Welcome to The Dead Sea

Situated in a spectacular and dramatic landscape like nowhere else, the Dead Sea offers a unique opportunity to visit the absolute lowest place on earth, and the world’s most abundant source of natural mineral salts. While the salty waters cannot support any form of wildlife, visitors can enjoy the once in a lifetime experience of effortlessly floating in the buoyant waters while admiring the beautiful mountain scenery.

A short journey from the Holy City of Jerusalem, the shores of the Dead Sea are home to a number of spa resorts. The most popular of these is Ein Gedi, which features mineral-rich hot springs, a 1 km beach and a nature reserve as attractions. Ein Bokek and Neve Zohar are other popular spa destinations, and well worth a visit.

It’s not all about relaxing though. Visitors can enhance their Dead Sea visit with a trip to any of the historical locations that lie within a short distance of its shores. Perhaps the most impressive of these is the fortress of King Herod at Masada. A cable car carries visitors up the 1,300-foot high mountain, where the remnants of this once great fortress can be explored. Expect to see the remains of palace walls, baths, and mosaic floors.

Located close to the lake’s northwest shore, Qumran was once home to the Dead Sea Scrolls, the earliest known copies of biblical scripture. Today these are housed in the Israel Museum, but travelers can still climb to the cave in which they were found. Other nearby destinations include Jericho, which is believed by some to be the world’s oldest city, and Bethlehem, a popular place of pilgrimage as it is believed to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ.

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