Eilat Travel Guide

Eilat (אילת, aka Elat) is the only Israeli city on the Red Sea. Eilat (pop 85,000) is the southernmost town in Israel, isolated from the rest of the country by the Negev desert. It's sandwiched between Taba in Egypt and Aqaba in Jordan, and often used as an access route to those cities because of its large modern Ramon airport.

While Eilat is - for a country as small as Israel at least - far away from the rest of the country, the government is subsidizing international flights and the border crossings to/from Jordan and Egypt are a lot less hassle than one might expect, making Eilat surprisingly easy to reach - if not necessarily from the rest of Israel.

Eilat is relatively close to Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, which has become a terrorist hotbed. There have also been terrorist incidents in Eilat. To prevent terrorist infiltration, Israel has built a steel barrier backed by cameras, radar and motion detectors on the Israel-Egypt border.

The hillside around the Central Bus Station contains motels and small private hostels which usually have a room designated as a dorm. You can find some real gems hidden among them but be prepared to take some time checking them out.