage, etc.), which is a nice way to spend a day.  Often the hotel spas will have interior pools with piped in Dead Sea water which offer shade, which is rare in the sea itself due to the elements.

The Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a playground and has a lot of shoreline personalities to offer. You can sit next to the Mediterranean in Tel Aviv and have a hummus lunch on the shore or ride a bike along the coastal bike path.  You can visit the harbor in Jaffa.  I love the summer on the shore of Israel’s Mediterranean.

You can swim in the Mediterranean year round (the temperature fluctuates but it’s never cold). There are some waves here but mostly rollers. There are some coves that you can find with easier entries that are better for babies.  This is the only place in the world where someone asked me if I’d like a tea while I was standing near the shore in the water.

Historic places on the shore of the Mediterranean include Caesarea and Acre, both five star beautiful and not to miss.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1480/

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1042

The Red Sea

Scuba dive?  Eilat is the ocean lover’s city on the shore of the Israel Red Sea, the southernmost part of the country at the end of the Negev desert.  You can fly or drive to Eilat. One side of Eilat borders Jordan and the other side borders Egypt with lovely coral gardens underwater in the middle. The water temperature here stays all year at about 75-78 degrees F, there are no waves, and there are many ocean activities here for both domestic and international tourists.

Because of the easy entry, warm water, and colorful fish you will see a lot of children scuba diving and snorkeling here with their families (minimum PADI age for certification is 10 years old). This is really where the desert meets the sea, the land is arid yet the diving is tropical. This is a great place to swim, stand up paddleboard, windsurf or kayak too.

Like Tel Aviv, there are a lot of beaches, shops, nightlife and food concessions to keep everyone happy in Eilat.  Read my Buddha Burger, vegan restaurant review story here and you can see the shore of Eilat:

http://www.engineeringwellness.com/michele-the-trainer-reviews-buddha-burgers-eilat-israel/

Underwater you can see lion fish, table coral, parrot fish, frog fish, pipe fish and more.  There are also a lot of conservation efforts going on underwater in Eilat to preserve the reefs, which is wonderful.  Restoration and protection are effective ways to allow the ocean to renew itself!

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Michele the Trainer is your Wellness Expert, Motivational and Wellness Speaker, Published Author, Concierge Celebrity Personal Trainer, voted Best Fitness Trainer Los Angeles Daily News 2013/2014. Michele’s success losing 165 pounds holistically and keeping it off since 1998 is very inspirational. Click here for fun free stuff and information from Michele the Trainer

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