THINGS TO DO
When visiting Netanya, you will never be short of things to do and places to visit. Here are just a few of the things you can enjoy on your next visit:
Kikar Atzmaut (Liberty Square): This is a square in the city Center, the heart of Netanya. It is the place where families come to walk at weekends, children ride on their bikes and skate on rollerblades. Throughout the summer the square is used to stage live music and theatre performances. Just 2 minutes from the beach and some of the best shops and restaurants, it is ideally located as a place to meet friends and relax.
Tayelet Shaked (The Promenade):
This is one of Netanyas promenades. It was originally built in the late 1960's and renovated in 1996. The promenade is bordered by parks and green areas, ideal for picnics and with playgrounds and a rollerblading circle for children. There are also Kiosks and restaurants where you can eat or buy an ice cream in the hot days and an amphitheater located at one end of the promenade which is used for shows in the summer.
Herzl St and the Fiddler on the Roof:
Rehov Herzl, the main street, hosts the sleek war memorial and the pedestrianised mall which makes it the magnetic centre of Netanya. It is crammed with restaurants (Oriental, European, Chinese, Sea Food, etc.) and boutiques and shops offering exotic fruits, clothing, jewellery and so on. On Friday and Saturday nights it is packed to overflowing as Netanyanites indulge in their favourite pastime of strolling down the sidewalks. Visitors also take rides in colourful horse-driven carriages.Look out for the statue of the Fiddler on the Roof.
The Beach:
There are 8 official lifeguard stations along the sea shore from Goldmintz beach in the south to Blue Bay Beach in the north.
Surfing:
Surfing in nearby Poleg (suburb of Netanya) is a must for all keen surfers. The waves are of a regular standard and is suitable for all levels of experience. The waves are hollow, powerful and fun with a normal length of less than 50 metres. Board and Windsurfing are also available at Herzl Beach, Elitzur Sports Center,King Solomon Hotel and the Blue Bay Hotel
Tennis:Maccabi tennis courts, Elizur Sport Center, Blue Bay Hotel,Green Beach
Morning Exercises:Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday at 06.00 at Sironit Beach (Free of charge)
Volleyball/Basketball:Sironit Central Beach,Herzl Beach,Elitzur Sports Center09/865-2931, Green Beach Wingate Istitute (Phone 09/863-9523).
Petanque: 4 Ichilov st. Open every day.
Squash: Elitzur Sport Center 09/865-2931
Paragliding and Flights:
Ariva:lessons and activities for all levels and paragliding flights with instruction
Dvir:Tandem flight
Omni Horizon: Guided flights Ultra light planes.
Moon Air Aviation: Flights for Tourists over Israel
Bicycle Renting: Tayelet Hotel
Bicycle rentals can be arranged at the Hotel Promenade (Phone 09/862-6450). Paragliding can be arranged through the aptly named Ariba (Phone 09/834-9679).
Jeep Tours:Duby Jeeps
Golf:Caesarea Telephone: +972-4-6109600, Wingate Institute (Phone 09/863-9523)
Horseback Riding
Riding is available at two locations. The Ranch (Phone 09/866-3525), near Havezelet Ha-Sharon Village, has horseback riding daily from 8am until sunset; take bus no. 17 or 29 from the Central Bus Station. There's also the Cactus Ranch (Phone 09/865-1239), open daily from 8am until sunset.
Visiting a Diamond Factory
Israel is the number-one spot in the world for cutting and polishing diamonds, and Netanya is Israel's number-one diamond center, with two large factories. If you're in the market to buy, you can probably save about 20% by buying here. Even if you're not interested in buying, a visit to the National Diamond Center, 90 Herzl St. (Phone 09/862- 0436), could still be an unusual experience. Telephone for information about the center's interesting and pressure-free tours. The Tourist Information Office can direct you to additional diamond industry tours in Netanya.
Special Events
In late July, there is a 1-week art exhibit on Ha-Atzma'ut Square (Sunday to Thursday from 5:30 to 11pm; closed Friday; Saturday from 8:30pm to midnight). The city sponsors free evening concerts and events throughout the summer. A chess tournament is held in Netanya yearly during May and June; every 2 years there's an international match. Games start at 3:30pm and last until 10pm. For further information, contact the tourist information office.
During Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles), there are 4 free evenings of folklore in Ha-Atzma'ut Square, featuring the various ethnic groups living in Israel, with dance, song, and typical traditional snacks.
