Dor HaBonim Beach Nature Reserve

points of interest

Sandy beach and rocky bay for day time only. Staying after dark is prohibited!

• An enchanting sandy beach and rocky bay for day time stay (parking on the main beach, with toilets, beach showers, picnic tables and shade, kiosk, information about marine mammals and the coastal environment; the northern beach complex)
• Walking trails on the kurkar (calcareous sandstone) ridge, along the rocky inlets of the sea and the abrasion platforms
• Tel Dor National Park – the remains of an ancient city and harbor

details

• Day parking only – the site is on the central beach, and offers visitors a whole range of possibilities for outdoor recreation. There is an information center on marine mammals and the coastal environment, a kiosk, bathing beach, shade canopies, picnic tables, and, of course, toilets and beach showers.
• Walking trail – a circular trail along a rocky beach with more inlets than any other in the country. The path is marked in red, and the trail starts in the southern parking lot and turns southward, along the length of the bays. In the area of the “Flower Hill”, the trail splits into two. It passes by a number of attractions that are unique to this site, such as the “Blue Cave” – a cave formed over the course of many years by processes of erosion, dissolution and collapse, which acquired its name thanks to its shades of blue, whose beauty attracts many visitors; “Shell Bay” – an inlet lined with a thick layer of shells that have found their way to shore; and the “Shipwreck” – the remains of a ship that was carrying cement and went aground near to the shore. Evidence of human activity can be found in the chain of ancient wells that were dug here in order to reach the groundwater, which is very close to the surface. The wells provided the inhabitants with drinking water, and were also used for irrigation – alongside them you can see the remains of stone troughs for watering animals. Along the trail there are also the remains of channels and ponds from the fish-breeding industry, as well as a large, ancient kurkar quarry, and the “Cleopatra Cave” – a pool originally carved out by man, which has undergone natural erosion with the help of the waves. The water reaches this pool in an underground cave beneath the rock. According to legend, Cleopatra was entranced by the magical beauty of the pool, and even bathed in it, and in doing so gave it its name. To the east of the kurkar ridge is the “gutter” – a shallow valley in the form of a drainpipe, which drains the rainwater and streams. Because of the topographic and geological conditions of the area, the “gutter” is frequently flooded in the winter, and at the end of winter visitors can enjoy the sun’s-eye tulip flowers that stand out in fiery red against the landscape.
• Tel Dor National Park – Tel Dor has the remains of an ancient city and an ancient harbor, built in this location because of the natural inlets of the shoreline. The mound rises up above the waterline, providing breathtaking views, and containing fascinating and exciting finds within. The Dor port city was founded in Canaanite times (some 3500 years ago). Ships anchored in the natural bays for rest, or found shelter there from storms, and so the need arose for a settlement to provide additional services to those anchoring there. Dor grew into a large, fortified city, as evidenced by the public buildings, private homes, and, of course, large walls whose remains are found in the western part of the tel. The city knew days of prosperity and glory, as well as periods of destruction and poverty, and was only abandoned in the Byzantine period. Remains from the different periods were found in excavations carried out in the tel in recent decades, in which interesting and unique items have been uncovered. Among the finds, for example, are vessels from Egypt, which came from the Egyptian ships that anchored in the harbor, as well as mosaic floors, anchors from several periods, and more. The finds are on display in the Mizgaga museum at nearby Kibbutz Nahsholim, a museum that tells the fascinating story of the city of Dor.