Dead Sea in Israel - one of the most visited places both by tourists and by the inhabitants of this country themselves. Its location in a mountain valley makes these places amazing in their beauty, and tours to the Dead Sea are among the most popular in Europe and the world.
Rest at the Dead Sea is, first of all, health improvement. Treatment at the Dead Sea is considered one of the most effective and at the same time pleasant all over the world. The unique healing properties of the Dead Sea have been known since the time of Cleopatra. Solar energy, mild climate, oxygen-rich air, salty sea rich in minerals, thermal evaporation, which is a natural barrier to ultraviolet radiation, mineral mud and mineral, thermal springs - all this is the Dead Sea, Israel. Therefore, if you are looking for a wellness holiday in Israel, the Dead Sea is the best place for it.
The unique flora and medicinal plants, which are rich in the Dead Sea, serve as a material for the creation of medical cosmetics, known all over the world. She also creates beautiful landscapes of this area.
Dead Sea hotels are replete with SPA centers and offers of health and wellness treatments. In addition, all hotels in the Dead Sea are all-inclusive, along with the highest comfort and service that Israel has to offer. Dead Sea hotels are located in close proximity to the lake and thermal springs. A wonderful relaxing holiday with treatment and wellness is offered by the Dead Sea. The prices here, with all the positive qualities of this resort, are not the highest by European standards.
Important!
- you need to consume at least 2.5 liters of water per day to avoid dehydration. Do not ignore this advice!
- when traveling to Jerusalem from hotels at the Dead Sea, it is necessary to take into account the fact that, compared to the Dead Sea, Jerusalem is located on a hill and after the Dead Sea, tourists may experience a slight chill; in this regard, we recommend taking warm clothes and comfortable changeable shoes so as not to freeze, as well as to prevent slippers from slipping over the stones in Jerusalem
- the entrance to the Dead Sea should be carried out gradually; on any equipped beach, the entry point to the sea is equipped with handrails, which should be held on; the bottom of the sea at the entrance is lined with a special plastic path so that salt crystals do not prick your feet when entering
- it is strictly forbidden to rinse your throat or nose with Dead Sea water; in case of contact with your eyes, you should immediately get out of the water and rinse your eyes with plenty of fresh water
There are many beautiful places on earth that should be visited without fail. And one of such wonderful and unique corners of the Earth is the Dead Sea in Israel.
And not without reason Dead Sea Israel- an object of pilgrimage for tourists from all over the world. Many people rush here not only to admire the extraordinary natural beauty of the sea, but also to improve their health. The Dead Sea coast is simply rich in healthy salts and minerals. Around the Dead Sea, there is an endless sandy sea - a desert. And this is a guarantee of clean air, silence and tranquility, which many tourists who come from noisy megacities dream of. The mild sunny climate and the beautiful golden beaches of Israel, modern resorts and health resorts, spa resorts and historical sites, hot springs gushing out of the ground, modern entertainment centers - all this has turned the country into an interesting and unique tourist destination. Here you can relax and at the same time recover, take medical procedures and enjoy excursions to the historical and sacred places of the country.
The medical indicators of tourists are just an excuse to visit health centers, since they can not only improve the body, you can get rid of all problems, relax and unwind. The largest number of health centers and sanatoriums are located in Israel around the Dead Sea and Lake Kinneret.
If you look at map of Israel–Dead Sea be on the border with Jordan. The resort area around the Dead Sea consists of several villages, consisting of hotels. In hotel complexes, you can find everything that vacationers need. However, you shouldn't think that people only go to the Dead Sea to get medical treatment; they offer wonderful beach holidays all year round.
How to get to the resorts located near the Dead Sea?
It should be noted that the most preferred way to travel around the country is by bus. On the map of Israel, bus routes are laid along the entire coast to the Dead Sea. The bus ticket price depends on the distance. The fare is paid at the entrance, the money is paid to the driver.
You can also get to hotels located on the Dead Sea coast by taxi. A taxi car can be called by phone or taken from the parking lot near the hotels.
