Eilat Travel Guide

This city of 70,000 at the southern tip of the Negev is the country's leading winter tourist resort. Eilat's chief claims to fame for the tourist are busy beaches with almost no wave action, coral reefs filled with exotic fish, and year-round sunshine. What was once a small, relaxed desert and Red Sea resort town now hosts 50 gargantuan upscale hotels and a downtown waterfront lined with jewelry shops, sneaker stores and hawker's booths where visitors can while away their evenings. It's easygoing, fun, and mindless—and Israelis, both Jewish and Arab, flock here to forget the pressures of daily life. Lots of European package tourists jet directly into Eilat (and see nothing else in Israel), but most of the Scandinavian swimmers and snorkelers who were the mainstay of Eilat's winter season, have moved on. The architectural style of Eilat's hotels and shopping malls has been agreed upon—new buildings are all of white concrete with straight, crisp geometric lines; older hotels are being redesigned to conform to the light, airy look. There is a unity to the new Eilat, but from the outside, most hotels seem to vary only in size and shape. Planners have not emphasized the desert and Bedouin traditions of the region—instead they've aimed for the generic look of a gleaming white international resort, such as Cancún, Mexico. If you're hoping for a touch of regional color in your hotel, you'll have to try the Sinai or the new five-star establishments in Petra (Jordan). Read More

Do you have a travel question about this destination or can you provide a tip to a fellow traveler?

Eilat Travel Guide

Travel in Eilat

Destinations Near Eilat

Travel Guides Near Eilat

Middle East Travel Countries

Other Travel Destinations

advertisement

On This Page:

Eilat Travel Tips