Sharon Plain

Understand

The coastal plain stretches from south of Haifa in the north to the Gaza Strip in the south. It is the main economic centre of country, including the Tel Aviv metropolis as well as a number of smaller cities. But the region also contains other sites of interest, including beaches, nature reserves, and archaeological sites. Historically, the coastal plain was an agricultural region. The northern half of the coastal plain, known as the Sharon, was known for its citrus orchards which exported the famous "Jaffa orange". The southern half, south of Jaffa, mostly consisted of sparsely populated sandy areas. Starting in the early 1900s, the coastal plain was the main destination of Jewish immigrants and refugees who came by boat. Over time this led Tel Aviv to become Israel's most economically important city, while the southern coastal plain became an intensely used agricultural area dotted with many villages, kibbutzim, and moshavim. Nowadays, the fields and orchards of the coastal plain are still present, but they have become economically insignificant compared to the commerce and industry of the Tel Aviv region. Geographically, in much of the Sharon region, the beaches are lined with cliffs, and agricultural settlements begin immediately above these cliff. There are a number of permanent streams winding through the Sharon region. In the south, there are usually large sand dunes along the coast, with agriculture several kilometers inland. The south is drier, and all the streams are intermittent, flowing only after winter rains.

Getting there

By train Most cities in the coastal plain are served by train lines connecting to Tel Aviv. However, the train stations are often inconveniently located on the outskirts of cities.

By bus There are many bus lines coming from or going through major cities in the Sharon plain region (especially going through Hadera, Netanya and Herzliya) from many places outside the Sharon plain region. There are also express bus lines to various major cities in the Sharon plain region whom head out from Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem, and Tiberias.

By car Highways 2, 4, and 6 cross the coastal plain region from north to south. Highway 6, the Trans-Israel Highway, is a toll road. Highways 2 and 6 are motorways.

Getting around

Buses and sheruts are the options of choice. Bus stops can be found at almost every junction and intersection. Hitch-hiking is possible, but due to the many large highways, it can be quite difficult to find an appropriate place to catch a ride – best to try the slip road that leads to the highway, otherwise at a three lane highway you might wait forever.

See

Besides the sites mentioned for each city, the following are worth mentioning in this region.

1 Dor HaBonim Beach Nature Reserve, ☏ +972 4-8252266. Besides the beach, the Tel Dor National Park can be found here with the antique Dor mentioned in the Bible. Has camping options in summer. ₪22/9 adult/child (parking ₪36/120/240 private/minibus/bus). 2 Atlit Detention Camp, ☏ +972 4-984-1980. A camp along the coast where British authorities held illegal Jewish immigrants in the 1940s, now a museum. 3 Mizgaga museum (Hamizgaga), Kibbutz Nahsholim, ☏ +972 4-6390950. This building served as a glass workshop ("mizgaga") when it was built in 1891. It has since been converted into a museum with exhibits related to glassmaking, local archaeological finds from Tel Dor, and more. Close by are the Nahsholim beach with its unusual tidepools and Tel Dor, both worth visiting. (updated Sep 2025) 4 Nahal Taninim (Crocodilopolis), ☏ +872 4-626-5151. Winter 08:00-16:00, summer 08:00-17:00, closing one hour earlier on Fridays and eve of holidays. Named for the crocodiles that in the past inhabited the nearby Kebara swamps. The remains are still visible today. It is inhabited nowadays by many different birds. ₪22/9 adult/child. 5 The Magic Brick, Meged 10, Pardes Hana. A Lego museum with some displays related to Israel's history. Good for kids. (updated Sep 2025) 6 Tractor Park (Park HaTractorim). Full of toy construction vehicles of various type for little kids to ride and enjoy. (updated Sep 2025) 7 Turtle Bridge (HaTzabim Bridge) (along Alexander river 150 m east across the train tracks and 1 km just west of Geulei Teiman (along highway 4), or drive there from highway 5720, which is east of Hofit). You can see 1/2 to 1 meter-long African soft-shell turtles in the water under this bridge and in front of the park. Any season is good to visit except winter - turtles are less active then. It is forbidden to feed them, and they can bite, so don't get too close. Nevertheless, the main rea

Do

Beaches. Almost all of the Sharon, as well as the cities south of Tel Aviv, have publicly accessible beaches. The swimming season is usually between June and September, and lifeguards are only available during this season. (updated Sep 2020) 1 Tekhelet marine tour. Tekhelet is the blue dye which was used in ancient times to dye the fringes of the tallit (Jewish ritual cloak). Since the late 1980s, some scholars and scientists have claimed that they have identified the snail which produces this dye, the Hexaplex trunculus. You can go on a tour where you snorkel off the coast looking for these snails, and then participate in dyeing wool fabric with the blue dye.

Sleep

Mostly covered by the cities mentioned above, but for camping options review the national parks of that region and read the information on the Turtle Bridge and Dor HaBonim Beach above.

Go next

Carmel Range, Western Galilee and Lower Galilee (northeast) – All gateway to northern Israel, i.e. the Jezreel Valley (for Tel Megiddo (Armageddon) National Park and Mount Gilboa), the Upper Galilee with the interesting Safed, the Sea of Galilee region and the Golan Heights. Nazareth is the most famous city and a must see in the Galilee. Negev (southeast) – A huge and must-see desert with many amazing sites, including the Ramon Crater, the Small Crater, Ein Avdat and Ein Akev.