Alona Park (Mey Kedem) – Visitors Guide

Mey Kedem is an ancient water tunnel in Alona Park, not far from Zikhron Yaakov. And you can walk inside the water tunnel.

Map

Alona Park is located near Zikhron Yaakov and Binyamina-Giv’at Ada. And the easiest way to reach it is by entering its name into Waze.

Directions for drivers: Link to Waze and Link to Google Maps
Directions for public transport: Link to Moovit

Interactive map of the area:

Parking

Waze will lead you to free dirt parking near an entrance to the park.

Opening Hours

April – August:
Sunday – Thursday and Saturday: 09:00 – 16:00
Friday: 09:00 – 14:00

September – October:
Sunday – Thursday and Saturday: 10:00 – 15:00
Friday: 09:00 – 14:00

November:
Only by appointment.

December – February:
Closed.

Note: the last entrance is one hour before closing time.

Entrance Fee

Adult – 35 NIS
Child (5-18) – 30 NIS
Student, soldier, senior citizen – 30 NIS

Notes:

• Children younger than five years old enter for free.
• You can purchase a small flashlight for 5 NIS at the ticket office.
• Opening hours and entrance fees were updated in September 2023.

Restrooms

There are toilets by the entrance.

Contact Information

Phone: 04-6388622
Website: meykedem.co.il
Email: meykedem@walla.com

What is the water level?

The water level is about an adult’s waistline (approximately 70 cm).

What is the length of the Water Tunnel?

The length of the water tunnel is about 300 meters. It is one-directional and takes about 20 – 30 minutes to pass.

What to Bring?

Do not forget water shoes, flashlights, spare clothes and towels. You can also take food. There are tables by the entrance.

Rules of Conduct

Since I mentioned food, there are several restrictions:

• Starting a fire and barbequing, including lighting candles in the tunnel, is strictly prohibited.
• It is forbidden to bring food to the site and the tour. It can be eaten in the food area.
• Children must be accompanied by an adult along the entire trail.
• Visitors must be equipped with clothes and shoes for walking in water and with a flashlight.
• Adults should carry babies in a front carrier only.
• Pets are not allowed.

Water Hike at Alona Park (Mey Kedem)

We arrived at Alona Park on a Saturday without a reservation. And when we purchased tickets for the tunnel, the cashier said we had to join one of the tours. There were tours every 15 minutes.

Here are several photos from the entrance:

We had about ten minutes till our tour started, and while waiting, I saw this map:

As you can see, you can rent a bicycle or electric vehicle and choose one of the trails.

The tour’s first stop was a short movie (about 10 minutes), telling about the history and additional background information about this place.

History

The city of ancient Caesarea that you can see today, within Caesarea National Park, was big, and as it grew, it needed more water. Hence, an extensive water reservoir was built in Taninim Stream Nature Reserve. And Alona Park is one of the places where they drew water from.

Here is additional info:

This tunnel is part of an ancient water system that operated during the Roman and Byzantine periods. It was designed to meet the growing need for water, both for drinking and agriculture, caused by the rapid increase in the population of Caesarea.

Beginning at the Ein Tzabarin Springs, in the hills northeast of Cesaria, the water was carried over a distance of 23 Kilometers using a network of canals, tunnels, clay pipes, and aqueducts to the port of Caesarea on the coastal plain.

The architects of the water system had to deal with a formidable set of problems resulting from the difficulties of the terrain, the local geology, and variations in height. Based on their in-depth knowledge of the area’s topography, they solved these problems by taking advantage of the natural flow of the water underground.

Starting at the bottom of the hill, they dug a six-kilometer tunnel horizontally into the hillside to reach the natural springs at Ein Tzabarin.

Diagonal piers were dug at 50-meter intervals from the surface down to the layer of soft rock lying within the hill. From the bottom of each pier, two teams dug in opposite directions. meeting up with teams digging from the adjacent piers.

The completed tunnel became the water carrier.

Today, Mey Kedem offers a fascinating journey inside a restored tunnel section, walking through cool spring water reaching 70 cm. The tunnel is high enough to walk through without difficulty.

Source: official website

In the photo above, you can see a map of the area, including the water sources and a scheme of the shafts.

When the movie ended, we were directed to the tunnel entrance. There, another guide awaited us. She reminded us of the safety instructions and also told us about the walk in the tunnel. There are two exits from the tunnel. The first exit is quite close to the entrance, and you can use it if your kids do not love this experience. The second exit is at the end of the reconstructed section. In both cases, you have to use the stairs.

Here are several additional photos from our visit:

Since it is dark in the tunnel, the floor is uneven, and there are many people, you will be walking slowly. In our case, we were underground for almost half an hour. We took the stairs out on the second exit and returned using an overground trail (last photo).

Summary

The tunnel at Alona Park (Mey Kedem) reminded me of Hezekiah’s Tunnel in the City of David (and that would be my first priority). And overall, it was a fun experience, and my kids enjoyed it.

There are many attractions in this area, and you can see them on the interactive map at the top of this page.

Have you ever been to Alona Park (Mey Kedem)? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.

That’s all for today, and I’ll see you in future travels!

Stay Tuned!

Additional Resources

Here are several resources that I created to help travelers:

• Trip Planner with Attractions and Itineraries is the page that will help you create your perfect travel route.
• What is the Best Time to visit Israel? To answer this question, we will consider the weather, prices, holidays, festivals, and more.
• Information and Tips for Tourists to Israel will answer the most common questions tourists have about Israel (including safety, passports, weather, currency, tipping, electricity, and much more).
• Israel National Parks and Nature Reserves include a complete list, top ten, map, tickets (Israel Pass, Matmon, combo), and campsites.
• If you are looking for things to do, here are the pages for Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Sea Of Galilee, Akko (Acre), Eilat, Nazareth, Safed (Tzfat), and Makhtesh Ramon.