The cost of a room in a hotel on the Dead Sea depends on the hotel, on the number of stars, its location, and other conditions. For example, to get a reasonable price, you should book a hotel for a period of 7 days or more.
In the resorts of the Dead Sea of Israel, not only foreign tourists rest, but also the Israelis themselves. On weekends and holidays, thousands of indigenous people of Israel come to enjoy their holidays in resort villages. That is why the price of hotel rooms in Israel fluctuates, the cost of living in hotels depends on the season. Many tour operators recommend finding out when is the most favorable period for low prices in hotels.
The Dead Sea in Israel is a world famous "health resort" that specializes in the treatment of various diseases: pulmonary, skin, neuralgic. The Dead Sea has uniquely beautiful landscapes, and therefore the Dead Sea in Israel and its photos can be seen on all tourist avenues.
What, after all, served to make the Dead Sea a unique healing region in Israel? The ancient Greek philosophers already then determined the uniqueness of the Dead Sea, all the main elements worked in its creation: water, earth, air and fire.
The Dead Sea in Israel is a unique combination of inimitable natural resources and climatic conditions: the saltiest sea, which is rich in minerals, curative mud, thermal mineral waters, a low level of ultraviolet radiation, (since the sun's rays pass through a layer of air 400 meters depth is the Dead Sea relative to sea level), dry air, just the same saturated with minerals, a favorable temperature regime almost all year round, oxygen saturation, absolute silence and a complete absence of allergens. Everyone who has visited Israel at the Dead Sea leaves only positive reviews.
You can come to the Dead Sea for half a day - plunge into its unique medicinal waters, or it is possible for a longer period, staying in one of the hotels on its shore. The Dead Sea and its beauty will not leave anyone indifferent.
Salty, Sodom, Asphalt, and almost always and everywhere - the Dead Sea. The world's lowest point still attracts a record number of tourists, and the healing properties of the world's saltiest lake are legendary.
The air near the Dead Sea heals the most difficult lung diseases, and its mud and brine - skin diseases that cannot be treated elsewhere. The healing properties of the Dead Sea and its salt of 30 minerals and trace elements have not yet been fully studied - they say that sometimes even the most hopeless patients got up in local sanatoriums.
A bit of geography
The Dead Sea is 430 meters below sea level, and every year it sinks lower and lower, becoming shallower by an average of one meter. The area of the salty lake itself (scientists tend to call it a lake, and the salinity level is estimated at about 35%) in the world is also decreasing due to the active extraction of salt and minerals - the number of companies specializing in products marked "Dead Sea" is growing exponentially progression. The unique microclimate of the Dead Sea coast is also known for the fact that here, for example, it is impossible to "burn" in the sun - the air saturated with vapors and minerals simply does not allow ultraviolet light to pass through. For this reason, doctors generally recommend sunbathing here. Aristotle wrote about the unique impact of the Dead Sea on humans, and the first mention was found in Pausanias in the second century A.D. Both scientists, however, were convinced that fish and other organisms could not live due to the high salt content in the reservoir - the hypothesis was refuted in the twentieth century, when about 70 species of oomycetes and higher fungi were found in the Dead Sea.Dead Sea resorts
The unique microclimate of the Dead Sea coast makes it possible to visit it all year round. For example, the resorts of Ein Bokek, Ein Gedi, Neot-Akikar are famous not only for high-quality balneological centers and unique specialists, but also for the level of service that guests call "royal". On the coast, you can find hotels and hospitals for every taste and income: from those offering accommodation for $ 1000 per day to more modest ones, for $ 80 per day. The high season is from April to October, but the most attractive prices are offered by local resorts and hotels in early spring. However, Israeli doctors recommend coming here at least once a year and at any time, even if everything is in order with your health. This can be done, for example, as part of a tourist trip to Israel: distance from Ben Gurion airport - 83 km, Uvda - 211, Eilat - 288 km.
