Dor HaBonim Beach

  • Dor HaBonim Beach - Israel
    © Lehava Beitshean Pinterest
  • Dor HaBonim Beach - Israel
    © בר עמיר / CC BY Pinterest
  • Dor HaBonim Beach - Israel
    © רותי רוטשטיין / CC BY Pinterest

Those in the know describe HaBonim Beach - “Generation of Builders” - as the most beautiful in all Israel. It is part of the HaBonim Nature Reserve, where the wind and waves have sculpted rocky inlets and hills alongside this rugged stretch of coast. These provide fabulous walks of discovery, stunning views and amazing photographic opportunities. You will find lots of interesting fauna and flora to enjoy and when the summer heat gets too much, a dip in the pristine ocean waters of the Mediterranean along the sandy shoreline of HaBonim Beach is an obvious choice.

Natural rock jetties connect shoreline and sea and are perfect for kids to conquer - they also help contain the height of the waves too. More good news is that there is no entrance fee, however, there are also no facilities on HaBonim Beach to speak of either. This is probably a good thing when one considers what other popular beach resorts have ended up looking like!

The rewards though are well worth any effort to reach the beaches of HaBonim. If you are up for a thrill and want to make a dramatic entry to the beach, try a spot of skydiving, preferably under the guidance of one of the tandem instructors from the local Paradive Skydiving Center. They use the HaBonim stretch of coast as the drop zone. First though, check that your travel insurance covers such adventure!

HaBonim Beach and Coastal Nature Reserve covers an area of 42.3 hectares and a 4,825-metre shoreline with Kurkar ridges - the local rock type made up of lithified (compacted) sea sand dunes - and stunning sandy beaches. The area extends from Tel Dor in the south to Moshav HaBonim in the north. This is about a half-hour drive south of the port city of Haifa (25 kilometres/15 miles), using Route 4.

Even the sand dunes have a story to tell; their composition is identical to sand found in the Nile Delta, suggesting wind and ocean currents have shifted them here over time. Two marked trails are available to explore. One is a two-hour loop trail while the other wanders south to Dor Beach and takes about four hours. An overnight campground is available between May and September during summer.

Nearest town/city

El Fureidīs

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Current weather (Fri Mar 29th 18:00)

Partly cloudy

(Partly cloudy)
22°C / 72°F

Sea temperature

17.5°C
63.5°F

Dor HaBonim BeachFull weather & tide times info »