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Old Jaffa

Tel Aviv travel guide

Old Jaffa is one of the most ancient cities in the world, with over 4,000 years of history. The Old Jaffa port is one of the most ancient ports in the world, and the control over which had been shifted from one ruler to the other for many centuries. Each of them – Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Greek, Roman or French – has left his own unique mark on the city. You can sense it while traveling the narrow lanes of the city and witnessing its unique charm. Nowadays these small arched alleys, named after the zodiac’s signs, are filled with artists’ quarters, studios and art galleries, as well as Judaica, archaeology items and jewelry shops. Not surprisingly, Old Jaffa is one of Israel’s major tourist attractions and surely one of Tel Aviv’s most romantic spots.

The best way to start exploring Old Jaffa is by walking down the beach promenade, which offers lovely views of Tel-Aviv beaches and skyline, southward from the “drums-beach”. From there you will reach the old port that has great view of the city and a beautiful authentic pier. If you keep walking down the southernmost side of the port area, you will find a ship graveyard. Otherwise, walk up the stairs from the old port and reach Kedumim Square, in the center of the old city. In Kedumim Square you will find the ancient Jaffa museum and a tourist information center. Right next to Kedumim square is a small park with sculptures of Israeli artists, spectacular views of the Mediterranean and a lovely romantic atmosphere.

Another recommended walk is towards the Clock Square and the Clock Tower. It was built in the Ottoman period in the beginning of the 20th century and became the center of Old Jaffa. It is located right in the middle of the city’s markets, next to the Flea Market and many small shops that offer practically everything you may want to take back home as a souvenir.

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The Spot Hostel - Celebrate Tel Aviv!

People who come to celebrate the city will especially enjoy the Spot Hotel. Even when you don't feel like hitting the town, the Spot's common spaces are great places to stay. The atmosphere in the space you will find here is urban and friendly, sit down over a beer or coffee and connect. If there is no kitchen and no one cooks and shares food, what is the point of staying in a hostel? This is certainly the case with THE SPOT. With amazing produce available (also nearby - at the permanent port market, the port market, as well as the weekly farmers' market), you can't go wrong with an Israeli salad, shakshuka or watermelon with Bulgarian feta cheese. COWORKING work space The spot offers you to work in the common work space, equipped with desks, chairs, strong coffee, plenty of WiFi and an ideal atmosphere for doing work. The space is open to both guests and locals, so it's a great place to network and find new partners. bar In an atmosphere that feels authentic Tel Aviv, you can enjoy good drinks (and non-alcoholic snacks). The spot bar is the perfect place to start or end your night. The Lobby From our helpful staff to information sheets and information on display and other travelers, THE SPOT's lobby is packed with comfortable sofas and special corners so you can pick up tips for Tel Aviv and trips around Israel. Share stories, plan trips and excursions, or just relax with a drink and a good book. Watch a dance performance or a stand-up show, listen to Israeli artists and local bands playing originals or covers, exercise your mind with an important lecture or workshop and much more. With exciting events held at THE SPOT and throughout Tel Aviv, our programming covers the whole spectrum. Screening room You can enjoy a special screening of a popular TV show or a high-intensity sports event while watching the latest Israeli or international movie. Every day, the screenings change depending on what's going on, so you can learn more about a new culture or cheer on your favorite team. Address: Port of Tel Aviv, 3 Ha'Mosha Street, Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv celebrates it's 100th birthday

