3 Best Sights in Lower Galilee, Israel

Popular with Israelis—who come for the freshwater and mineral pools, giant waterslide, alligator farm, performing parrots, petting zoo, and restaurants—this place has history, too: in its heyday, it was the second-largest spa in the Roman Empire (after Baiae, near Naples). There's a hotel, a spa, and restaurants here, too.

This is where Israel's hottest spring gushes from the earth at 60°C (140°F) due to cracks in the earth's crust along the Syrian--African Rift. Alas, this is an archaeological site known for its superb mosaics, so you don't get to dip your toes into the waters here. (You can do that at the more impressive hot springs at Hammat Gader.)

By the end of the Second Temple period (the 1st century AD), when settlement in the Sea of Galilee region was at its height, a Jewish town called Hammat (Hot Springs) stood here. With time, Hammat was overshadowed by its newer neighbor, Tiberias. The benefits of the mineral hot springs were already legendary: a coin minted in Tiberias during the rule of Emperor Trajan, around AD 100, shows Hygeia, the goddess of health, sitting on a rock with a spring gushing out beneath it.

Parts of ancient Hammat have been uncovered, bringing to light a number of ruined synagogues. The most dramatic dates from the 4th century AD, with an elaborate mosaic floor that uses motifs almost identical to those at Beit Alfa: classical Jewish symbols, human figures representing the four seasons and the signs of the zodiac, and the Greek god Helios at the center. They are among the finest ever found in Israel.

As for how the spring was created, legend says that Solomon, the great king of Israel, wanted a hot bath and used his awesome authority to force some young devils below ground to heat the water. Seeing that the springs brought great happiness to his subjects, Solomon worried about what would happen when he died and the devils stopped their labors. Solomon made the hapless devils deaf, so to this day they continue to heat the water for fear of his wrath.

In addition to sophisticated therapeutic services and facilities, this modern spa has a large, warm indoor mineral pool (35°C [95°F]) and a small outdoor one right near the lake's edge. A restaurant serves lunch.