A Local's Guide to the Negev Highlands.
The ultimate and complete guide for visitors to the Negev – everything you need to know to fully experience the Negev Highlands
The fastest road to go from our guesthouse to the Dead Sea is via Yeruham and Dimona (in blue on the map). It will take you an hour and twenty minutes to reach Ein Bokek. A bit more if you are going to Ein Gedi or Massada. But fastest doesn’t always mean the most interesting.
From time immemorial, there was a demand in Europe for spices and precious items from the East. The only route (via Yemen) to Europe (via Gaza) was overland, across 2200 km of empty desert as there was no economic sea route.
Borot Lotz hike is a 45 minute drive from Sde Boker and the guesthouse.
Update: before you venture to Borot Lodz, check that the road 171 is open. Due to some important damages to the road, it has been closed in October 2022 until repaired.
You start driving South on road 40 in the direction of Mitzpe Ramon. About 6 km before Mitzpe Ramon, you turn right on road 171.
Har Tzaror or Mount Tzaror is the dark mesa you can see from the Zin cliff to the north east. The hike takes you in a wide arc around this feature.
This is a two hours hike out, the time to go is December/January and the objective is the annual appearance of narcissi.
A three km walk along flat, even surface with optional side-climbs. The Ramon makhtesh is so huge that just seeing it from a single vantage point would be a shame. Bring a pullover and binoculars. This walk should not be undertaken in conditions of extreme heat or extreme wind. A sunny cool day in winter (November – March) or late afternoon in summer; early morning in the summer is also an option but you will have the sun directly in your eyes.
All year round coachloads of Israeli schoolchildren, soldiers, scouts and pensioners arrive to pay homage; it is an essential stop for TAGLIT groups (Birthright) and one of the few offficial locations for military ceremonies. In less than one hour they are coached in and coached out and are probably not aware that this is a university campus and that 2000 real people live here.
If you arrive at least a couple of hours before dark, this is an easy stroll to stretch your legs after the drive to the desert, a taste of what’s to come. Early morning before breakfast is also a good time for this short and level walk (one hour) but take a peaked hat as the sun will be in your eyes.
The Negev has been branded the Friendly Desert because of its scale, its moderate temperature range, and its accessibility.
You are coming to Israel this summer and you are going to skip the desert because of the heat? That makes absolutely no sense.
