The 8 Best Beaches in Israel (2026)

Updated July 2026 · 8 picks

The best beaches in Israel in 2026 include Hilton Beach in Tel Aviv, Dor HaBonim on the northern coast, Achziv's lagoons and Coral Beach in Eilat. Israel has close to 200km of Mediterranean coast plus the Red Sea, and the difference between a city beach and a nature-reserve cove an hour north is enormous. Below are eight, and what each is actually for.

1. Hilton Beach — North Tel Aviv, below the Hilton

Tel Aviv's best-organised city beach, with the surf break and the dog beach.

₪ BudgetBest for Solo · Couples · Groups

Hilton Beach sits below the Hilton hotel at the northern end of the Tel Aviv promenade, and it is effectively three beaches in one: the main stretch, the city's best-known surf break at the northern end, and a designated dog beach.

It is also Tel Aviv's long-established LGBTQ+ beach and one of the friendliest and most relaxed stretches of the promenade. The whole area is well served with lifeguards, showers, chairs and cafés.

For a first Tel Aviv beach day it is hard to better — central, organised, and with the promenade and the port both walkable from it.

Good to know: The northern end is where the surfers are — head south along the sand for calmer swimming.

Google Maps Website

2. Dor HaBonim Beach — Between Caesarea and Haifa

A protected coastline of kurkar cliffs, hidden coves and no development.

₪ BudgetBest for Couples · Groups

Dor HaBonim is a nature reserve on the coast between Caesarea and Haifa, where kurkar sandstone cliffs, small hidden coves, sea caves and islands make up what is probably the most beautiful undeveloped stretch of Israel's Mediterranean coast.

There is a marked walking trail along the top of the cliffs with paths down to individual coves, several of which you can have largely to yourself on a weekday. The rock formations and the colour of the water are genuinely striking.

There are no facilities to speak of and swimming is unsupervised outside the main beach, so bring everything you need and be sensible about where you enter the water.

Good to know: Walk the cliff trail and pick a cove rather than stopping at the first car park — the good ones are further along.

Google Maps Website

3. Achziv Beach — Northern coast, near Nahariya

Sheltered natural lagoons — the safest swimming on the Mediterranean coast.

₪₪ Mid-rangeBest for Families · Groups

Achziv, inside the national park just south of the Lebanese border, has natural rock lagoons that shelter shallow pools from the open sea, alongside sandy beach and archaeological remains in the grounds.

Those lagoons are rare and valuable on a coastline that is otherwise open and wave-exposed. They are calm and shallow enough for small children, which makes Achziv the default answer to where to take a young family swimming in Israel.

It is inside a national park, so there is an entrance fee, and it has proper facilities. Combine with Rosh HaNikra and Akko for a full day in the far north.

Good to know: The best beach in the country for very young children — the lagoons take the waves out entirely.

Google Maps Website

4. Coral Beach, Eilat — Eilat, Red Sea

Snorkel over living reef straight off the sand — nothing else in Israel compares.

₪₪ Mid-rangeBest for Families · Couples · Groups

Coral Beach Nature Reserve in Eilat protects the world's northernmost coral reef, and it is close enough to shore that you are swimming over living coral within a couple of minutes of entering the water.

Marked snorkelling routes and bridges over the reef top keep swimmers off the coral, which is why the reef here is in far better condition than along the unprotected stretches nearby. The fish life is the best you will see anywhere in Israel.

Equipment hire is available on site. The Red Sea is swimmable all year, which makes this a genuine winter beach option.

Good to know: Morning has better visibility — the afternoon wind stirs things up.

Google Maps Website

5. Caesarea Aqueduct Beach — Caesarea, north of the national park

Swim beside a Roman aqueduct running along the sand.

₪ BudgetBest for Couples · Families

Just north of Caesarea National Park, a Roman aqueduct runs along the top of the beach for several hundred metres, its arches half-buried in the sand and open to the sea.

It is one of the more photographed stretches of coast in Israel and deservedly so — the combination of open sandy beach and a two-thousand-year-old structure running through it is genuinely unusual. The swimming is good, though there is no lifeguard along much of it.

Combine it with the national park itself for one of the best half-days on the central coast.

