Haifa and the Northern Coast
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1. Nahal Me'arot Nature Reserve
The prehistoric Carmel Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are a highlight of this nature reserve, 3 km (2 miles) south of Ein Hod. They form a key site for the study of human evolution in general and the prehistory of the Levant in particular. The three excavated caves are up a steep flight of stairs, on a fossil reef covered by the sea 100 million years ago. The first discoveries of prehistoric remains were made when this area was being scoured for stones to build the Haifa port. In the late 1920s, Dorothy Garrod of England headed the first archaeological expedition, receiving assistance from a British feminist group on the condition that only women carry out the dig. In the Tannur cave, the first on the tour, the strata Garrod's team excavated are clearly marked, spanning about 150,000 years in the life of early humans. The most exciting discoveries were Homo sapiens and Neanderthal skeletons; evidence that raised fascinating questions about the relationship between the two and whether they lived side by side. A display on the daily life of early man as hunter and food gatherer occupies the Gamal cave. The last and largest cave, called the Nahal, cuts deep into the mountain and was the first discovered. A burial place with 84 skeletons was found outside the mouth of the cave along with stone tools, which suggest that people who settled here, about 12,000 years ago, were the forebears of early farmers, with a social structure more developed than that of hunters and gatherers. There is also evidence that the Crusaders once used the cave to guard the coastal road. There's a snack bar at this site.
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2. Elijah's Cave
Jews, Christians, and Muslims consider this site sacred; an early Byzantine tradition identified it as the cave in which Elijah found refuge from the wrath of Ahab, king of Israel from 871 to 853 BC. Graffiti from pilgrims of various faiths and centuries are scrawled on the right wall, and written prayers are often stuffed into crevices. Modest dress is required. The cave is a pretty 20-minute walk down the fairly steep path that begins across from the entrance to the Carmelite Monastery and Stella Maris Church and descends past the lighthouse and World War II fortification. It is more easily accessible by a short flight of stairs that rises from Allenby Road not far from the Bat Galim cable-car station.
230 Allenby Rd., 31090, Israel04-852–7430Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed Sat. -
3. Rosh Hanikra
Before you get in line for the steep two-minute ride on the Austrian-made cable car down to Rosh Hanikra's grottoes, take a moment to absorb the stunning view along the coast. Bring binoculars. Still clearly visible is the route of the railway line, now mostly a dirt road, built by the British through the hillside in 1943 to extend the Cairo–Tel Aviv–Haifa line to Beirut. (You are now much closer to Beirut than to Jerusalem.) After the descent, you can see the 12-minute audiovisual presentation called The Sea and the Cliff. The incredible caves beneath the cliff have been carved out by relentless waves pounding away at the white chalky rock for millennia. Footpaths inside the cliff lead from one huge cave to another, while the sound of waves—and the squealing of fruit bats—echoes off the water-sprayed walls. Huge bursts of seawater plunge into pools at your feet (behind protective rails). It's slippery, so hang on.
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