Friday, July 31, 2026 My Trip English中文
World news · travel · culture
Taiwan The Taiwan Times
Taiwan's window to the world

Netanya

Israel · Asia

Netanya, Israel
Netanya, Israel. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

About Netanya

Netanya, or Natanya, is a city in the Central District of Israel, and is the capital of the surrounding Sharon plain. It is 30 kilometres (20 mi) north of Tel Aviv, and 56 km (35 mi) south of Haifa, between the Poleg stream and the Wingate Institute in the south and the Avihayil stream in the north. The 14 km (8+1⁄2 mi) of beaches have made the city a popular tourist resort.

Founded in 1929 by deed of a coastal land purchase in the Arab village of Umm Khalid, Netanya was named in honor of Nathan Straus, a prominent Jewish American merchant and philanthropist in the early 20th century, who was the co-owner of the Macy's department store chain. In 1948, the remaining land of Umm Khalid was deserted by its inhabitants during the Arab-Israeli 1948 war, after which Netanya started further expanding eastwards.

In the 1990s, the city absorbed a large amount of immigrants from the former Soviet Union as well as from Ethiopia. As a result, 1 out of 4 inhabitants speaks Russian and the city's Ethiopian community is the largest in Israel, numbering over 12,000 citizens.

In 2024, Netanya had a population of 234,813, ranking it as the 7th-largest city in Israel by population. An additional 150,000 people live in the local and regional councils within ten kilometres (six miles) of Netanya, which serves as a regional center for them.

Netanya travel guide

Getting there

1 Netanya Railway Station (Bus lines 16, 25, 32, 67, 71, 72). Connecting Netanya to Haifa and to Tel Aviv, with a car rental station nearby. It is not really in walking distance from the city center - there are buses and taxis though. (For the Poleg area in southern Netanya, the "Beit Yehoshua" or "Sapir" train stations will be more convenient than the Netanya station.) 2 Netanya Sapir Railway Station (Bus lines 32, 61, 62, 63, 64, 66, 67, 68, 69, 71). Connecting Netanya to Binyamina and to Tel Aviv. Located at the New Industrial Area in southern Netanya. 3 Central Bus Station. Located downtown a 10-minute walk from the beach, is served by buses to Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem, and other cities, villages and settlements. (updated Mar 2026)

Getting around

The tourist-friendly area downtown is small and easily walkable. Bicycles and walking are common transportation along the beach. If you need to visit another neighborhood, a bus or taxi is the best bet.

By bus There is a bus system of 19 urban bus lines that serve all areas of the city. Most of the lines have frequency of between 10 and 30 minutes. The urban lines in Netanya are operated by "Extra Public Transportation".

1א: A circular line from the Central bus station to the nearby kibbutz of Avichail. This line is infrequent. 10/10א: A circular line from the Central bus station to Sela neighbourhood. 16: From the Central Bus Station to Netanya Railway Station via Maknes, Heot Nerzl and Shikun HaMizrachi. Using this line to Netanya Railway Station is not recommended from the Central Bus Station and Maknes neighbourhood. 25: From Netanya Railway Station to Ein Hatchelet via Herzl blvd. and Weizmann blvd. 32/32א: From Netanya Railway Station to Sapir Railway Station via the city center, Ovad Ben Ami street (Including the hotels that stretch along the street), Gali HaTchelet, Neot Shaked, Agamim, Giv'at HaI'rusim and the New Industrial Area. Northbound trips are labeled as line 32א. 60: From Ein HaTechelet to the Cemetery via Maknes neighbourhood, Herzl blvd., Old Industrial Area and Kiryat Rabin Neighbourhood (Amalya). This line has a fixed frequency of 30 minutes. 61: From the Central Bus Station to The Green Beach via the Old Industrial Area, Kiryat Rabin (Amalya), Kiryat HaSharon, New Industrial Area, Sapir Railway Station, Ir Yamim Shopping Mall, Neot Menachem Begin and Ir Yamim. This line has frequency of 15 minutes. 62: From Ein HaTchelet to Sapir Railway Station via Neot Herzl, Shukun HaMizrachi, Herzl blvd., Old Industrial Area, Kiryat Rabin (Amalya), Kiryat HaSharon and the New Industrial Area. This line has frequency of 30 minutes. 63/63א: A mostly express line from Ein HaTchelet to Sapir Railway Station via Weizmann blvd., Central Bus Station, Binyamin blvd., Ben Tazi blvd., Kiryat Nordau and the New Industrial Area including the City Hall. This line is highly frequent. Northbound trips are labeled as line 63א. 64: From Ein HaTchelet to Sapir Railway Station via the beaches in the northern and central parts of the city (including the hotels that stretch along the area and Sironit Beach), Ben Avi blvd., Ben Tzvi blvd. and New Industrial Area. This line has frequency of between 30 minutes and one hour. 65: From Ein Hatchelet to The Green Beach via Weizmann blvd., Herzl blvd., Old Industrial Area, Kiryat HaSharon, New Industrial Area and Ir Ya

