CAVES & GROTTOES
Large stalactite cave
In the very heart of northern Israel, near the scenic town of Beit She’an, lies one of the country’s most fascinating natural wonders — the Stalactite Cave, also known as the Shimon Cave or Ein Harod Cave. This breathtaking site offers a magical underground experience for nature enthusiasts, photographers, and families with children.
A Natural Masterpiece Formed Over Thousands of Years
The cave was formed over hundreds of thousands of years by water dripping through limestone rock, creating stunning stalactites, stalagmites, and natural columns.
Their fantastic shapes resemble candles, draperies, and even figures of animals, turning the cave into a real underground palace sculpted by nature itself.
Easy Access for Everyone
Unlike many deep caves, this one lies close to the surface, making the descent safe and convenient.
There are wooden walkways, rope handrails, and soft floor lighting in the moist areas, ensuring comfortable and secure movement for visitors of all ages — including children and seniors.
The inside temperature remains pleasantly cool year-round, making it a perfect escape from the summer heat.
Near the entrance, you’ll find:
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Parking and a scenic walking path with benches
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Information boards and a small souvenir kiosk selling ice cream and water
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Picnic areas and scenic viewpoints nearby
A visit to the cave can easily be combined with:
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A picnic in the Judean Hills
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A walk along the Sorek Stream
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Or a stop at the archaeological sites of Beit She’an
Why Visit with Children?
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A unique geological wonder unlike anything your child has seen before
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Peaceful location away from tourist crowds
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Comfortable and suitable for families with grandparents and young kids
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A chance to hide from the heat and enjoy nature’s cool beauty
Visitor Information
Address:
Western slope of the Judean Hills, south of the Sorek Stream, near Beit Shemesh.
Opening Hours:
April – September
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Sunday – Thursday: 8:00 – 17:00
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Friday: 8:00 – 16:00
October – March
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Sunday – Thursday: 8:00 – 16:00
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Friday: 8:00 – 15:00
(Last entry is one hour before closing.)
Entrance Fees:
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Adults – 27 NIS
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Children – 14 NIS
Visits are conducted in small guided groups and begin with a 15-minute introductory film about the cave’s discovery.
Touching formations and bringing food inside is strictly prohibited to preserve the cave’s natural beauty.
Beit Guvrin: The Underground Kingdom of Light and Stone
Hidden beneath the rolling hills of Israel’s Judean Lowlands, about an hour’s drive from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, lies a breathtaking underground world — the Beit Guvrin-Maresha National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most fascinating archaeological areas in the Middle East.
A World Carved Beneath the Earth
Beneath these hills stretches a forgotten world shaped by human hands thousands of years ago. The park contains over 1,000 man-made caves carved into the soft chalkstone of the Judean lowlands — a vast network of halls, quarries, burial chambers, cisterns, olive presses, dovecotes, and hidden passageways.
Each chamber tells a story of the civilizations that once thrived here — from the Edomites and Greeks to the Romans and early Jews — who worked, worshipped, and buried their dead beneath the ancient city of Maresha.
Once a major Edomite capital and later a Hellenistic fortress, Maresha flourished during the Iron Age and reached its peak under Greek and Roman influence. The remains of its subterranean world stand today like silent cathedrals of stone — enduring monuments to faith, labor, and time itself.
The Bell Caves – Light and Silence
The park’s most famous attraction is the Bell Caves — vast, light-filled chambers shaped like inverted bells.
Their tall ceilings open to the sky through narrow shafts, letting in rays of sunlight that illuminate the soft, golden walls. Walking among them feels like traveling through a living sculpture — hearing echoes of ancient pickaxes and whispers of forgotten prayers.
UNESCO World Heritage Site
In 2014, Beit Guvrin-Maresha was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as an “Outstanding testimony to the cultural, architectural, and economic history of ancient Judea.”
It is a rare combination of natural beauty and archaeological richness, serving as a bridge between earth and memory, between the physical and the spiritual.
Visitor Information
Location: Judean Lowlands, about 1 hour from Jerusalem or Tel Aviv.
Opening Hours:
Sunday–Thursday: 8:00 – 17:00
Friday: closes earlier (around 16:00)
Entrance Fee: 31 NIS per person
Practical Tips:
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Wear comfortable shoes — the terrain is uneven, with many steps leading into caves.
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Bring plenty of water, especially in summer.
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Picnic areas and restrooms are available on site.
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Photography is allowed — the natural lighting in the caves creates stunning shots.
Why Visit Beit Guvrin-Maresha?
