The renewed seashore promenade goes along Tel Aviv’s coastline. Many cafes and restaurants populate the beachside, where you can enjoy fresh Mediterranean food with a magnificent sea view along the Tel Aviv shore. It is magic to admire the sunset at the beach listening to the sea wave sound.
The main beaches of Tel Aviv are:
- Banana Beach is situated between Jaffa and the seaside hotel area of Tel Aviv. It is a beautiful and not so crowded beach; hence it is an optimal place for families and a small group of people. Especially on Friday night, there are many events such as drums, games of Matkot and much more on this beach. It is a small paradise very close to the city centre. Its name comes from the anonymous café near the beach. In this area, there are a lot of bars and dance clubs, especially at night.
- Frishman Beach is located in the very centre of the city, and it is also suitable for families. Moreover, it has volleyball yards, and it is close to many cafes, restaurants, and bars. Frishman Beach is one of the best places in Tel Aviv to relax and enjoy the beauty of the Mediterranean sea.
- Gordon Beach is situated in Tel Aviv Marina, and it is a crowded beach offering volleyball spaces and a seawater swimming pool with a fantastic sea view. You can work out at the gym and enjoy the numerous bars in the area around that offer a stunning sunset view of the sea. It is the perfect beach close to several beachside bars, nightclubs, and local restaurants that serve traditional Israeli food and fresh seafood. It is indeed one of the best beaches in Tel Aviv. There are volleyball games, ice cream shops, a gym and the Gordon saltwater swimming pool.
- Bograshov Beach is another central beach along the famous Tel Aviv promenade where you can enjoy a delightful swim and then relax on the golden sand enjoying the sun. This beach is very central; hence, it is easy to discover Tel Aviv centre’s many eateries and shops.
- Maravi Beach is the surfers’ beach because of its high waves, and it is also the last sandy beach before Old Jaffa. It is a clean, well preserved and not crowded beach. This beach offers the surfers the possibility to enjoy the left and right wave breaks all over the year. So every surfer can practice during the year no matter the weather.
- Trumpeldor Beach is reachable walking down in the Tel Aviv seaside, and it is recognisable by an unusual statue. It is a quiet beach, and there are no facilities nor lifeguards.
- Rainbow umbrellas feature Hilton Beach, and it is the unofficial gay beach of Tel Aviv. This beach is also known under the name Surfer’s Beach at the Hilton Hof HaGolshim. It is located in front of the Hilton Tel Aviv hotel, and it is furnished with sun chairs, volleyball courts and lifeguards. It is a prominent place for surfing in the southern part, besides being a good spot for kayaking, and in the northern area, it is a dog-friendly beach.
- Alma Beach is one of the most excellent beaches of Tel Aviv, and it is one of the favourite beaches of Israelis because it is not so much crowded and less touristy. It is enjoyable to relax at the weekends, where it is possible to have a nice picnic. This beach is also dog friendly since it has a particular area where dogs can play around freely.
- Giva’at Aliya Beach is the southernmost beach of Tel Aviv, very close to Bat Yam and featured by stone arches and majestic palm trees. On this beach, you can practise many sports such as volleyball, windsurfing, and kayaking. And of course, you can enjoy a refreshing drink with a stunning sea view afterwards.
- Metzitzim Beach has been named after the famous 1970’s Israeli movie “Metsitsim”. It is a beach close to Tel Aviv Port, and it is family-friendly, offering children’s playgrounds. On the other Tel Aviv beaches, volleyball’s yards don’t miss outdoor workout areas, and the beautiful white sand makes this beach unique. This beach is well-known for its modern facilities, and it is often very crowded.
- Tel Barukh Beach is a quiet beach far from Tel Aviv centre, close to the Ramat Aviv neighbourhood. It is one of Israel’s cleanest and most family-friendly beaches, and it offers much entertainment such as an outdoor workout area, a volleyball yard, playgrounds, green gardens, seaside café and restaurants with a stunning view, which make this beach the perfect spot to relax enjoying the summertime.
- Charles Clore Beach is close to Jaffa, and it is one of the calmest beaches of Tel Aviv, being far from the city centre. This beach offers a unique experience from the point of view of closeness to nature. You can go for a walk, visit the Jaffa Port and the Etzel Museum.
- Jerusalem Beach or Geula Beach is located close to the big Allenby street, one of the busiest avenues of Tel Aviv centre, and the Opera Tower building. It is one of the most popular beaches of the city crowded by tourists and locals because of its central position. Nearby there are many falafel shops and bodegas. There are workout areas, volleyball yards, and playgrounds on this beach, which offers plenty of space.
It is definitely the best place to meet friends and enjoy a relaxing day at the beach.
- South Tzuk Beach is in the Northern region of Tel Aviv, and it is a beautiful and calm place, which is suitable for families. There is a restaurant, an outdoor gym, a volleyball yard and a playground like the other beaches.
