You can sleep on Nelson beach for NIS10. Just north are the meticulously tended Quiet Beach (tel. 72 14 41; NIS10; open 8am-6pm) and Blue Beach (tel. 72 01 05; NIS12, open 8:30am-5:30pm). With some searching, you may find an entrepreneur who will undercut the expensive waterskiing establishments. To the south of Tiberias, about a 15-minute walk or a short ride on bus #5, the Municipal Beach (tel. 72 01 09) charges only NIS8. Next to it is the beach of Gannei Hamat (tel. 79 28 90, admission NIS10). Many beaches also have kiddie pools. Tiberias also maintains a religious beach, on Gedud Barak Rd., entrance opposite Church of Scotland Hospice. (Open to women Sun., Tnes., and Thurs., to men Mon., Wed., and Fri. 8am-5pm.)

Nightlife in Tiberias centers on the midrahov and promenade area. In summer, popcorn and cotton-candy vendors and street musicians proliferate. Young Israelis dance on the tables to live rock (Tues.-Wed. and Sat. 11:30pm) at La Pirate Pub, at the corner of the midrabov and the promenade. The pub’s large outdoor section fills to capacity and music begins at 10 or 11pm nightly. (1 liter of beer NIS12. Open daily 8am-4am.) The Petra Pub (tel. 72 11 75), under the Lake Castle Hostel at the southern end of the promenade, is also popular for late-night drinking and dancing, although mostly with tourists. One of the cavern-like rooms becomes a disco on Wednesdays after 10pm. (Happy hour 8-10pm, open daily till the wee hours. Macca-bee NIS6, admission for disco NIS10, free if staying in hostel upstairs.) The bars at the Maman, Nahum, and Schwitzer hostels are hip hangouts for backpackers; they all usually serve reasonably priced drinks (Goldstar NIS4) and show videos. At the northern end of the promenade is a bar known locally as Pub Carlsberg (guess why) with live music on occasion. (Open Thurs., Fri., and Sat. 10pm-4am.)