Good to know: Late afternoon light on the arches is the best of the day — and the crowds have gone.

Google Maps Website

6. Palmachim Beach — South of Rishon LeZion

Wide, wild and undeveloped, half an hour from Tel Aviv.

₪ BudgetBest for Couples · Groups · Families

Palmachim is a long, open beach south of Rishon LeZion where the Sorek stream meets the sea, backed by low cliffs and dunes rather than buildings.

It is the nearest genuinely wild beach to Tel Aviv, and the difference from the promenade beaches is total: space, dunes, no towers, and on a weekday very few people. The Yavne-Yam archaeological site sits at the southern end.

The surf can be strong and lifeguard coverage is limited to the declared season and hours, so pay attention to the flags.

Good to know: Half an hour from Tel Aviv and a completely different coastline — worth the drive on a weekday.

Google Maps Website

7. Metzitzim Beach — By the old port, north Tel Aviv

The calmest, most family-friendly beach in central Tel Aviv.

₪ BudgetBest for Families · Couples

Metzitzim sits beside the old Tel Aviv port, sheltered by a breakwater that keeps the water calm and shallow — a real advantage on a coast where most city beaches face open sea.

It has a relaxed, local, family feel rather than the party atmosphere further south, with a good beach café and the whole regenerated port area immediately behind it for food and coffee afterwards.

For families staying in Tel Aviv it is the obvious choice, and it is walkable from the northern hotels.

Good to know: The breakwater makes this the safest central Tel Aviv beach for children who are still learning to swim.

Google Maps Website

8. Betzet Beach — Far northern coast, near Rosh HaNikra

The quietest good beach in Israel, right up against the northern border.

₪ BudgetBest for Couples · Groups

Betzet is a long, quiet stretch of sand on the far northern coast between Nahariya and Rosh HaNikra, backed by open ground rather than development.

It is one of the least crowded good beaches in the country simply because it is a long way from anywhere, and that is the whole appeal — space, clean sand and a view along the coast toward the white cliffs of Rosh HaNikra.

Facilities are minimal and lifeguard coverage is seasonal, so come prepared and check the flags. Pair it with Rosh HaNikra's sea grottoes, ten minutes up the road.

Good to know: Combine with the Rosh HaNikra grottoes just north — they are the other reason to come this far.

Google Maps Website

Frequently asked questions

Are Israeli beaches free?

Municipal beaches are generally free to enter, though you pay for chairs and umbrellas and often for parking. Beaches inside national parks and nature reserves charge admission. Some private and hotel beaches charge for access.

Which Israeli beaches have lifeguards?

Official municipal beaches are staffed by lifeguards during declared hours, which vary by season and are posted at the entrance. Swimming outside those hours or at unofficial beaches is genuinely dangerous — the Mediterranean here has strong rip currents and drownings occur every year at unguarded beaches. A black flag means do not enter the water.

Are there separate-gender beaches in Israel?

Yes. Several cities including Tel Aviv, Netanya, Haifa, Ashdod and Tiberias operate designated separate-gender beaches on set days for religious bathers. They are clearly signposted and the schedule is published by the municipality.

When is beach season in Israel?

The sea is comfortably warm from roughly May to November, and Israelis swim well into autumn. July and August are hot and crowded, especially at weekends. September and October are arguably the best combination of warm water and thinner crowds. In Eilat, the Red Sea is swimmable year-round.

Can you swim in the Dead Sea?

You float rather than swim, and you should treat it carefully: never put your head under, do not shave beforehand, and rinse off in fresh water afterwards. Swallowing the water is genuinely dangerous. Use one of the designated beaches with showers rather than an unmanaged access point, since sinkholes are a real hazard along parts of the shore.

1. Hilton Beach — North Tel Aviv, below the Hilton

2. Dor HaBonim Beach — Between Caesarea and Haifa

3. Achziv Beach — Northern coast, near Nahariya

4. Coral Beach, Eilat — Eilat, Red Sea

5. Caesarea Aqueduct Beach — Caesarea, north of the national park

6. Palmachim Beach — South of Rishon LeZion

7. Metzitzim Beach — By the old port, north Tel Aviv

8. Betzet Beach — Far northern coast, near Rosh HaNikra

Frequently asked questions

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