In an article titled, “Instead of busy Tel Aviv, try Eilat for a calmer, quieter beach vacation in Israel”, Michele Chabin explains why Eilat could be a more preferred destination for some compared to Tel Aviv.

“Tel Aviv’s frenetic pace, traffic jams and air-so-thick-you-can-cut-it-with-a-knife humidity aren’t for everyone. Between its 444,000 residents, Israeli commuters and 1.8 million annual visitors, it can get mighty crowded,” she writes.

“For a quieter, gentler beach vacation,” she continues, “consider Israel’s southernmost city, Eilat, about an hour south of Tel Aviv by air (buses also run from both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem). Wedged between stark orange-tinged mountains and the clear Red Sea, the port city is especially popular among Europeans and Russians escaping the cold back home. With an average daytime temperature of 104 degrees in August, and 80 degrees in November, locals and tourists gravitate toward the sea, where hotels and holiday villages hug the shoreline.”

“The best way to acquaint yourself with Eilat — which, with a population hovering around 50,000 has the feel of a resort town — is to stroll along the beachfront promenade that runs northward, from North Beach to Herods Hotel. Here, you’ll find restaurants, pubs, shops and ice cream parlors. Along the way, you’ll pass the marina, the place to hire a boat or book a private or group boat trip offering the opportunity to snorkel around the protected coral reefs at Coral Beach, on the quiet, less-populated side of the city, close to the Egyptian border. The most popular attraction there is the Underwater Observatory Marine Park, where people of all ages can view the reef’s nearly 300 species of coral and 650 species of tropical fish swimming in the wild, from a depth of 6 meters. (It gets crowded, so book ahead online.)

“Visitors can also check out the nearby Coral Beach Nature Reserve, which features shallow pools and a snorkeling trail, or the family-friendly Dolphin Reef, which offers a chance to watch or swim alongside (but never touch) the local dolphins.

“Those who prefer stark desert landscapes can hike or drive through the Eilat mountains. The Red Canyon, about 12 miles north of Eilat, offers both easy and strenuous walking trails. Nearby Timna Park, the site of the world’s first copper mine, features hiking, cycling, rock climbing and paddle boating.”