- Dolphinarium Beach or Drum Beach is a famous Tel Aviv beach that hosts a surf club with surf classes. On Friday evenings, there are musicians and performers on the boardwalks, which is why this beach is also called Drum Beach.
- Ajami Beach is situated in the south of Old Jaffa, and it has an old-fashioned atmosphere differently from the modern Tel Aviv centre. It is close to the Maronic Church that is a historical place of Jaffa. This beach has fewer tourists because of its southern position, far from the Tel Aviv centre. Nearby there are excellent restaurants that offer the best Mediterranean food.
The Sea Promenade Between Tel Aviv and Jaffa
The sea promenade between the Old North of Tel Aviv and the southern Old Jaffa is crowded. Nevertheless, it is a fantastic place to admire the sunset at the beach, enjoying a drink in the bars and cafés. In addition, of course, the numerous restaurants of the Tel Aviv seaside offer a vast choice of delicious fresh food, and live music never goes missing in the city that never sleeps. The Tel Aviv Promenade is also well-known by locals and tourists as Tayelet in Hebrew, and it extends over Tel Aviv’s Mediterranean coastline, starting from the old Tel Aviv Port up to Jaffa. On the inward part of the promenade, there are many hotels, bars, and restaurants.
Furthermore, on the other side, there is a connected ensemble of spacious beaches. The Tel Aviv promenade dates back to the 1930s, and it was profoundly restored in the 2000s. The restorations combined a total renovation of the 2.5km-long boardwalk. Nowadays, the Tayelet is a broad and colourful public area that develops in two levels. The upper level is reserved for pedestrians, bikers, and skaters, and the lower level is a combination of bamboo floorings and seats in the beach sand.
The First Period of The Tel Aviv Tayelet
In the 1930s, the promenade was constructed while the British were in charge as UN-appointed administrators of Palestine. Shortly, the beachfront became a well-known leisure area, although the beaches were closed because of WWII. Later on, the beaches were closed for another time because sewerage was released directly into the sea. Hence, the beachfront became a cloudy and shabby space suddenly that the citizens evaded. And, in the 1960s, the ports of Jaffa and Tel Aviv were closed, bringing a significant change in the character of the promenade that spread between Tel Aviv Port and Old Jaffa Port.
In the 80s, the situation changed for the better because the city’s sewage was diverted to a treatment plant, and the beaches were cleaned up. The promenade was enlarged, and docks were built, extending the beaches. Since the 2000s, the Tayelet’s granulite resurfaced, and the outdated gazebos became unattractive, and a complete restoration became unavoidable.
Restoration of Tel Aviv Promenade In The 2000s
In the first part of the 2000s, Tel Aviv municipality supported a significant renewal of the promenade. The restorations were completed in 2018. The seacoast walk was designed and made using ecological-friendly materials. The designers employed bamboo woodwork, bamboo decking, and they used recycled construction elements to reduce the project’s environmental impact.
The design emphasises curves, circles, and waves instead of straight lines. And even the pattern in the paving swirls like waves. The beautiful path of the Tayelet imitates the motion of the sea. There is a variety of accommodations on the beaches, and also stairs and terraced gathering stands. The promenade is also accessible for wheelchairs and strollers; hence everyone can enjoy the seafront.
Nowadays Tel Aviv Promenade
Nowadays, there are different boutique hotels, fashionable cafes, and popular bars lined along the Tel Aviv promenade. Tourists can easily reach stores and markets in Tel Aviv’s centre through a beautiful walk from and onto the beach. The Tayelet is the conjunction between the city and the sea—making Tel Aviv a desired tourist destination and a beach resort city.
The promenade is featured as an uninterrupted pathway from Tel Aviv Port, which is nowadays a fancy boardwalk with restaurants, cafes, bars, entertainment, and a farmers’ market, until the restored Old Jaffa Port. In the direction of the Jaffa-end of the promenade, there is the Charles Clore Garden, which is a place with flea markets, festivals, and entertainment.
Touring The Tel Aviv Tayelet
One of the essential developments in the Tayelet is to have built steps between the promenade and the sand, making the beaches easily accessible. There are open and recreational areas beside the extent of the walkway, including playgrounds, game courts, and sports types of equipment. Along the Tayelet, there are many well-known artworks besides 13 unique beaches. Additionally, there are various facilities and extras on these beaches, including lifeguards, beach restaurants, outdoor gyms, volleyball courts, water sports, and playgrounds. On the Tel Aviv Tayelet, there are all sorts of people such as street performers, artists, friends’ groups, habitual walkers, tourists, families strolling along the seaside, the aged players of backgammon, and people of all ages working out, whilst more youthful visitants capture selfies and memorable landscapes.