4 must-see spots on the way to Eilat

The road to Eilat is long, but there's lots to do along the way from guided star gazing and camping to technological marvels and your favorite ice cream.

Shiri Hadar|Published: 08.07.15 , 12:10

The calm Red Sea, the majestic desert mountains, the exotic atmosphere and the five-star hotels are all reasons why Eilat has become a major tourist destination for both Israelis looking to escape the clustered Gush Dan area, and foreign nationals searching for an alternative Israel experience.

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What most visitors miss however is the long list of unique attractions that can be found on the long road to Eilat. Included below are just a few of these fun, innovative and even educational experiences that will give your vacation in Israel an extra special spark.

Stars of the Negev

The biggest meteor shower of the year is just around the corner, and there's nowhere better to enjoy its beauty than in Israel's desert skies.

Star gazing in Timna (Photo: Anat Shish)

Timna Park, some 17 miles north of Eilat and one of the country's largest nature reserves, is one of the best places to view the Perseids meteor shower next Thursday, August 12.

Visitors can sign up for a sunset or night-time tour as well as a guided look at the stars through a telescope. But the Timna valley has more to offer than just star gazing. Tourists can camp out to enjoy the area's rich history, mountain biking opportunities, or its view of Timna Lake.

Meanwhile, Mitzpe Ramon is also competing for observers of the meteor shower, and boasts the largest personal telescope in Israel.

Make your ice cream and eat it too

Is the heat of the south getting to you on your way to Eilat? There's an easy and fun solution: Learn how to make your own ice cream at Kibbutzh Yotvata, just north of Timna Park.

What's better than eating ice cream? Making it yourself... (Photo: Tal Goldman)

Besides enjoying your own creation on the spot, you'll gain knowledge you and the kids can take home to enjoy whenever the fancy strikes. The 45-minute workshop is free and takes place in small groups.

Renew your energy

Even further north than Yotvata is Kibbutz Ketura, where pioneers are happy to share their unique knowledge of renewable energy with interested visitors.

It was the site of Israel's first field of solar panels, and recently became home of the largest as well.

Photo: Eli Practer

But Kibbutz Ketura supplies renewable needs far beyond those of electricity. Just in walking distance from the kibbutz entrance, inhabitants have built a small village, completely disconnected from the electrical grid. They don't receive gas or running water, but there is always hot water for coffee, a place to charge your smartphone and to bake some cookies.

According to Avital Nosinov, Community Coordinator for the Renewable Energy Administration, the kibbutz provides 65 percent of electricity needs for Eilat and the surrounding areas. Within just a few years, this figure is expected to rise to 100 percent.

While Eilat obviously has some of Israel's flashiest attractions, there's plenty to see along the way that warrants a stop on the road.