The bathing season is upon us, and Israel’s beaches will open up to the public over the Independence Day Holidays. Israel’s beaches are never really closed but are oftentimes unattended by lifeguards and other essential personnel that ensure a safe and enjoyable trip to the beach. It is recommended not to swim when lifeguards are not on duty. Therefore, this is an official opening, marked by the return of the lifeguards and others to their beachfront occupations on most of the declared beach areas.Israel’s beaches fall into three distinct categories of legal classification. There is actually a total of 137 beaches in the Land of Israel, spanning some 306 km, but only a fraction of this area is designated as an authorized public beach: a mere 19 km. The remainder, 190 kilometers includes beaches which have not been declared, and the final 97 km is comprised of beaches where the public has no access.Recently, Israel was awarded the coveted Blue Flag award from a Copenhagen-based environmental consortium: The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). Twenty-one public beaches nationwide, as well as two marinas, received the Blue Flag designation. The Blue Flag works towards sustainable development of beaches and marinas through strict criteria dealing with the quality of water, environmental management, safety and other issues and services.The distinctly unique aspect of Israel’s aquatic offering is the fact that one finds four distinct bodies of water: The Mediterranean Sea, The Red Sea, The Dead Sea, and of course, the Kinneret. However, Tel Aviv’s pristine shoreline is the jewel in the crown. USA Today recently named Tel Aviv as the best party beach destination and lists Tel Aviv ahead of destinations like Los Angeles, Barcelona, and Cape Town.Tel Aviv boasts 13 beaches that span the length of the promenade for some 13.5 kilometers. The Tel Aviv Municipality is constantly investing in urban renewal projects and renovations of the beachfront areas, and visitors will find a plethora of restaurants and beachfront bars offering a large variety of refreshment, albeit at pricey rates.These gorgeous, groomed beaches attract thousands of bathers during the summer months. Below you will find information about the beaches including hours of operation and various services provided.List of declared beaches for the winter season:North CliffReligious (separate Nordau)GordonAvivCharles CloreHours of Operation for Rescue stations during the winter season: 07:15 to 13:45.On 20.04.2015, the swimming season will open. Rescue stations will run from 07:15 to 16:45, for the following beaches:

• North Cliff Beach
• South Cliff Beach
• Tel Baruch Beach
• Peer Coast
• The Separate Beach (for religious)
• Hilton Beach
• Gordon Beach
• Frishman Beach
• Bugrashov Beach (due to renovation and building Bograshov boardwalk, there’s a delay which could be lifted as renovations are completed).
• Jerusalem Beach
• Aviv beach
• Charles Clore Beach
• Givat Aliya BeachPlease note – bathing in the sea without a lifeguard being present and on duty is prohibited and dangerous!Having said that, we are sure that an outing to the beach is highly recommended, and you will thoroughly enjoy any excursions to this top rated tourist attraction.

By Brent J. Mitchell