Netanya After Dark
There's no problem finding plenty of things to do around Netanya after a day at the beach. Everything in Ha-Atzma'ut Square is open until around midnight or later, and the square is alive with strollers, sippers, diners, and people-watching cafe-sitters on a warm evening.
Be sure to check with the Tourist Information Office and the weekly calendar in the Tel Aviv section of Friday's Jerusalem Post for special events, performances, and activities of all kinds, including the weekly activities at the AACI, the Women's International Zionist Organization (WIZO), and the British Olim Society. There's quite a lot going on, especially during the summer months. Each week, in the amphitheater in Gan Ha-Melekh Park, which runs along the beachside cliffs just north of the square, there are community sings, screenings of free full-length feature films, and classical and light music (performed Sunday to Thursday from 5:45pm until sunset). There's also entertainment in Ha-Atzma'ut Square by top Israeli singers and folklore groups as well as community folk dancing every Saturday, beginning at 8pm. Weekly programs for children start at 6:30pm, with magicians, clowns etc.
Since Netanya is a resort town, with a seasonal turnover in clubs and discos, it's best to check about current choices with the well-informed tourist office at HaAtzma'ut Square. Bridge is often sponsored by WIZO on alternate Wednesday evenings; Bingo evenings at the Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel, 28 Shmuel Ha-Naziv St. (Phone 09/833- 0950), are Sunday at 8pm.
Things to do near Netanya
Nature Walks & Hiking
The Poleg Nature Reserve, 8 kilometers south of Netanya, offers an interesting hike along the Poleg River, upstream from the point where it meets the sea. The riverbanks are lined with giant eucalyptus trees, planted almost a century ago to help drain the swamps that had developed throughout the plain of Sharon (eucalyptus seedlings were imported from Australia by early Jewish settlers, who valued their ability to withstand drought). In winter and early spring, the wildflowers along the route have made the Poleg Reserve a favorite destination for botanists. Unfortunately, the Poleg River has become seriously polluted, a situation not unusual in the intensively developed coastal plain. Recently, the Mediterranean beach has been closed to swimming, and the river water itself will probably be off-limits to visitors.
The Iris Nature Reserve, at the southern edge of Netanya, is a sanctuary for wild and cultivated irises. There is an adjacent pond that attracts seaside birds and waterfowl.
Moshav Avihail, 2 km. north of Netanya, was founded by veterans of the Jewish Legion of World War I and has a museum. Open: Sun. - Thurs. 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Entrance fee.
The Pearl of the Tribes of Israel (Pninat Shivte Israel). Folklore centre of Yemenite culture. 7 Kikar Ha'atzmaut (3rd floor). Tel. (09)331325. Open Sun.-Fri. 10.00 a.m. - noon.
The Iris Reserve. From end of January till April. Ben-Gurion Blvd. (southern exit centre of Netanya, 1 km. after ``Bet Goldmintz'').
Wingate Institute for Physical Education and Sport: (6.5 miles from centre of Netanya). Israel's National Centre for training national teams and visiting sports groups from abroad. It has an indoor Olympic-size swimming pool, a stadium with a 400 metre running track, five gymnasia, sports fields, halls of residence, sports hotel, computerised library, dining rooms and cafeterias. The Institute also houses the Israel Archives of Physical Education and Sports and the International Sports Hall of Fame.
Botanical Garden (Chavat Hanoy): Near the agricultural school "Midreshet Ruppin" (several kilometres from centre of town). Open Sun.-Thur. 7.00 a.m.-4.00 p.m. Fri. till 1.00 p.m. Bus 26.
Two kilometres from the Sharon Junction, turn right to Ruppin College and The Sharon Museum, which has prehistoric archaeological exhibits which emphasize the "development of man" and "man and his works." In the Natural History Museum there is an exhibit of butterflies and insects a large collection of waterfowl, birds of prey and songbirds reptiles and mammals, skeletons and skulls dioramas of natural habitats, swamp life, and sand dunes and forests and a collection of water life from local lakes and the Mediterranean. Open Sun.-Thurs. 8.30 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat. 10 a.m.-2.30 p.m.
The no. 2 highway leads to the entrance of The road leads to the entrance of Caesarea's National Park and Kibbutz Sedot Yam (Fields of the sea founded in 1940. The kibbutz has beach facilities and guest rooms at its resort centre "Kayit Ve'Shayit".
