Page 15 - Discover Israel Magazine - UK edition 2017

Pedaling down the promenade. Photo: Kfir Bolotin
And if you subscribe to that old adage that
“sharing is caring”, there is a new way for
you to experience the Tel Aviv beach life and
share it with the world (or mom). Tel Aviv-
Yafo Municipality has recently installed two
massive lounge chairs on Gordon Beach,
and with the dual messages of I ♥ Tel Aviv
and Tel Aviv ♥ Me written on the chairs, they
are a perfect backdrop for selfies.
Each of Tel Aviv’s beautiful beaches boasts
its own unique character and offers a
variety of services, including lifeguard
stations, kiosks, restaurants, children’s
playgrounds, outdoors gyms and more.
Gordon Beach is great for volleyball; at the
Dolphinarium beach you can join in the
weekly drumming festival and capoeira or
hone your windsurfing skills; and the gay-
lesbian community tends to gravitate to the
stretch near the Hilton, which has earned the
unofficial title as the city’s most gay-friendly of Environmental Education's Blue Flag
beach. Surfing is popular at Hilton Beach,
where a special light system was recently
installed to allow for night surfing; while kite management. The three beaches recognized
surfing is popular at Aviv Beach. Oh, and
we’re not done yet.
If you’re looking for some fun-in-the-sun-
infused culture, the beaches and promenade
of Tel Aviv are transformed from time to time
into an art gallery, with outdoor exhibitions
Catch a game of matkot, the Israeli version of
paddle ball. Photo: Shaina Gluckman
held in cooperation with the Tel Aviv Museum
of Art, showcasing some of the museum's
selected works by Picasso, Matisse, Renoir,
Kandinsky and Van Gogh. All of the works
showcased at the beach are reproductions
of the originals on display at the museum.
If you are more of a bookworm than an art
aficionado, a summertime beach library was
recently opened at Mezizim Beach, where
tourists and beach-goers are able to check-
out books to read as they relax at the beach.
The beach library offers 500+ books in five
languages: English, Arabic, Russian, French
and Hebrew. By the way, if you’d rather read
on your tablet, all you have to do is connect
to the free city-wide WiFi… and yes, it's
available on the beach as well.
Still not convinced? Three Tel Aviv
beaches were awarded the Foundation
international certification for water quality,
safety, environmental education and
with this honour are Mezizim Beach,
Jerusalem Beach and the Marina.
So if you're looking for your next destination
for an exhilarating vacation with some
serious beach time with a city break to boot,
look no further than Tel Aviv.
Free Wi-Fi - even in the water. Photo: Kfir Sivan
Gordon Beach. Photo Kfir Sivan
Did you know?
• The southbound walk on the Tel Aviv
promenade is especially spectacular,
with the delightful sight of Old Jaffa on
the horizon.
• Four beaches are accessible to people
with disabilities: Tzuk, Northern Tzuk,
Mezizim and Hilton (all in the northern
part of the city).
• An Israeli version of paddle ball, called
matkot, is a favourite beach sport (don't
forget to duck!).
• Watermelon with feta cheese is a very
popular beach snack. Popsicles, are
also a fan favourite, with the
banana-chocolate flavour ranking at
the top of most people's list.
D I S C O V E R I S R A E L 15