Nature Archives - Page 18 of 18

Beit Yanai Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Israel. At this beach you can swim, hike, see birds, kite surfers, and other things. Let's begin exploring! Map Beit Yanai is located near road #2, between Netanya and Hadera. Interactive map of the area: Entrance Fee Entry by foot is free. Paid parking. Update: As of March 2018, the parking at Beit Yanai is free (Hefer regional council notification). Opening Hours Alexander Stream National Park – Bet Yannai Beach is open daily: 06:00 – 16:00. The lifeguard station is usually open from April till October: 08:00 - 17:00. You can see the exact hours at the official site. Lodging Starting from April 2020, staying overnight in the national park, including Bet Yannai Beach, is prohibited. Dogs You can enter with dogs to Alexander Stream National Park – Bet Yannai Beach. But dogs have to be leashed and muzzled. Moreover, dogs are not allowed on the official bathing beach. Contact Information Phone: ‎09-8666230Email: gl-beityanay@npa.org.il Facilities Restaurant, restrooms, shaded areas, small playground for kids, showers, and a kiosk. Trails The usual winter hike goes along the beach. Starting near the lifeguard cabin or on the cliffs to the south of the cabin and ending near Alexander stream. The length of this path is 1.1 km (in each direction). You can make it longer by walking further to the south. In case you want a substantially longer trail, then you can continue hiking along Alexander stream. After about 2.6 km, you will reach Hirbat Samara. And if you continue further along the river, then after an additional 1.9 km, you will reach the Turtle Bridge at Alexander River. Note: currently, as part of expanding road #2, a new bridge is constructed above Alexander stream. Thus the path may be closed for some periods. Here is an interactive map from israelhiking.osm.org.il, where the longest trail is marked: Winter Visit at Beit Yanai Beach I like Beit Yanai beach because it is a versatile place. Besides the sea and the beach, there are different things you can do. For example, frequently, there are many kite surfers in this area. The colorful kites make a great photography subject. Moreover, some surfers would be glad if you photographed them. Furthermore, Alexander Stream meets the sea at Yanai beach. At that point, the water level is usually low. And many birds using this fact to hunt for fish. Thus, if you a bird watcher or animal photographer, this could be a great spot too. The old dock at Beit Yanai Beach The beach is usually clean and quiet, probably because the Israel Parks and Nature Authority run it. And there are reasonably decent facilities, including restrooms, showers and fish restaurant. Heron Herons looking for fish The beach is situated to the north of Beit Yanai. Thus, when looking to the south, you will see Moshav houses. Beit Yanai Also, when continuing to the south, you will start seeing cliffs. It is usually a quiet beach if you do not come during the swimming season. But on another occasion, we arrived towards the end of summer. And we did this since we wanted to visit the Sand Sculptures Competition. Sand Sculptures Competition At Beit Yanai Beach We were visiting the 21st sand sculptures competition during autumn 2017. The topic of this competition was traveling. Each participant had a number next to his/her masterpiece. Sand Sculptures Competition At Beit Yanai Beach Most participants were families with kids. And their work looked... well, pretty much like something I would manage to do. Sand Sculptures Competition Many people took the traveling theme and created some transportation. But others took it further. For example, a woman giving birth to a child who is going on a life journey. Giving birth Not everybody participated in the competition. Some people came to enjoy the sea. The Bible and the travel by the Jewish people Afterlife traveling Air Balloon Sand Sculptures Competition at Beit Yanai beach I think we saw most of the works, and there were probably thirty to forty creations. The participants had time from early morning till 13:00. This was when the judges were supposed to pass and evaluate the sand sculptures. Among all sculptures, two stood out (the following two photos). And a guy that took a rest from a hike. Many turtles lay eggs in this area, and some choose turtles as their subject. Traveling by ship: What do you think this is? And what does this mean? Enjoying the view: Octopus Unfortunately, I forgot our kite at home. And I did not want to start building sand sculptures with photo gear on me. These were the two options my daughter wanted. So I bought a kite. As you can see, they were not cheap, most priced at 70 NIS, but we will probably use the kite in the future. Summary Overall, Beit Yanai Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Israel. Moreover, you can visit it not only during the summer. Besides swimming, you can hike, go bird watching, or even joining the Sand Sculptures Competition. Which by the way, was a little disappointing and for the future, I would suggest going to Sand Sculptures Competition in a big city like Tel Aviv or Haifa (hoping the more people there will be, the higher the level of the work will be). Have you ever visited Beit Yanai Beach? Tell us about your experience in the comments below. That's all for today and I'll see you in future travels! Stay Tuned!