Beaches
Although the waters around Eilat are safe, always take the elementary precaution of not going out too far alone, keeping in mind that depth is deceptive and that the numerous sharks are not particularly hungry for you; stepping on spiny sea urchins and getting your feet filled with their spines is the major danger.
North Beach is a stony/sandy beach that starts in front of the Sheraton Eilat Hotel, which extends as far eastward as the Dan Eilat Hotel and the Sheraton's Herods Palace Hotel complex; because it's relatively free of coral and sea urchins, this is a good beach for ordinary swimming. The nicer part of the beach is at the end near the Dan and Sheraton hotels. Water skis and boats can be rented, but make sure you know where you're going, because you don't have to ski very far to get into both Jordanian and hot water.
Coral Beach, which is a short drive or a no. 15 bus ride around the curve of the bay, is the beach for snorkeling and diving. It's blessed with coral reefs just offshore and lots of fish. Snorkeling equipment can be rented. Much of Coral Beach is now a nature preserve, perfect for both first-time and intermediate snorkeling and scuba diving. Best snorkeling is inside the actual Coral Beach Nature Reserve.
Dolphin Reef is certainly the prettiest beach in Eilat, dotted with palm trees and thatched-roof palapa structures for shade. Once in the water, you'll find the area designated for humans, with its sandy floor, is also the best in Eilat for swimming. The dolphins are an added attraction. The reef's institute believes in informal, personal relationships between humans and dolphins. The dolphins are free to come and go to the open sea as they like, but for years have chosen to attach themselves to Dolphin Reef. As you swim and sun, you can watch them frolicking and being fed just beyond the roped-off human swimming zone; you can also walk out to a wooden observation pier in the dolphins' free-swimming area for a closer look. For about NIS 240 ($60/£30) per person, you can join a guided group of snorkelers for a 25-minute swim among the dolphins. (Advance reservations are necessary.) Sometimes, this can be an expedition of wonderful close encounters; at other times, the free-swimming dolphins (which are under no obligation to interact) keep their distance. You must be a good swimmer. There are no guarantees, refunds, or rain checks. More-advanced dives are also offered. Or, for NIS 110 ($28/£14), you can sit right on a raft while dolphins come up to the trainers for snacks and play sessions. Dolphin Reef also hosts a program of scientific studies, as well as a program in which people with medical or emotional problems may visit and interact with dolphins as part of their therapy. From time to time you may notice participants in these programs on the raft in the dolphins' free-swim zone. Also offered are sessions in the Dolphin Reef's three secluded Relaxation Pools -- one is fresh water, one Red Sea water, and one heavy mineral water not unlike The Dead Sea. Sessions for up to 20 people last 2 hours and include New Age music, refreshments, and a botanical habitat for resting. The price is NIS 150 ($38/£19). Reservations are necessary. General admission to Dolphin Reef is waived for those entering with reservations for snorkeling/diving with dolphins and for the Relaxation Pools.
There is a reasonably priced cafeteria serving hot and cold drinks, snacks, and full meals on the premises, as well as a pub and a program of films on dolphins. The whole feel of the beach is friendly, easygoing, and interesting. Many evenings, when admission to the beach is free, there is live or disco music and dancing at the beach's pub. All in all, this is one of the best places in Eilat to spend a day or an evening.
Dolphin Reef is midway between North Beach and Coral Beach (tel. 08/630-0111 for activity reservations; www.dolphinreef.co.il). It's open daily from 9am to 5pm. Admission is NIS 54 ($14/£6.75) for adults and NIS 40 ($10/£5) for children. There's no admission fee after 7pm, when the pub/restaurant and beach stay open, but the dolphin sessions finish for the day. Bus no. 15.
Watch Your Feet! -- Always be on the lookout for spiny sea urchins and sharp, burning corals when swimming at Coral Beach, and do your best to avoid them. Footwear or flippers are advisable when swimming here. Never put your feet down on the floor of the sea unless you can see that you will be standing on a clear, urchin-free space.
Boating
You can hire boats 24 hours a day at the North Beach marina and lagoon -- boats for water-skiing and water parachuting, sailboats, fishing boats, paddleboats, motor sea-cycles, sail boards, and kayaks are all available.
Bird-Watching
Eilat is one of the best places on earth for bird-watching, due to its prime location on the Jordan Valley-Red Sea-Great African Rift Valley migration path between Europe and Africa. Migration times are twice a year: From September through November the birds head south to Africa, and from March through May they head back north to Europe.
Eilat's International Birding and Research Centre (tel. 08/633-5339 or 050/211-2498 to reserve tours; fax 08/633-5319; www.birdsofeilat.com) is a storehouse for information and activities relating to bird-watching around Eilat. It conducts guided 2-hour bird-watching tours for NIS 150 ($38/£19) and 4-hour tours for NIS 220 ($55/£28); full-day tours can also be arranged. Between February 15 and May 15, a general spring census of birds is conducted, in which you may participate. The center will also offer advice on birding throughout the country. The International Birding and Research Centre is open Sunday through Thursday from 9am to 1pm and 5 to 7pm and Friday from 9am to 1pm. Also visit the bird-banding station during the morning hours on most days of the week. Similar activities take place again in the fall. Lectures, nature films, literature, and background material are also offered.
If you would like to be in Eilat at the best time for bird-watching, you should know that each year in March, the center hosts an International Birdwatchers' Festival of growing renown. Check the website for information about the many special programs and discounts on accommodations and car rentals at the time of the festival.
