Eilat: A magical city where you don’t pay taxes!

One of our goals, besides letting you know that learning Hebrew can be easy and fun, is giving you some interesting facts about Israel’s most amazing cities and locations. We like speaking about this country’s extraordinary geography.

A few weeks ago we talked about the story behind the Kinneret, and later on we surprised you with the breathtaking story of Rosh Hanikra. Every place we’ve discussed has its own identity and is home to a very specific type of Israeli. Don’t be surprised if Israelis up north behave differently to those who live in Tel Aviv, or to those who live down south. Israel has a wide variety of personalities within its people.

We would like to take this opportunity to talk about Eilat: Israel’s paradise and the teenagers’ favorite. Eilat is a small city in the south of Israel with no VAT and with lots of bathing suits, throughout the entire year. Want to know a bit more about the city of parties and wildness? Want to get some interesting facts about the ultimate city for shopping lovers? Well, be prepared, because after reading this you’ll want to jump on the next plane and spend a few days in Eilat.

The History of Eilat

The city of Eilat was founded in 1949 (but has a rich historical past, from the times of King Solomon), responding to Ben Gurion’s dream of filling the south of Israel with people, cities, and civilization. “More people should live in the Negev,” Ben Gurion repeated many times.

Eilat was a very strategic point, both commercially and militarily, during the Independence War because of its location, bordering both Egypt and Jordan.

Eilat’s attractions and hotels

Eilat is a wonderful, but very busy city. It has several hotels, resorts and all-inclusive, numerous bars, clubs, discos and a few shopping centers to shop with no VAT.

Besides all these amazing places, in Eilat, you and your children will be able to visit a breathtaking coral beach, an outstanding dolphin reef, and a number of places to practice snorkeling and scuba diving with underwater views you will never forget.

It is always hot in Eilat!

If you are going to Eilat in the middle of the summer, be ready for an average temperature of 37ºC. It is always hot in Eilat and because of the lack of rain, it has a very dry environment where until you get used to it, it can feel hard to catch your own breath. During the winter and during the day, the temperatures can go down to around 23ºC, but it is hard for it to go even lower. At night, however, since it is located in the middle of the desert, temperatures can go down, so we recommend you carry a light jacket with you.

Still hot? Don’t you worry, you can practice your Hebrew summer vocabulary and go to Princess Beach, Coral Beach, Migdalor Beach, or to any of the stunning beaches in Eilat.

Egypt and Jordan are so close!

So you are thinking about visiting Petra for a day or two? If you are in Eilat, you’ll be able to do it with no problem. Sitting on one of Eilat’s beaches, you can see Jordan right across the Red Sea. In case you want to enjoy one of the most beautiful landscapes and see Egypt, you can also do it, just by climbing one of Eilat’s several mountains. Do some sports, hike a bit, and you’ll see a tiny part of our neighboring country.

If you got excited when we said “hiking”, very close to Eilat you’ll find Kibbutz Ketura, where besides finding a community of wonderful people, you’ll find tons of hiking paths to follow. Give it a try – you won’t regret it!

Learn Hebrew today and spend a week in Eilat

Do you feel like coming to Eilat? Well, if you made your decision we’ll give you a short but useful tip: Learn some Hebrew. By learning Hebrew in one of the Rosen School’s live online courses, you’ll be able to master the language of our ancestors in a short period of time, and you’ll learn in a fun and safe environment where our teachers will guide you throughout the whole process.

The time is now! Learn Hebrew today and communicate like a champion in your next visit to Israel. Behatzlacha!