Northern Mediterranean Overview

The stretch of coastline north of Tel Aviv is home to much of Israel’s population and most of its agricultural output. Zionists and refugees poured onto the beaches for the first half of the 20th century and drained the swamps of the coastal plain, clearing the path for a modern, industrial state. Still, safely removed from the country’s two largest cities, the region maintains an old-world character. Life here moves at a more luxurious pace; the ways of the West haven’t completely taken over yet and many old villages remain remarkably well preserved.

Picturesque beach towns, friendly kibbutzim, and significant archaeological ruins dot the shore between Tel Aviv and the Lebanese border. Indeed, the coast and its attractions are incredibly idiosyncratic and travelers sun-worshiping one day may find themselves in a Druze village the next, and in a Crusader fortress the day after that. Almost every day, however, is bound to be followed by a glorious Mediterranean sunset and a night of relaxed strolling along a promenade.

• Intercity Transportation

No print schedules or maps are available for trains and buses in Haifa. Luckily, Egged bus company and Israel Railways have route-finders and price calculators on their websites (see Essentials), and ...more

• Orientation

Occupying a small, rounded peninsula that juts from the north of Israel into the Mediterranean Sea, Haifa slopes up Mt. Carmel from the coast on every side. Looping around the city’s edges, along with ...more

• Local Transportation

Buses: Egged (www.egged.co.il). NIS6. If you take another bus within 1hr., show your ticket to the driver to get it hole-punched instead of buying another. Bus lines running between the 2 central stations—Merkazit ...more

• Practical Information

Tourist Office: 48 Ben-Gurion St. (☎ 04 853 5606; www.tour-haifa.co.il/eng). Walk west for 10min. from the Merkaz train station, then turn left onto Ben-Gurion. Free city maps, access to the Haifa ...more

• Accommodations

The flow of Baha’i pilgrims into Haifa determines the availability of hostels—so make sure to call ahead, especially when planning to visit around a Baha’i holy day. The tourist office keeps a ...more

• Food

Like most places in Israel, Haifa culinary highlights include falafel, shawarma, bureka, kebab, and hummus. Downtown, toward Hof ha-Carmel, the shawarma places crop up thick and fast, and they stay open ...more

• Sights

Baha’I Shrine.  The golden-domed Baha’i Shrine that dominates the Haifa skyline commemorates the Persian Sayyid Ali Muhammad (the Bab), the first Baha’i prophet. In 1890, Baha’ullah, the founder ...more

• Museums

☎ 04 159 950 2211. The “museum” actually consists of 4 separate museums, each in a different part of the city. Individual tickets are available for each, but a combined ticket allows visitors into ...more

• Entertainment

Cinematheque, 142 ha-Nassi Blvd. (☎ 04 835 3530; www.ethos.co.il/cinema). Carmelit.: Gan ha-Em. Shows hundreds of alternative films and documentaries in Hebrew, English, and other languages. A schedule ...more

• Nightlife

Haifa nightlife largely depends on its soldiers, the 18- to 22-year olds just old enough to drink but not yet old enough to be back in school after their mandatory military duty. They congregate in downtown ...more

• Beaches And Outdoor Activities

The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) has an office on the second floor at 90 Yafo St. (☎ 04 855 3860; open Su-Th 9am-4pm) and provides visitors with the resources to walk Israel’s ...more

• Festivals

Haifa International Film Festival (www.haifaff.co.il). Organized by Cinematheque and the Haifa Auditorium and held annually during Sukkoth since 1983. As the festival approaches, more information will ...more

• Daytrips

Take bus #921 or 202 from Haifa, heading south along the road to Hadera (20min., every 30min., NIS14.60). From the junction where the bus stops, the town is a 2km walk uphill. To get to the center of ...more