Glass-Bottom Boats
Boats leave from the jetty just north of Coral Beach or from North Beach near the Neptune Hotel. These boats offer a wonderful view of a fairy-tale marine world, with mounds of coral and clusters of rainbow-colored fish. Israel Yam (tel. 08/637-5528) operates daily 1 1/2-hour glass-bottom boat trips, leaving North Beach several times during the day for NIS 70 ($18/£8.75) for adults and NIS 50 ($13/£6.25) for children. You can book a boat ride through the E.T.I. attractions desks that operate at almost every Eilat hotel. Look for a 15% discount coupon, often available in the free Hebrew- and English-language tourist brochures. A newer state-of-the-art vessel that offers underwater vistas is the Jules Verne Explorer (tel. 08/637-7702). The price is slightly higher than Israel Yam for a 2-hour tour, but for real underwater aficionados, it could be worthwhile. Mornings, when the sea is calm, usually provide the clearest water for viewing.
Sailboat Cruises
Several yacht and sailboat cruises will take you on a full-day (10am-5pm) excursion to Taba, on the Egyptian border, and on to the Coral Island and the Fjord -- two points of interest along the Egyptian Sinai coast south of Eilat. The price for these cruises begins at $75 (£38) per person and includes a boxed or barbecue lunch; drinks and other refreshments are extra. Note: You must give your passport information ahead of time and carry a valid passport and Egyptian visa with you (the cruise company should help take care of visa procedures). Cruises anchor off Egypt's Coral Island for diving and snorkeling, and allow time to explore a ruined Crusader fort on the island. For a bit more money, you can also water-ski, go sail boarding, or book a cruise with a better quality lunch (several of the boats have kosher kitchens). Elsewhere at the marina, you can arrange a simple short sail for around NIS 80 ($20/£10). Special diving cruises can, of course, go above $75 (£38). Walk along the marina in front of the North Beach lagoon and see which boat or itinerary appeals to you; you can reserve in advance at most travel agencies, at the marina, or at large hotel desks, but it's worthwhile to do a bit of personal investigating and find the boat and cruise program you'll most enjoy. The Red Sea Sports Club, at the Ambassador Hotel (tel. 08/637-6569; www.redseasports.co.il), manages one of the more affordable Coral Island cruises.
Snorkeling & Scuba Diving
Note: If you want to scuba dive, you must bring your certification from abroad or obtain a license in Israel.
The best-equipped firm for snorkeling and scuba diving are Aqua-Sport and Red Sea Sports Club. Aqua-Sport (tel. 08/633-4404; www.aqua-sport.com), located across the highway from the Isrotel Ambassador Hotel on Coral Beach and with a branch at the Hilton Resort Hotel just across the border in Taba, Egypt, can fulfill your needs for masks, fins, and snorkels, as well as wet suits, weight belts, depth gauges, buoyancy compensators, cylinders, and other gear. Introductory dives are NIS 200 ($50/£25); diving lessons (in English), diving tours (half or full day), and even 3-day camping/diving or snorkeling safaris are also available. A 5-day diving course ($300/£150) leads to internationally recognized two-star diver certification; with 6 days' bed-and-breakfast at the divers' hostel, the cost comes to $400 (£200). Many other programs are also offered, including rentals and lessons in sail boarding. Bed-and-breakfast at the Aqua-Sport hostel is $27 (£13) per day in double or quadruple rooms. Aqua-Sport also has a program of weeklong summer camps for kids ages 10 to 15 during July and August. Also operating through Aqua-Sport is the School of Underwater Photography, with half-day to 14-day programs on underwater video and still photography. In the evening, there's a pub, underwater video films, and occasional live entertainment and dancing. Aqua-Sport is open every day from 8:30am to 12:30am. Email Aqua-Sport for information on prices, programs, and to arrange for courses and trips. Aqua-Sport accepts Diners Club, MasterCard, and Visa.
Red Sea Sport Club's Manta Dive Center, located at the Red Sea Sport and Ambassador Hotel (tel. 08/633-3666; www.redseasports.co.il), is another recommended diving center at Coral Beach. It offers facilities similar to those at Aqua-Sport, plus other activities including sailing, windsurfing, boating, deep-sea fishing, night cruises, organized diving trips to Sinai, desert safaris, horseback riding, camel treks, canoes and paddleboats, water-skiing, and bicycle rental, in addition to its diving and sail-boarding programs. There is even a special sauna facility for divers. It's open daily from 8:30am to 4:30pm in winter and until 6pm in summer. Red Sea Sport Club accepts all credit cards.
Snuba diving, tethered to an oxygen tank on a raft over the coral reef, is an easy, enjoyable way to dive without any extensive training. The Snuba Diving Center (tel. 08/637-2722; www.snuba.co.il) will arrange a variety of snuba excursions for you. Prices start at NIS 180 ($45/£23) for 1 1/2 hours and include training. Look for a discount coupon on the Snuba website.
Dive In! -- Eilat is a great place to pick up snorkeling and diving skills, and to sample the fabulous reefs of the Red Sea. But those who are really avid divers should schedule time to visit Dahab or Sharm el Sheik in Sinai, where the reefs and marine life are among the most extraordinary in the world. For a serious diver to come to Eilat and not go on to Sinai would be like visiting New York and never getting out of Kennedy airport.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
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