Eilat is a small resort town located in the southern parts of Israel, at about 29 degrees and 33 minutes north latitude and 34 degrees and 57 minutes east longitude.
It is located on the Red Sea coast, in the northern Gulf of Aqaba, close to the border with Jordan.
Best Time to Visit Eilat?
Although summers are usually two times warmer than winters, Eilat is a year round tourist destination, where the summer season practically never ends.
Whether you will travel during the summer months or in winter depends entirely on your personal preference and whether you prefer sultry and hot weather or comfortable and rather spring-like temperatures.
It is a fact that tourists on the beaches of Eilat enjoy sunbathing and swimming all year round, and the sun is smiling generous even in the midst of winter.
What to Wear in Eilat?
The weather in Eilat is suitable for summer clothing throughout the year.
If you are planning to travel during the winter months, however, a warm over coat is recommended because winter’s nights are often quite cold.
The same goes for shoes.
It is good to combine closed with open summer shoes.
Even in January it is advisable to not go out without sunscreen and sunglasses because the sun is strong and you can burn in a short time.
Weather
Eilat has a dry and hot desert tropical climate.
Rainfall is extremely uncommon over the city, especially during the summer months.
It ranges between 0 and 6 mm per month.
Temperatures are pleasant in winter and too high in summer.
The average daily temperature in January is about 21°C, but in July and August is usually over 40°C!
In cold winter nights temperatures of around 10°C are quite common, while summer’s nights are usually over 25°C.
Beaches in Eilat
Eilat’s beaches are covered with fine sand or small pebbles with specific beige – brown color resembling the color of the surrounding mountains.
The coastal waters are very clean and transparent.
The temperatures of sea water are suitable for swimming all year round and vary between 21°C in February and 29°C in August.
One of the advantages here is that the gorgeous and vibrant coral reefs are found in shallow waters close to the shore.
Along the coast there are numerous restaurants and palm-fringed walking paths.
Nature
Eilat’s vicinity is occupied by hills and low mountains, and is almost devoid of vegetation.
The Hai-Bar Yotvata Natural Reserve is a place that offers exciting wildlife.
It is located approximately a half an hour drive north of the city and is one of the major local attractions.
Here you can see in their natural environment desert animals such as fox, rodents, ostrich, oryx antelope and many others.
Another interesting part of Eilat’s natural world are the coral reefs at the bottom of the Red Sea, which has long been known as one of the world’s leading destinations for lovers of diving and snorkeling.
Under the sea surface you will find undoubtedly the largest diversity of life forms in the vicinity.
Population
Eilat’s population is approximately 48,000 people.
80% of them are local residents, while the rest 20% are immigrants from different parts of the world.
The foreigners that work in Eilat are mainly employed in the service sector, especially into the well-developed tourism industry.
In religious terms Eilat is quite diverse, although dominated by Judaism.
The official language is Hebrew, but everyone speaks English.
Quite often you can hear also Arabic speech.
Since Eilat is a tourist center, you could hear hundreds of languages from all over the world.
Economy
Eilat is a vital economic center of Israel.
The city has a well developed economy, excellent infrastructure and the only Red Sea port in the country.
Eilat has very well developed tourism industry especially in the area of the modern marina in eastern Eilat as well as in some attractive resort complexes that are located south of the city.