Tel Aviv

Why Tel Aviv works

Tel Aviv is Israel's secular, sea-facing counterpoint to Jerusalem, built up largely in the 1930s by Bauhaus-trained architects fleeing Europe — the resulting 'White City' of over 4,000 low-rise modernist buildings, with their curved balconies and ribbon windows, earned UNESCO recognition in 2003 and is best explored on foot around Rothschild Boulevard. The city's four kilometres of sandy beach run unbroken from Jaffa's ancient port to the northern marina, backed by a promenade of cafes, gyms and volleyball courts that stays busy from dawn surfers to midnight strollers. Carmel Market and the smaller Levinsky Market trade in spices, halva, fresh produce and Middle Eastern street food, while Neve Tzedek, Tel Aviv's oldest neighbourhood, has become a warren of boutique galleries and design studios. Old Jaffa, annexed into the municipality but distinct in character, layers Ottoman, Crusader and biblical-era history around a working fishing port and flea market. Tel Aviv's food scene, drawing on Levantine, North African and Eastern European Jewish traditions, has become one of the most internationally regarded in the Middle East, with hummus counters and fine-dining rooms often on the same block. Compact and walkable, with an efficient bike-share network, Tel Aviv works well as a two-to-three night base before or after a Jerusalem itinerary.

Trip Snapshot

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