The beaches are the undisputed highlight of Tel Aviv, and since western Tel Aviv runs along the coast, it’s obviously the highlight of this area as well, and thanks to them Tel Aviv features on the list of the top 10 beach cities the world has to offer, according to National Geographic. It’s also the main reason why Lonely Planet has voted it one of the top 10 cities in the world overall.
As the 13km long beach line is but a few steps away from the city center, you can take a quick dip in the morning, go shopping in boutique stores or dining in a top notch restaurant on the promenade or more inland, and then come back for an afternoon swim. That’s not bad for a day’s work, isn’t?
The fact that the beach feels like it’s a 5 minute walk from every part of the city center brings the beach-feel to the streets themselves. The gorgeous weather is almost always here, so even if it’s too cold to go into the water, odds are you’ll find a few warm days even in the winter-est of months that allow you to just lie on the sand in a swimsuit and relax.
The city’s main beaches are pretty clean and most of them are crowded. From June till October you will encounter on the sand or between the waves the city’s young and beautiful alongside the elderly, parents and grandparents with children, the racket playing enthusiasts and just about every other resident of Tel Avivian. It’s simply where everybody goes. In August you might want to watch out for the occasional jelly fish, as those tend to drift en masse to shore right at the peak of tourist season.
Besides lying around or swimming, you can check out one of the many restaurants or cafes located there, even though they range mostly between bad and average, as they do not sell food but the view. Or,if you’re into more physical activities, there’s a diving school, a sailing school, coursers in windsurfing, kite surfing, kayaking and more.
The accomodation options are great and there is not much difference between the vairous 4-5 star hotels. You’ll probably have to say goodbye to at least a couple of hundred bucks if you want to rest your head in a hotel that is on the promenade or the parallel Yarkon Street.