Tel Aviv's 100th birthday celebrations kicked off on April 4th in Rabin Square before a crowd of 400,000, who came to celebrate in the most energetic, optimistic, liberated, and colorful city in the Middle East, and some say it's the most bustling, youthful and fun city in the whole world. The gala event started with a stunning concert highlighted with a multi-media sound & light show and performances by top Israeli artists: the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Zubin Mehta, Barry Saharof, Matti Caspi, Shlomo Gronich, Miri Massika, Monica Sex, dancers and acrobats. Rock bands played on the roofs of nearby buildings, while impressive historical pictures of the first Hebrew city were displayed on huge screens. This amazing happening concluded with an impressive fireworks display and a massive street party. Tel Aviv features sky-scraping towers and stylish hotels by the Mediterranean Sea front promenade, offering one of the world’s most spectacular urban beaches of vast and pristine golden sands. Fashionable nightclubs, hip bars, fine restaurants and colorful cafés make it hard to imagine that exactly 100 years ago, there was nothing here but sand dunes and a few dreamers who started building the first Hebrew city of Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv 100 celebrations from gigagil on Vimeo. Over the next nine months, more than 400 special events will be held all over the city, including music and art festivals, sporting events, special historic exhibitions amidst community projects, and many others. Some of the main 100th birthday events promise a lot of fun and surprises! In honor of Tel Aviv's first mayor, Meir Dizengoff, a special statue of him riding his horse will be erected in front of his historic home on Rothschild Boulevard, created by the sculptor David Zangelovitch. Sports: Tel Aviv will host the international marathon on April 24th and in June the European Windsurfing competition, takes place on Gordon Beach. Olympic medalists and contenders are expected to participate in this world class event. The 18th Maccabi Games will be held in the city in July. Architecture: The annual "White Night" celebration will take place on May 27th. Stunning Rothschild Boulevard, the location of some of the most beautiful Bauhaus buildings, will become one big street theatre with professional actors playing scenes from the early 1920s. Culinary fairs: The city's famous fruit and vegetable market will be open till dawn, as well as the nearby Nahalat Binyamin Street with its arts & crafts fair. Restaurants and bars will be open all night. Blues Festival: Music, art and food will be celebrated in Old Jaffa. A happening featuring street music, art galleries and fine restaurants will be open at the renewed Old Jaffa Port. On July 16th, for the first time in Israel, Milan's La Scala opera house will perform Verdi's Requiem in HaYarkon Park for free. The Rosh Hashana holiday will be celebrated at Rabin Square with a spectacular flower carpeted square.

The Tel Aviv Namal - The city's Old Port - Now a favorite

The first port of Israel was opened at 1936 and now is a flourishing hang out area with many new restaurants, bars and shops all accessible by a 14000 square meters of a wooden deck that its shape was inspired by the Tel Aviv sand dunes. The Tel Aviv port was shut down in the 60's as an active sea port, and was awaken in the 80's as a nightlife and water sports center. Nowadays it is the busiest nightlife area of the city. Some of its bars and clubs are certainly worth a visit even just to get a glance of the crowded mingling scene of Tel Aviv's nightlife. The biggest club in the Tel Aviv port area is TLV. It used to be one of the city's nightlife scene leaders for years, but has no fixed schedule anymore. TLV still holds parties every once in a while, playing mostly house and trance music, so if you consider yourself a clubber, you might want to check if there's a party there during your stay. The club itself is equipped with a state of the art sound and lighting systems, and has a sea front section with cool vibes. Whisky-a-go go, one of the hottest bars in Tel Aviv, is just nearby. This is where Israel's famous actors, models, athletes and celebrities come to eat, drink and mingle. Whisky-a-go go is a mixture of a lounge, a dance bar and a dining place. After midnight, the atmosphere there changes, while trendy DJs lift up the energy level. Another trendy place is Shalvata (which means peace or tranquility), named after a famous mental institution in Israel. Shalvata Offers a relaxed atmosphere, good music and superior view of the Mediterranean, accompanied by friendly service, though it tends to get very crowded on summer weekends and holidays. Erlich is another Mega-bar at the Tel Aviv port which is friendly, well designed and usually quite packed. It is built around a round bar that occupies most of the space, a design that makes it a good place to meet people and mingle. There are many other bars in the Tel Aviv port and there's always enough parking. You can also take a bus all the way to the north end of Dizengoff and just follow the crowd, on their way for another night of drinking and dancing till dawn.

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