Eilat

Yes, Eilat rhymes with hot. Israel’s number-one vacation spot, the city is always soaked with the sweat of rowdy Israelis, international backpackers, and European tourists. Some swear by Eilat’s sun, coral, and nightlife. Others see Eilat as a huge tourist trap attached to a nice beach. Travelers should know that in Eilat tourists are often not treated as treasures, but taken for granted by some local business-people; if one tourist leaves, another is sure to come. The obnoxiousness quotient of this city is rather high. Finding a good hostel can do a lot to help you keep your sanity.

In summer temperatures soar to an infernal 42-48°C, at which point most sopping visitors take to the ocean. Eilat’s red granite mountains, veined with copper, appear harsh and unlivable but actually shelter a number of camel ranches in their parched folds. The hot, hotter, hottest attraction in Eilat, however, is 20°C cooler and several feet under. Yes, this is the Red Sea, home of the silent, vibrant kaleidoscope of rainbow coral and fluorescent sea critters.