The Red Sea Desert
The Red Sea Desert, a vast area of land stretching from Beer Menuha to the Gulf of Eilat, offers a wide range of landscapes to see and activities to do. Apart from the well known tourist and leisure attractions found in the City of Eilat, the Red Sea Desert also hosts many nature reserves, opportunities for outdoor adventure and an almost unlimited mix of colors.
Animal lovers visiting the Red Sea Desert will enjoy a visit to the Denis Kingdom to see an authentic fish hatchery and eat at the kosher fresh fish restaurant. Bird watching is also a popular activity for visitors, as the desert is located along the Syria-African rift valley and migrating birds pass through the region during eight months of the year. March and April are the peak season at both Eilat’s International Birding and Research Center and at the Kibbutz Lotan Center for Birdwatching. The Hai Bar Yotvata Nature Reserve protects endangered species and allows visitors to observe wild desert animals in their natural environment. The Hai Bar Nature Reserve also hosts a special desert night life exhibit and predators center.
Those more interested in local flora and fauna will enjoy a tour of the Enchanted Garden, also called the Experimental Orchard. This unique space on Kibbutz Ketura houses over 250 types of desert agriculture, including fruit trees and cacti. Feng Shui Yahel offers visitors to the Red Sea Desert one of a kind accommodation on Israel’s only Reform Kibbutz with educational programming about the value of balancing life according to our natural environment. Guests can tour the surrounding mountainous terrain and participate in holistic therapeutic treatments. Kibbutz Lotan also offers accommodation, along with “Green Tourism” – trips through the kibbutz’s organic gardens, alternative energy buildings and recycling programs. Holistic treatments, workshops on Judaism and ecology and guided hiking tours are all available.
With its extensive variety of activities to suit every interest and age group, the Red Sea Desert has something for everyone!