One moment you are sinking waist-deep into quicksand-like mud, trying not to lose your swimsuit or panic as the suction pulls you down. The next, you are soaking in warm, mineral-rich water, surrounded by the wild desert landscape of the Dead Sea. Welcome to one of the most surreal dips imaginable, the hot-cold sinkhole.
Late morning at the Mitzpeh Dragot junction along Highway 90. It is a winter day, the sun is weak, and clouds hang overhead. That does not deter the Ynet expedition team, who are convinced a beautiful sinkhole with warm water awaits. They do not yet realize the route to this natural spa will take them through freezing water and treacherous mud.
Dead Sea Spa Hot-Cold Sinkhole
(Report by Assaf Kamar. Photography: Assaf Kamar, Moran Vig, Amir Dror, Ines Eaton.)
Dr. Guy Golan, a geologist and extreme tour guide with the company "Dead Sea Secrets," recently identified the rare spring and leads the group north along the shoreline, past clusters of strange sinkholes scattered across one of the region’s least explored areas.
"The hot-cold sinkhole is a crazy combination of hot and cold water in the same pool," Golan says. Armed with a compact folding ladder, he helps the group cross narrow ravines carved by floods and shifting underground springs. One wrong step could end badly.
A warning is in order. Exploring the Dead Sea sinkhole region is dangerous. Anyone attempting it should go with an experienced guide and proper insurance. The route to this specific sinkhole is especially risky, and its exact location is intentionally withheld.
After a difficult climb over salt-covered rock, Golan gestures toward a large, earth-toned sinkhole that might look ordinary to the untrained eye. "There are several springs feeding this pool," he explains. "We’ll experience both cold and hot water in the same place. It’s crazy and fairly unique to the Dead Sea."
Light rain begins to fall. We quickly learn the path to the promised thermal waters starts with a swim through icy water. "Water from different underground layers flows here," Golan explains. "Deeper layers bring hot water, while shallow layers bring cold. The mix creates constant movement. We’ll swim between currents of hot and cold water, and you can really feel the shifts on your body.”
The safety briefing continues. "The route is tricky," he says. "There are spots where you can sink into quicksand-like mud. Do not come here alone because getting out can be very difficult. The suction is strong. You need to know where to step."
The Judean Desert looks more striking than ever, with sweeping views of blue water and dark mountains on the horizon. We quickly change into swimsuits and, barefoot, follow our extreme guide down a steep cliff into a massive sinkhole with a muddy floor and a small stream running through its center. Beyond it lies a large brown pool, our destination.
“There are a few things to watch for,” Golan explains as we move. “There are salt formations on the ground, so step only on stable areas. And there are very deep cracks here, so be careful where you place your foot to avoid slipping into them.”
Then comes the most unsettling instruction. If you start sinking, do not panic. Spread your body weight and crawl. The group soon finds itself crawling through thick mud like soldiers in basic training. The mood shifts from excitement to tension. “Don’t put too much weight on any one spot. Crawl slowly, follow the instructions and just move forward behind me", says Golan.
The bizarre trek through the quicksand-like mud begins with understandable hesitation. Knowing that our tough drone photographer, Etay Pollak, is waiting outside with a rescue rope helps me push forward into what feels like a cold, soft slab of margarine wrapping around me from all sides. One leg sinks into the thick, pungent mud up to the knee. The second follows, and soon it reaches my waist. I suddenly feel trapped, like a mouse in a glue trap. The mud is cold and unpleasant. I am stuck, just like in the movies, and I call for the rope.
Golan shouts from ahead, “Assaf, relax. Just start crawling.” It is surprisingly effective. The moment I let go and lie flat, the mud releases me upward. In a half-crawl, half-swim, like a water snake, I realize I can actually move forward.
After long minutes of stubborn crawling through thick mud, we finally slide with relief into a narrow channel of cool water cutting through the sinkhole we are trying to cross. Golan insists there is no point in cleaning off yet, and he immediately dives back into the dark mud on the other side, pushing ahead toward the mysterious hot-cold pool waiting further on.
It turns out crawling through quicksand-like mud feels almost existential, a kind of rough, improvised therapy that forces you to confront questions about choice, freedom and even your future companions. It is physically exhausting, with moments of pause, deep breaths and a flicker of doubt about why we started.
Then we reach a stunning sinkhole filled with clear water, and without hesitation we jump in, washing off the mud and swimming in the wild desert's uplifting view.
I dive into the cold water, washing the salt and mud from my face. We’ve found the cold, but where’s the hot? Golan swims ahead and calls us over. The belief that a warm spring is nearby lifts our spirits, and within minutes we are circling the pool, feeling a faint current of warm water rising from below. After the exhausting crawl and scratches all over our bodies, everyone is elated; there is finally some warmth on our feet. But Golan is not satisfied. “The hot spring that was right here has shifted after the recent floods, and we need to find it again", he says.
10 View gallery
The hot-cold sinkhole. Right: the spring’s former location. Left: its new spot
(Photo: Assaf Kamar)
My friends, who have resigned themselves to the situation, begin to enjoy it, spreading out in a mix of swimming and crawling in every direction in search of a warm spring. Within minutes, Golan returns, his face smeared with mud, excitedly reporting he has found a perfect hot-cold spot nearby in another pool.
This time, the crawl feels almost therapeutic. The mud is warm and velvety, the body sinks into it willingly. Aromatic scents fill the air, and I feel like a baby being embraced by Mother Earth.
Who would have thought our guide would be shouting at us to get out of the mud and push on to the hot-cold spot just two minutes of crawling ahead - a medium-sized cold pool, at its center, a stream of warm water flows upward through the cold, as if it were taken from a storybook about paradise. The deep, soothing heat rising from the bottom fills us with contagious optimism. The complaints are gone, we celebrate, laugh and soak in nature’s wild spa.
Guide Golan shares his amazement at the indulgent, almost surreal experience after a grueling journey. “We’re in the middle of the desert,” he says, gesturing to the stark, biblical landscape around us, “and there’s a freshwater spring here.” He points to sparse aquatic plants along the edge. “There are even small fish in the water, and on top of that, hot and cold currents together. It’s hard to get here, but this is the wildest natural spa in the Dead Sea. There’s nothing like it anywhere else in the world.”
The conclusion is clear: the indulgent dip in the Dead Sea’s hot-cold sinkhole is not for everyone. The route is complex, unmarked, and demands fitness, caution and familiarity with the terrain. Those willing to endure the mud and shifting temperatures are rewarded with a truly exceptional, world-class experience. As filming wraps, I lie back in the warm, soothing mud. After all the struggle, the crawling and the complaints, it feels like a brief, perfect moment of relief, exactly what I needed.
A final warning: the sinkhole region is dangerous. Do not attempt the hike without an experienced guide, proper insurance, strong swimming ability, and safety equipment, including a rescue rope. There are no lifeguards, and entry is entirely at your own risk.