- Discover an underground city carved over millennia
- Explore ancient civilizations up close
- Perfect for families, hikers, and history lovers
- Recognized by UNESCO for its cultural importance
Whether you come for the history, the mystery, or the sense of timeless peace that fills the caverns — Beit Guvrin-Maresha is one of Israel’s most magical places.
The Burial Caves of Beit Guvrin – The Sidonian Necropolis of Ancient Maresha
Among the most astonishing treasures of Beit Guvrin-Maresha National Park are its ancient burial caves, particularly those from the Sidonian necropolis — a rare and remarkable example of multicultural funerary art in the ancient Near East.
The term Sidonian comes from the Phoenicians of Sidon, who settled in Maresha during the Hellenistic period. Their tombs reflect a fascinating blend of Greek, Egyptian, and Semitic beliefs about the afterlife — a meeting of civilizations expressed through art and architecture carved in stone.
🏛️ Myth, Symbolism, and Eternal Light
Stepping into these rock-cut chambers, visitors are immediately struck by the vivid wall paintings that have survived for over two millennia.
The walls are alive with mythical creatures, burning altars, amphorae, doves, lions, and eagles — each image serving not as decoration, but as a spiritual guide for the soul’s journey beyond life.
The most mysterious motif is that of a flaming altar supported by two lions, perhaps symbolizing eternal vigilance or divine fire — a guardian of the spirit.
The architecture itself evokes Greek and Roman temples, with painted columns and pediments in warm ochre tones, suggesting that death was not an end but a transformation, a sacred passage etched into the living rock.
⚒️ Architecture of the Afterlife
Each tomb complex is carefully designed:
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Multiple interconnected chambers cut into the limestone
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Rock-hewn niches for sarcophagi
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Ceremonial steps leading downward — as though each level carried the soul not just deeper into the earth, but further into the mystery.
The interplay of darkness, echo, and color creates an otherworldly atmosphere — a realm between life and memory, where time itself seems to stand still.
📍 Visiting the Sidonian Tombs
The Sidonian necropolis is located within the Beit Guvrin-Maresha National Park.
Access is by guided route; photography is permitted, and lighting highlights the delicate frescoes.
Allow time to sit in silence — these chambers are as much a work of art as they are a testament to ancient spirituality.
Rosh HaNikra Grottoes
At the very northern tip of Israel’s Mediterranean coastline, beneath the white chalk cliffs where the waves crash against the rock, lies one of the country’s most striking natural wonders — the Rosh HaNikra Nature Reserve.
This site is a unique blend of geology, history, and breathtaking beauty, where sea, stone, and time have shaped a landscape like no other.
The Creation of the Grottos
The cliffs of Rosh HaNikra are composed of soft chalk and limestone, easily shaped by erosion.
For thousands of years, the sea, wind, and underground water have carved into the rock, forming a network of natural caves and marine grottos.
Some open directly to the sea, others extend deep into the cliff, creating mysterious tunnels echoing with the rhythm of the waves.
The name “Rosh HaNikra” means “Head of the Caves” in Hebrew — perfectly describing the cliffs, which appear riddled with passages and water-filled tunnels formed by nature’s relentless hand.
History Beneath the Cliffs
In ancient times, Rosh HaNikra marked a natural border between the Levant and Egypt, serving as a crucial — and often treacherous — passage for traders and armies traveling along the coastal route.
During the British Mandate, engineers cut a railway tunnel through the cliff in 1942 as part of the line connecting Haifa and Beirut. The tunnel was later destroyed in 1948 by Israeli forces to prevent invasion from the north, but its remains now stand as a monument to history.
Today, the site houses a small museum and an interactive multimedia center that tell the story of the railway, the wars, and the natural evolution of this dramatic landscape.
What to See
Visitors can explore the grottos via a scenic underground route featuring:
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The Blue Grotto – where turquoise waters shimmer with every shade of blue
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The Double-Arch Cave – massive waves crash through twin entrances during storms
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The “Breathing Cave” – a sea fissure that emits a rhythmic, echoing sound
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A panoramic lookout point – with sweeping views of Lebanon, Haifa Bay, and Mount Carmel
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A cable car ride – one of the steepest in the world, descending from the cliff top down to the sea
Visitor Information
Address: Highway 4, near the town of Nahariya
Opening Hours:
Summer: 9:00 – 18:00
Winter: 9:00 – 16:00
(Ticket office closes one hour before closing time)
Facilities:
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Cable car
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Museum & short multilingual film
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Café & souvenir shop
Entrance Fee: 52 NIS
Rosh HaNikra is a place where the sea whispers ancient legends, where the white cliffs meet the turquoise waters, and where every echo tells a story. It’s not just a site to visit — it’s an experience to remember.
