Everything you need to know about a beautiful part of Israel
The most recommended hikes in the Dead Sea Land
Hike recommendations in the Dead Sea region are the biggest headache for people trying to decide which of the many charming areas in the Dead Sea Land is worth focusing on. It’s the word “recommended” that trips me up each time because the entire Dead Sea region offers the most amazing sensory experiences, unlike any others throughout Israel. So where should we start? And what should we decide..It’s not a matter of taste; it’s a simple fact, and like they say in the world of science, a fact is proof that the experiment can be repeated
….Take the Dead Sea trails and all your senses start working
As an Israeli group of nature lovers encompassing kids of various ages, a years-long argument has been running among us: which type of landscape is the most beautiful: green, or brown; forest or desert; wet or dry. “Green does my soul good” dissipated when we proved that sleep also does an infant’s soul good. That’s still not a trigger able to make people get up from their comfortable armchairs and go on a hike that requires lengthy travel, sometimes getting through annoying traffic jams, and yet coming home, tired but satisfied, and saying “Wow, was that worth it!” Clearly the reason lies elsewhere.
Every time we start looking for recommended hikes in the Dead Sea region, the argument surfaces. “Why the Dead Sea? How about the north?” “We heard the Carmel range has recovered beautifully.” But we always circle back to the idea that if we’re organizing for a day out in nature, we want something so breathtaking that it’ll make us whistle in awe and amazement. A grove in the Galilee is not so different from a grove in the Carmel Forest. Yes, the landscapes there are gorgeous but the desert surprises us time and again
Influential and beautiful: the desert of all deserts
And relative to other deserts, the Judean Desert offers a very different experience compared to the Negev or the Arava. Those have their own natural attractions, among them the seemingly infinite distances between one site and the next. But those distances make it harder if you’re looking for more instant excitement. The Dead Sea region is the only place where you’ll get to taste that. Only there do elements that expand a person’s mind come to life simultaneously, enveloping and stimulating the senses. It’s the only place in our small but wonder-filled country where all the streams flow from the mountains and the Negev with grandeur, sculpting as they go. Flowing water has carved out narrow canyons in the soft rock for millions of years, nourishing the Dead Sea the way a mother takes care to nourish her child with boundless dedication.
Mesmerizing art that captivates the heart
A Hebrew proverb says: “When it comes to flavor and scent, there can be no argument.” The statement of course refers to individual preferences, and is therefore applicable to pretty muc anything… except the most beautiful places in Israel. No doubt those in the world of art drawing inspiration from nature can comprehend this perception. Art is our connection to reality, but doesn’t necessarily depict precisely what our eyes see. Art’s power lies in awakening our senses in ways that test our everyday consciousness. Art comprises multiple styles, all of value, all fascinating in their own way, all arousing complex emotions, but none more so than surrealism. Surrealism is the least understood and the most evocative. One of surrealism’s greatest names is Salvador Dali. He attempts to infuse spiritual value into his extraordinary works, especially in works that contain nature set in the contrast of the desert as a surrounding environment. The Dead Sea region seems to speak to Dali’s art. Every recommended trail will contain something of that same essence we find when delving into his paintings, even the sense of endlessness captured as we drive into what appear to be never-ending horizons.
The Canvas of Nature’s Choice
The Dead Sea has been described as “the canvas of nature’s choice.” In the Dead Sea region, the many aspects of nature’s resilience come to life, revealing themselves openly and promine both day and night. Not many places in the world look so incredibly captivating in moonlight, but the contrast between nature’s art and the bright desert landscape under a full moon transforms all we thought we knew about shades of gray.
The Dead Sea region’s particular uniqueness, and its many recommended trails, combines the romance of stunning landscapes and the gloss of the Dead Sea region. Sunrise and sunset are the most anticipatable visuals when thinking in terms of the romantic, but wonderful sunsets can be seen at all Israel’s shores and mountain tops. Sunrise, though, is a very different entity: and sunrise over the Dead Sea is like no other in Israel. Of incomparable beauty, unique to the Dead Sea Land, it will leave you in awe. Catch sunrise over the Dead Sea from the Masada Fortress ruins. Join dozens of people who’ve made the effort to reach Masada’s peak beforehand, because yes, it’s that good. And it repeats, day after day, every day of the year.