Patients have long appreciated the properties of the brine and mud of the Dead Sea as having no analogues in terms of their effect on the skin. Dozens of types of algae wraps, mud applications, sessions in capsules, salt baths, brine treatments, aromatherapy and holistic massage rule the ball. Clients include Hollywood stars, politicians and businessmen. The Dead Sea is called the Mecca for fans of the so-called philosophy of active aging - in the cool season, you can meet patients aged 90 and older. Neurodermatitis, arthritis, bronchitis, psoriasis, vitiligo - this is not a complete list of diseases that can be successfully treated on the coast even among the oldest guests.
And, of course, not a single guest of the Dead Sea coast left without local cosmetics based on Dead Sea minerals, packed for home healing brine and mud treatments, and, of course, local sweets, hummus and spices brought from the Arab quarters.
Attractions near the Dead Sea
The Dead Sea is intricately woven into the history of all world civilizations. For example, the biblical Sodom and Gomorrah were located here, and in 1947 the Qumran manuscripts were discovered. Mount Sodom, a 12-kilometer-long salt ridge in the southern part of the coast, is still offered to guests today. Here, in the southern part, are the sources of the legendary black mud, used for wellness procedures and the production of cosmetics. The uniqueness of black mud is also in its absolute hypoallergenicity - it can be used even by those patients who are said to be “allergic even to the air”. In their free time from procedures, guests are also taken to Kibbutz Ein Gedi, where unique varieties of dates and flowers are grown, and rare birds are bred. There is also a plant specializing in the production of world-famous mineral and thermal water. It is worth visiting the Masada National Park with a cable car, divided into several zones, and the Hanging Palace. The Judean Desert is famous for the fact that David himself was its first hermit. It also houses the Byzantine monasteries of Sava the Sanctified (here John of Damascus took the vows) and the Temptation Monastery (the Gospel states that in these places Satan tempted Jesus). At the foot of the Judean Mountains, you can also visit the ruins of Jericho, which are at least eleven thousand years old.
If you are in Israel, be sure to visit the coast of the Dead Sea, because there are only few such places on our planet. And our company "Flagman Travel" will be happy to help organize a trip to these places. Well-established relationships with reliable tour operators, extensive experience will help make your trip memorable for a long time.
Ein Bokek, an Israeli town on the coast of the Dead Sea, can be safely called a huge resort and recreation complex. Its territory, very often, is covered with a large number of large and small hotels, hotels, spa centers, sanatoriums. The very infrastructure of Ein Bokek is completely subordinated to the reception, accommodation, treatment, service and entertainment of vacationers. Almost all the cities of the Dead Sea, in their activities, are aimed at international tourism and medicine, which are the main source of income for this small state.
Each clinic in the city has its own specialization; in the complex, they treat almost the entire spectrum of diseases. But wellness therapy is not all that the town of Ein Bokek, which has all the attributes of a spa center, has to offer. These are multiple embankments, beaches, both of a municipal status, where anyone can come, and private areas where hotel clients rest.
There is a wide network of public catering: restaurants of various levels, cafes, bars, evening clubs. Here a tourist can not only improve his health, but also have a good rest. Lovers of silence and exoticism are ready to meet small private hotels in the park area of the city. Unusual mesmerizing landscapes and the turquoise of the Dead Sea are perfect conditions for relaxation.
Local attractions include:
- Qumran National Park - Hellenic settlements, ancient scrolls. The feeling of a complete return to two thousand years ago.
- Ein Gedi Nature Reserve is a tropical oasis in the middle of the desert, represented by a special landscape, flora and fauna.
- Mount Sodom is a unique natural phenomenon. It consists almost entirely of salt.
- The Masada Fortress is an iconic place for the Israelis. Numerous myths and legends envelop this structure.
Ein Bokek is the only, in our understanding, Israeli city on the shores of the Dead Sea.
Arad is a small town located on the mountain ranges of the Judean Desert, near the Dead Sea. The modern settlement was formed in close proximity to the ancient, mentioned in the Bible, the village of Arad. Every year, thousands of people come to the hotels and clinics of this town, wishing to improve their health and relax on the shores of this unique lake.
