Don't forget Nahariya!
Nahariya is in the Western Galilee, on the coast between Acco and Rosh Hanikra. If you are already in the Galilee and fancy some sea-swimming, Nahariya is an ideal place to visit. The beach is less scenic than nearby Achziv, but is otherwise beautiful, is free and is convenient to other sites in Nahariya, such as the Water Tower and the Nahariya Botanical Gardens and Zoo.
Nahariya was founded in 1935, by German-Jewish immigrants who were part of the Fifth Aliyah. They bought land from a Lebanese family. Their initial aim was to engage in agriculture, but this proved challenging because of their lack of experience. Instead, the early families leveraged Nahariya’s scenic location to promote tourism and developed successful enterprises. including a dairy industry by Strauss, meat products by Soglowek, and metal tools later by Iscar.
After the founding of Israel in 1948, Nahariya absorbed immigrants from North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, especially from nearby ma’abarot (transit camps). By the 1950s, it was designated a development town, and its population grew from around 9,800 in 1955 to 23,800 by 1972. In the 1990s, large waves of immigrants arrived, including those from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia, and there was a construction boom in the late 1990s and early 2000s. With a population now over 50,000, Nahariya serves as a regional hub for healthcare, including the Galilee Medical Center, which is the second-largest hospital in northern Israel, and for trade.
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Galei Galil Beach
Galei Galil Beach is conveniently located, has a nice expanse of sandy beach and is protected by a breakwater. It has shade sheds, lifeguards, toilets, and showers. There is no admission charge. There is a pool of sea water for toddlers. Along the entrance to the beach are complexes that include wooden tables located under stone-built shade canopies over green grass. There is a paying parking lot adjacent to the beach. A children’s play area is next to the parking lot.
During the summer months, a pool complex adjacent to the beach is open free of charge. It has a children’s pool that includes water slides and a toddler pool.
Directions: Enter “Galei Galil Beachh” into Waze.
The art gallery in the Water Tower
A short walk from the beach is the iconic Water Tower, an eight-sided structure that is one of the city’s most emblematic landmarks. It was built in 1935 to supply water to the agricultural plots of early settlers in Nahariya and it remained part of the city’s water supply infrastructure until 1984, although it later housed other organizations. It underwent restoration in 2003, and has since served as the municipal art gallery and a meeting place for cultural and artistic events.
The first floor has a permanent exhibit of the work of Heinrich Tischler, a Jewish German painter and architect, whose main themes were the bleak social conditions of the post Second World War period. He died shortly after release from a concentration camp. On the ground floor are rotating exhibits.
There are stairs and an elevator. Hours are Sunday to Thursday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m, Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There is no admission charge. The address is 12 Jabotinsky. Enter into Waze “מגדל המים” and click on “מגדל המים נהריה”. Their phone number is 04 951 1214. This is their website:
Migdal hamayim is a short walk from the beach
On the first floor is a permanent exhibit of the work of Heinrich Tischler
On the ground floor are changing exhibits
The Nahariya Botanical Garden and Zoo
This is a Nahariya treasure and is highly recommended. It is actually more of a zoo than a botanical garden, but it is very pretty with beautiful shaded walkways. It is a small zoo that exhibits small animals, the largest being goats and ostriches, and many ducks and birds. It has a kiosk for snacks and hot and cold drinks. There are picnic areas on the green lawn.
The address is David Ben Ga’on St 15. Enter “Botanical and Zoological Garden” into Waze and click on “Botanical and Zoological Garden, David Ben Ga’on St, Nahariya” There is no parking lot, but there is street parking. The admission charge is 10 NIS for Nahariya residents age 3 and above, 20 NIS for non-Nahariya residents, and 10 NIS for pensioners. This is their phone number 04 640-2338 and this is their website:
Lieberman House
Beit Lieberman is a heritage museum dedicated to the origins of Nahariya. The museum is presently closed for renovations of its exhibits, but should be open by the end of 2025.
The house was originally part of lands purchased in 1934 from the Touani family of Lebanon, and Philip Lieberman acquired about 111 acres. The building dates back to around 1860 and was designed by an Italian architect. It played a vital role in local defense, housing a Notrim (Jewish auxiliary police) unit during the Arab revolt of 1936–1939. It also served as a base for Palmach reconnaissance under Yitzhak Rabin and later provided sanctuary for illegal immigrants arriving to Nahariya. Philip Lieberman perished in the Holocaust; and his heirs donated the house to the city to commemorate Nahariya and his memory.
There is a non-kosher-supervised dairy restaurant in the grounds.
Directions: Enter “Beit Lieberman” into Waze and click on "בית ליברמן – מוזיאון לתולדות נהריה “. Their phone number is 04 982-1516. This is their website:
Links to the best family activities, hikes and historic sites in the GOLAN, EASTERN GALILEE, UPPER GALILEE, LOWER GALILEE, JORDAN VALLEY & LAKE KINNERET, the SHEFELAH, TEL AVIV-YAFFO and surroundings, NORTH of TEL AVIV, and SOUTH of TEL AVIV.