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The 9 Best Places to Snorkel in Israel (2026)

Updated August 2026 · 9 picks

The best places to snorkel in Israel are the Coral Beach Nature Reserve in Eilat, where live Red Sea coral starts metres from the shore, the sunken Herodian harbour at Caesarea on the Mediterranean, and the sheltered rock pools at Achziv in the far north. Israel has two very different seas within six hours of each other. Nine spots and adventures, below.

The list at a glance

Coral Beach Nature Reserve, Eilat Coral Beach, Eilat
Caesarea underwater archaeological park Caesarea National Park, Central coast
The Achziv and Rosh HaNikra pools Achziv, western Galilee coast
Diving the Red Sea at Eilat Coral Beach, Eilat
Rappelling in the Ramon Crater Mitzpe Ramon, Negev
Canyoning and jeep routes in the Golan Golan Heights
Kayaking the Jordan River Upper Galilee, around Kfar Blum and Hagoshrim
The Masada sunrise climb Dead Sea
Camel trekking in the Negev Negev desert, around Mitzpe Ramon and Arad

1. Coral Beach Nature Reserve, Eilat — Coral Beach, Eilat

The best snorkelling in Israel — protected Red Sea reef, a few metres from the sand.

₪₪ Mid-rangeBest for Families · Couples · Solo

The reserve protects roughly 1.2km of fringing reef at the northern tip of the Red Sea, and it is the single reason Israel is a snorkelling destination rather than just a beach country.

Bridges cross the reef table so you enter in deeper water without walking on coral, and buoyed trails run along the reef edge past the drop-off. Visibility is regularly 20 metres or better, and butterflyfish, parrotfish, lionfish, moray eels and dense hard and soft coral are all routine.

There is an entry fee, gear rental, showers, shade and a snack bar. A weekday morning is the version of this you want.

Good to know: Enter at the southern bridge and drift north with the current, then walk back along the beach.

Google Maps Website

2. Caesarea underwater archaeological park — Caesarea National Park, Central coast

Snorkel a marked trail over Herod's sunken harbour — the only site of its kind in the country.

₪₪₪ UpmarketBest for Couples · Families · Solo

Herod built a vast artificial harbour at Caesarea using hydraulic concrete, and most of it subsided into the sea. What is left is now an underwater park with a marked trail of numbered stations you follow with a waterproof map.

You swim over breakwaters, column bases, anchors and the remains of a shipwreck, in shallow, generally calm water inside the old harbour basin. It is archaeology rather than marine life, and it is genuinely remarkable.

The dive centre in the harbour runs it for both snorkellers and divers and rents everything you need. It closes when the sea is rough, which on this coast happens through the winter.

Good to know: Call ahead — they close the trail on a swell, and a wasted drive up from Tel Aviv is easily avoided.

Google Maps Website

3. The Achziv and Rosh HaNikra pools — Achziv, western Galilee coast

Sheltered natural rock pools on the Mediterranean, clear and calm behind a kurkar reef.

₪ BudgetBest for Families · Couples

At Achziv, a low sandstone reef sits offshore and encloses a series of natural pools that stay flat and clear when the open sea is choppy — the best free snorkelling on Israel's Mediterranean coast.

The water is shallow, the bottom is rock and seagrass rather than coral, and you will see wrasse, bream, sea urchins, the occasional octopus and a good deal of very clear water.

Rosh HaNikra, a few minutes further north at the Lebanese border, adds the grottoes — sea caves cut into white chalk cliffs, reached by cable car rather than by swimming, but part of the same day.

Good to know: Go in the morning before the afternoon onshore wind gets up — it flattens the visibility.

Google Maps Website

4. Diving the Red Sea at Eilat — Coral Beach, Eilat

Going below snorkel depth on the same reef — wrecks, walls and the cheapest certification in the region.

₪₪₪ UpmarketBest for Couples · Families · Solo

Eilat sits on the Gulf of Aqaba, at the far north of the Red Sea, and its reef is accessible directly from the shore — you can walk in off Coral Beach and be on live coral within minutes, which is unusual anywhere in the world.

The Coral Beach Nature Reserve protects the best of the reef, and there are wreck and deeper dives for certified divers plus straightforward introductory dives and certification courses for beginners.

Water temperatures allow diving year-round, and visibility is often excellent.

Good to know: Snorkelling at the Coral Beach reserve gets you most of the reef for a fraction of the cost — bring your own mask.

Google Maps

5. Rappelling in the Ramon Crater — Mitzpe Ramon, Negev

Abseiling down the wall of the largest erosion crater on Earth.

₪₪₪ UpmarketBest for Groups · Families

The Ramon Crater — Makhtesh Ramon — is a forty-kilometre erosion cirque in the Negev, a landform that exists in significant size only in Israel and Sinai, and its walls are the country's main rappelling site.

Operators in Mitzpe Ramon run half-day sessions on cliffs from about 25 to 60 metres, with no experience required. Everything is rigged and guided.

The crater itself is worth two days regardless — the visitor centre, the desert night sky and the Alpaca Farm are all up top.

Good to know: Stay overnight in Mitzpe Ramon; the crater's dark skies are among the best stargazing in the Northern Hemisphere.

Google Maps

6. Canyoning and jeep routes in the Golan — Golan Heights

Waterfall streams, basalt canyons and off-road tracks in Israel's wildest region.

