Page 53 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - Israel & Petra

Outdoor Activities ❮❮ 51

Rappelling and
7 TOP 10 HIKES
Canyoning
Tour operators: www.israel-extreme.
com, www.adventure-israel.com
Also known as abseiling (snepling
in Hebrew), rappelling down cliffs
and dry waterfalls is very popular in
Israel. Favorite sites include Nahal
Zavitan on the Golan, Keshet Cave
in the Western Galilee, and Nahal
Daraja near the Dead Sea.
Cycling
8 Hiking through the Red Canyon
Tour operators: www.ibike.
1 Red Canyon
co.il, www.abrahamtours.com, Off Rd 12, N of Eilat • Egged bus 392
www.geofun.co.il Enjoy a 1.5- to 2.5-hour trek down
New trails offer ever more options this colorful red sandstone canyon.
for cyclists and mountain bikers, 2 Mount Shlomo
particularly in the Negev. Makhtesh Off Rd 12, N of Eilat • Egged bus 392
Ramon has challenges for all levels This long hike affords terrific views
and the green, hilly area of the from the top of the mountain over
Galilee is another top destination. the Red Sea and Sinai region.
3 Makhtesh Ramon
Start hiking from Mitzpe Ramon to get
to the crater; maps are available at the
information center (see pp98–9).
4 Ein Avdat National Park
The Nahal Zin trail has some stunning
pools and picnic spots (see p98).
5 Ein Gedi Nature Reserve
Most people only visit the David Falls,
but if you have time, attempt the
stunning Dry Canyon hike (see p97).
6 Jesus Trail
Mountain bikers on a desert ridge www.jesustrail.com
Walk from Nazareth to the Sea of
Hiking
9 Galilee past Tzipori and sites referred
to in the New Testament.
Tour operators: www.nature
israel.org (SPNI), www.walking 7 Yehudiya Nature Reserve
palestine.org Off Rd 87, Lower Golan • www.
Israel boasts an extensive network parks.co.il
Some trails involve swimming across
of marked trails. The Society for the deep pools. Parts of the reserve may
Protection of Nature in Israel runs be inaccessible in winter.
guided group day hikes; seasonal 8 Sea-to-Sea Hike
trips feature migrating birds (spring Three-day hike to the Sea of Galilee
and fall) and rare wild flowers (spring). from the Mediterranean.
Horseback Riding
0 9 Israel National Trail
www.israeltrail.net
Tour operators: www.alpacas-
farm.com, www.veredhagalil.co.il Israel’s top long-distance trail runs 646
miles (1,040 km) from Kibbutz Dan, on
Horseback riding is a great way to the Lebanese border, to the Red Sea.
explore Israel’s rural areas, as well 10 Nahal Ayun Nature Reserve
as parts of the Mediterranean coast. www.parks.org.il
There are a number of stables in the Follow the Ayun River south from the
Galilee, where the rolling hills offer Galilee’s northernmost point, Metulla.
spectacular views.

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