Summer’s here and it’s time to get out and enjoy nature. Just a half-hour south of Haifa you’ll find one of the most beautiful nature reserves in the area.
Situated in the moshav Habonim, right across from the nature reserve is the Cafarlet fortress. This structure was built in the 8th/9th century and is for the most part still intact. The outer walls are mostly still standing, as are the massive front entrance and several rooms of the fortress. The area has been overgrown with weeds and tall plants, so definitely wear long pants to avoid getting scratched up. One thing that history buffs may enjoy is that this fortress features rounded guard towers, which are more common in Europe, rather than squared towers one would more normally see in Israel. The fortress is still pretty cool to check out, and it’s free to just walk around.
The Blue Cave was the main reason I wanted to come to HaBonim Beach. The clear blue waters and a hidden cave, what’s not to like? I thought it was one of those more secret shushu things that you find on accident, but nope, there was an official sign and everything. To get down to the water you need to wear water shoes and be really careful. The waves were a bit rough and the rocks were slippery, but we managed to get down okay. We were the only ones in the cave, and it was really nice and quiet place to hang out in the water. I didn’t trust the waves not to knock my phone out of my hands so I left it in the bag before we went down. The only other people around were some fishermen who didn’t really pay us much attention.
Just a bit north of the Blue Cave are a few small beaches that make up Habonim Beach. Little bit of advice: water shoes, water shoes, water shoes! The beaches are sandy, but there are large stretches that are just shells and wow do they hurt. The water wasn’t freezing cold like we were expecting, but still refreshing on a hot summer day. We weren’t the only ones around here, plenty of people and families having picnics and barbeques, but everyone was mostly spread out. It’s a fun little beach, with lots to do and explore.
You can access the beach by car and you pay to park in the lot, doesn’t matter how many people in the car which can save some money. Otherwise you can arrive by bus or park in the free lot and walk to the beach (both are about 1-2 km walking) and pay per person.
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International Itinerary 