The ancient city of Ein - Gedi for many centuries of its existence was completely destroyed several times and passed from one hand to another. Now this territory belongs to Israel and next to the ancient ruins is a thriving kibbutz (a voluntary community of people who organized a settlement on the principle of joint ownership of property, voluntary labor - "the principles of communism in one community"). The population fruitfully grows dates and flowers, and is engaged in poultry farming. The community has established the production of mineral water and the production of cosmetics based on the products of the Dead Sea - the world famous brand "Ahava".
A small settlement at the southern end of the Dead Sea - Neve Zohar. It is located not far from the resort beaches of Ein Bokek. This settlement is not well known. It is named after the Zohar stream ("shining"), which dries up during a hot period. After the evaporation of water, numerous conglomerates of crystallized salt, sparkling in the sun, remain at the bottom of the channel. On the territory of the village there are also ruins of Roman-Byzantine structures, numerous cave burials of that period.
Neve Zohar is represented by 30 families and is considered the lowest, in comparison with the level of the World Ocean, a human settlement on Earth. The village of Neve Zohar is located below the coast of the Dead Sea.
Cities by the Dead Sea in Jordan
Has cities on the shores of the Dead Sea and Jordan.
El-Karak is a fairly large settlement in this country. It is its administrative center. The city is located in the west of Jordan, some distance from the coast of the Salt Lake and the Israeli border. The settlement was originally formed around a powerful Crusader fortress, which is now partially destroyed. The main income to the city budget is brought by tourists visiting the fortress, passing through the ancient city of Petra. This is what the entire economy of Al-Karak is aimed at.
Almost the entire Salt Lake basin of Saudi Arabia is covered with desert, therefore, when driving along the coast, Dead Sea cities are rarely seen. But, going to this unique place for treatment, do not be discouraged by the meager excursion program. Believe me, if you wish, you will have something to see.
The length of the Dead Sea reaches 67 km, the maximum width is 18 km, and the maximum depth is 378 meters. But every year the water level drops by 1 meter - the sea recedes, leaving behind a soil hyper-saturated with salt. Rainwater washes away the salt, and voids are formed in the soil, into which it is very easy to fall. On the territory of Israel and Jordan, there are about 1200 dips, the depth of which sometimes reaches 25 meters. The greatest danger is posed by sinkholes that form along roads and near residential complexes.
The high percentage of salinity practically excludes the possibility of the existence of living organisms, hence the name of the lake. However, in the Dead Sea there are still several types of tiny bacteria and one alga - Tunoliella.
The mineralogical composition of the lake salt differs from the composition of salt in the water of other seas. It contains about 50.8% magnesium chloride, 30.4% sodium chloride, 4.4% potassium chloride and 14.4% calcium chloride. Thanks to this wealth, the Dead Sea has become a unique health resort that attracts many tourists from all over the world. In addition to the unusual composition of salts, the reservoir is also famous for its healing mud, extracted from the bottom of the lake. The famous silt sulphide mud of the salt lake is highly mineralized, has a high content of iodine, hormone-like substances and bromine.
You can rub with mud from the large, filled jugs set on the shore:
The dirt must dry and then it must be washed off. This procedure greatly helps people with joint problems.
Mineral water from the Dead Sea is a clear, oily, viscous liquid with a temperature of about 30 degrees. Immersion in water is a great pleasure, because of the high density of water, a person does not drown in it, but experiences a feeling of weightlessness. Although the salinity of the water “holds” well on the surface, actually diving or swimming in the Dead Sea will be very difficult. It will be easier to sit in the water like in a hammock. When immersed in water, it feels like it is not water, but oil.
I must say that here you have to take precautions: avoid cuts on salt crystals, the wounds from which heal for a very long time, and also do not splash or dive, because water can severely burn the retina. If, nevertheless, this happened, then the coastal attendants with bottles of clean water will help out. In general, it is recommended to stay in this water for no more than 20 minutes at a time on the Jordanian coast and no more than 15 minutes on the Israeli coast, where the water is even more mineralized.
