3 Best Sights in Kursi National Park, Lower Galilee

The best-known beach on the lake's northeastern shore has powerboat, rowboat, kayak, and pedal-boat rentals, as well as waterskiing and other water sports. It's also home of LunaGal water park. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming.

Huddling under the imposing cliffs of Golan Heights, where Route 789 climbs away from 92, this place is linked with the New Testament story of two men possessed by demons. Jesus exorcised the spirits, causing them to enter a herd of swine grazing nearby, which then "rushed down the steep bank into the lake, and perished in the waters" (Matthew 8:32). Fifth-century Byzantine Christians identified the event with this spot and built a monastery. It was an era in which earnest pilgrims inundated the holy places, and the monastery prospered from their gifts. The partly restored ruins of a fine Byzantine church are a classic example of the basilica style common at the time; the ruined monastery is higher up the hillside.

Each of the three beaches has its own personality: the Lavnun (named after an indigenous fish) and Halukim ("pebbles") beaches have vast lawns with abundant shade. You must wear shoes on Halukim Beach, because it is, indeed, filled with pebbles. Young people with grills and music find Kursi (named after the nearby Byzantine Church) and Lavnun more attractive, while families and those seeking a quieter experience find the Halukim Beach more to their liking. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: swimming.