₪₪₪ UpmarketBest for Groups · Couples

The Golan's volcanic plateau is cut by streams that drop through basalt canyons, and the wet-canyoning routes — scrambling, swimming and abseiling down a watercourse — are the best in the country.

The same terrain carries an extensive network of jeep tracks, and guided 4x4 tours are one of the standard ways visitors see the region.

Both are seasonal and weather-dependent: canyoning runs mainly in the warmer months, and streams can rise fast after rain.

Good to know: Combine a morning canyon with an afternoon at a Golan winery — they are usually twenty minutes apart.

Google Maps

7. Kayaking the Jordan River — Upper Galilee, around Kfar Blum and Hagoshrim

The classic Israeli summer activity, and the easiest adventure on this list.

₪₪ Mid-rangeBest for Families · Groups

Kayaking the upper Jordan River between Kfar Blum and Hagoshrim is an Israeli institution — a gentle, shaded, mostly flat run through the Hula Valley that half the country has done at some point.

There are calm family routes and slightly faster 'stormy' ones, and the whole thing takes an hour or two including the shuttle.

It is not white water and it is not meant to be. On a July afternoon in the Galilee it is exactly right.

Good to know: Everything gets wet, including phones. The operators sell waterproof cases and you will want one.

Google Maps

8. The Masada sunrise climb — Dead Sea

A pre-dawn ascent of the Snake Path, and the best sunrise in Israel.

₪ BudgetBest for Solo · Couples · Groups

The Snake Path up the eastern face of Masada opens before dawn so that walkers can reach the summit as the sun comes up over the mountains of Jordan across the Dead Sea.

It is a steep 45 to 60 minutes and genuinely hard work, but it needs no guide, no booking and no equipment beyond water and shoes.

The ruins of Herod's fortress at the top, and the Roman siege ramp still visible below, are the reason it is a UNESCO site.

Good to know: Check the gate opening time the night before; it changes with the season and the path closes in extreme heat.

Google Maps

9. Camel trekking in the Negev — Negev desert, around Mitzpe Ramon and Arad

Desert travel at three kilometres an hour, usually ending at a Bedouin camp.

₪₪₪ UpmarketBest for Families · Couples · Groups

Camel treks in the Negev run from an hour to several days, and the longer ones — riding out to a desert camp, eating and sleeping there — are far more interesting than the short taster rides.

Several are run by Bedouin operators, and the hospitality is a substantial part of what you are paying for.

It is slow, uncomfortable and completely silent once you are away from the road, which is the point.

Good to know: Book the overnight rather than the hour — the desert after dark is the whole experience.

Google Maps

Frequently asked questions

Where is the best snorkelling in Israel?

Eilat, on the Red Sea, and specifically the Coral Beach Nature Reserve — it protects the best-preserved fringing reef in the country and you swim over live coral within metres of the entry bridge. Nothing on the Mediterranean side comes close for marine life, though Caesarea beats it for the sheer novelty of snorkelling over Roman ruins.

Can you snorkel on the Mediterranean side of Israel?

Yes, but expect archaeology and rock formations rather than coral. Caesarea's underwater park is a marked trail over Herod's submerged harbour, and the Achziv and Rosh HaNikra pools in the north are clear, sheltered and full of small fish. Visibility is more weather-dependent than in Eilat.

When is the best time of year to snorkel in Israel?

The Red Sea is snorkellable year-round — roughly 21°C in February and 27°C in late summer — with autumn the sweet spot for warm water and clear visibility. The Mediterranean is realistically May to October; outside that the water is cold and the winter swell kills the visibility.

Do you need to pay to snorkel in Israel?

Only at the protected sites. The Coral Beach Nature Reserve and the Caesarea underwater park charge entry, and both rent gear. Almog Beach, the Japanese Gardens in Eilat and the Achziv coast are free, though facilities range from basic to none.

When is the best season for adventure activities in Israel?

Spring (March to May) and autumn (October to November) for anything on land — the desert is dangerous in high summer and the Galilee is wet in winter. Red Sea snorkelling and diving are good year-round, with the best visibility in the cooler months.

Do you need to book adventure activities in advance?

For diving courses, jeep tours and guided canyoning, yes — particularly during Israeli school holidays and the Jewish festivals, when domestic demand spikes sharply. Shore snorkelling, independent hiking and the Masada sunrise climb need no booking at all.

Is snorkelling in Israel safe?

Yes, with the usual reef rules. Wear something on your feet at rocky entries, never stand on coral — it is protected and it cuts — and give lionfish, stonefish and fire coral a wide berth. None are aggressive, but all punish contact. On the Mediterranean, watch the swell rather than the wildlife.

1. Coral Beach Nature Reserve, Eilat — Coral Beach, Eilat

2. Caesarea underwater archaeological park — Caesarea National Park, Central coast

3. The Achziv and Rosh HaNikra pools — Achziv, western Galilee coast

4. Diving the Red Sea at Eilat — Coral Beach, Eilat

5. Rappelling in the Ramon Crater — Mitzpe Ramon, Negev

6. Canyoning and jeep routes in the Golan — Golan Heights

7. Kayaking the Jordan River — Upper Galilee, around Kfar Blum and Hagoshrim

8. The Masada sunrise climb — Dead Sea

9. Camel trekking in the Negev — Negev desert, around Mitzpe Ramon and Arad

Frequently asked questions

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