Due to the fact that the Dead Sea is the lowest point of the planet, the sun's rays, overcoming an additional distance, lose all harmful ultraviolet light, so you can safely sunbathe as much as you like without harm to the body. The air here is absolutely clean of impurities, enriched with oxygen, while the content of bromine is increased in it, which can restore the shattered nervous system and give the body additional strength.
The lake is fed by the waters of the Jordan River and streams flowing in winter from the slopes of the Moaf mountains from Jordan and from the Judean Mountains in Israel, and underground sources also contribute. The Jordan River brings about 7 million tons of water to the Dead Sea every day, which has no outlet from here, but the heat of the Jordan Valley quickly evaporates it. Physically, the lake consists of two pools, connected by an artificial canal. Beneath the sea floor lies a thick layer of salt, which was formed by the evaporation of the Lachon Sea about a million years ago.
The Dead Sea is surrounded by desert on all sides. A unique lake arose about 5 million years ago as a result of strong tectonic processes that created the Great Afro-Asian fault. The earth's crust in this area is in constant motion to this day.
View of the Dead Sea from above:
The shores of the lake are no less interesting than the lake itself. In some places, the water has evaporated, leaving large tracts of salty, heat cracked earth, and dry brown mountains rise immediately behind them. Further north, these mountains turn red, and salt pillars stand near the southern part of the lake.
An ancient legend is associated with one of these pillars. The Bible mentions the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, which are mired in vices and sins. Lot, a virtuous and God-fearing man, was warned that these cities would be destroyed in atonement for their sins, and he and his family should leave these places. But none of his loved ones should in any case turn around. Unfortunately, Lot's wife could not resist the desire to take a last look at the city and, according to legend, at that moment she turned into a huge pillar of salt, still standing not far from the modern city of Sedom. Interestingly, there is a scientific explanation for this phenomenon: in 1988, the American chemist A. Klotz suggested that when Lot's wife stopped to look at the city, she was covered with a wave of hot air from a blazing conflagration in which there was the highest concentration of carbon dioxide gas. This caused calcite to combine with carbon dioxide in the body, and as a result of the instantaneous crystallization of calcite, the woman turned into an immobile block of calcites, which in Hebrew was called "salt."
Also, legend says that Lot and his daughters found shelter near the Dead Sea after Sodom was destroyed. The cave in which Lot hid is located near the town of Safi, Jordan.
The pillar of salt that, according to local residents, Lot's wife turned into:
The historical reliability of the existence of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah is questioned, they are mentioned only in biblical sources and are unknown to archeology. But according to the Russian researcher Yuri Kudinov, the place where Sodom and Gomorrah once were is now flooded by the Dead Sea. Yuri managed to find a photograph of an old map, which is kept in one of the universities in Israel. On the map, these cities exist and are located at the confluence of rivers into the Dead Sea. Now these rivers are long gone or they do not flow into the Dead Sea. To confirm his guesses, Yuri used such a device as a sonar, which, using the reflected sound of a certain frequency, allows him to take a picture of the bottom. When the sonar records were deciphered, in some of the images, scientists suspected objects of clearly man-made origin. Then Yuri Kudinov's group began filming underwater using an autonomous underwater video camera equipped with its own motors and control system. The shooting was not easy - very dense water, when a ray of light hit it, gave out a solid white wall in front of the lens. The matter was further complicated by the fact that the use of any floating craft on the Dead Sea is prohibited, so the team manually moved the raft with the equipment installed on it. The cable was only 50 meters long, so the research radius was significantly small. But even with all these factors, in four days it was possible to shoot a ten-minute film with a more or less distinguishable image, where one can quite clearly see an object lying at the bottom that looks like a column. There are other objects in the form of large eggs, some kind of circles overgrown with salt. That is, today we can say for sure that these are hand-made objects. And the presence of the column indicates that there were some buildings in this place.
Dead Sea Salt Flats:
According to the Bible, the Dead Sea served as a refuge for King David. In addition, it is the first resort in the world (created for Herod the Great), and it was here that a large number of substances were mined, ranging from balms for mummification in Ancient Egypt to a wide variety of fertilizers.