See

Urban attractions 1 Herzl street. Pedestrian zone and city square, at the western part of the street. Has many restaurants and attractions. 2 Netanya Market. 3 Netanya Flower market.

Museums 4 The Well House, 17 Sokolov (bus lines 16, 25, 63, 65, 66, 70, 148 and 149), ☏ +972 9 832-9940. A museum telling the early history of Netanya located in a farm established in 1928, and as such one of the earliest buildings in Netanya. 5 Yemenite Jewish Heritage Museum (Pearl of the Tribes of Israel), 11 Independence Square (bus line 64). (updated Mar 2017) 6 Netanya City Museum, McDonald 3 (bus line 64), ☏ +972 9 8308851. (updated Mar 2017) 7 Shlomo Dror Art Institute. (updated Mar 2017) 8 Gallery on the Cliff (bus line 64). (updated Mar 2017)

Do

Beaches and nature The beach. The city is located on a cliff overlooking the beaches which stretch along the shore. There are paths down to the beach, as well as an elevator (see below) in one place. Netanya Promenade (Bus line 64). A wonderful landscaped walkway on the cliff above the beach, with great views of the sea shore. 1 Elevator to the beach (Bus line 64). There is an elevator down the cliff to the "Sironit" beach. The ride is free and you get a fascinating view of the sea. (updated Mar 2017) 2 "Irusim" natural reserve (Bus lines 61 and 70). 3 Winter pond and park, Ben Gurion Street (Bus lines 32 and 71).

Buy

Beach products along marketplaces by Mediterranean Sea. 1 Hasharon Mall (Kanyon Ha'Sharon), 60 Herzl St. 2 Ir Yamim Mall, Ben gurion St (Bus lines 32, 61, 65, 67, 70, 148, 149). 3 Nitsba Center Poleg, Gibori Israel blvd. St (Bus lines 32, 61, 65, 67, 148, 149). This shopping center contains both and outdoor section and indoor section. This shopping center is also open in Saturdays. 4 Y Center, Gibori Israel blvd. (Bus lines 32, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 71). An outdoor shopping center that contains a cinema in the basement level alongside with some restaurants in the main shopping level.

Drink & nightlife

Uranus Bar, Atzmaut square. Doug and Tony, Hatsoran St.

Sleep

Nearly all hotels in Netanya are located on the cliff edge above the beach, or very close by.

1 Residence Hotel (Bus line 64), ☏ +972 9-8301110 (03/04). Located directly above the beach with a breathtaking view of sea and a 5-minute walk from Netanya’s main square and city centre. 2 Residence Beach Hotel, ☏ +972 9-8301110 (03/04). A unique, luxurious and intimate hotel, perfect for businessmen, couples and small families seeking a quiet and relaxed atmosphere. Located at a beautiful shoreline spot, close to the city center with easy access to the beautiful promenade and the beach. 3 Seasons Hotel (along the north beach, 5 min walk from the city center. Bus line 64), ☏ +972 9-8601520, +972 9-8601555. A boutique hotel overlooking the sea from an elevated cliff. 4 Island Suites, 10 Ben Ami Ave (Bus lines 32 and 67), ☏ +972 77 266-6666. 5 Carmel Hotel, 2 Ben Ami Ave (Bus lines 32 and 67). 6 VERT Lagoon Netanya, Kehilat Tsefat St 1, ☏ +972 073-387-5555, [email protected]. Check-in: 11AM, check-out: 15PM. Resort overlooking the Mediterranean coastline. from 1,096ILS. (updated Aug 2023)

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.

Explore Asia