Crocoloco Crocodile Farm, Ir Ovot – Visitors Guide

Crocoloco Crocodile Farm is not an ordinary farm. They do not raise sheep or cows. Instead, they grow Nile crocodiles.

Note: Check out Zoos and Aquariums in Israel‎ for additional information about animals and wildlife.

Map

Crocoloco Crocodile Farm is located at Ir Ovot. Near the intersection of roads #90 and #227. And we visited it on our way to Eilat. But you can also combine it with a visit to the Dead Sea.

Click on one of the links below to reach it.

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

Interactive map of the area:

Opening Hours

Winter Opening Hours
Sunday – Thursday, Saturday, and holidays: 9:00-17:00
Friday: 9:00 – 14:00

Summer Opening Hours
Sunday – Thursday, Saturday, and holidays: 9:00-19:00
Friday: 9:00 – 15:00

Note: Our latest visit was in March 2024, and then I took the photo of these opening hours:

Entrance Fee

During our visit, the entrance fee was 40 NIS per person. Everybody above the age of two required a ticket.

Parking

There are free parking spaces near the entrance to Crocoloco Crocodile Farm. After parking, we went to the gate, but it was closed. After knocking, the owner unlocked the gate. He told us later that they keep the gate closed as a security measure. If the gate is closed and no people are nearby, call 052-899-1088.

As you enter, you will see a small souvenir shop serving as a ticket office.

Contact Information

You can contact Ofer Kubbi by mail at crocoloco@walla.co.il or by phone at 052-899-1088.

Tour at Crocoloco Crocodile Farm

After buying the tickets, we were told another family had just arrived, and the tour would start in ten minutes. Meanwhile, we were asked to read the security instructions.

The farm’s territory is relatively small. There are several pools with crocodiles (divided by age) and a small building with baby crocodiles.

Then our tour started. At Crocoloco Crocodile Farm, they grow Nile crocodiles. This is the area with adult crocodiles:

Then we went to benches in a side area and received explanations about crocodiles. For example, did you know that crocodiles are very energy-efficient? Yes, they are cold-blooded, but other factors also affect energy expenditure. Crocodiles need 10% of the calories of a human. And the form of their skin is optimized for heat capture.

Can you guess what she is holding?

These are crocodile excrements. As you can see, they digested everything. There is no waste, and this is pure calcium.

Then, we all got a chance to pet a small crocodile.

Why Do They Grow Crocodiles?

Growing crocodiles is not apparent. But, as it turns out, other farms around the world also raise crocodiles. The primary purpose of these farms is crocodile protection. As soon as farms grow crocodiles, hunting crocodiles in the wild loses economic incentive (hunting is more expensive than raising). This concept proved itself, and the number of hunted crocodiles decreased substantially over the last years. As to Crocoloco Crocodile Farm, they only loaned crocodiles to other zoos. And they never killed any of them.

Though Crocoloco Crocodile Farm has existed for many years, it still has difficulties getting all the necessary permits from the authorities. Therefore, there is no running water and no toilets.

Temperature

Crocodiles and turtles have temperature-dependent sex determination. The sex of the baby is determined by the temperature the egg was exposed to. But temperature affects not only gender. Crocodiles have several favorite positions depending on the temperature. When it is too hot, they are in the water. And when it is less hot, they are on land. And how much cooler affects whether they lay in the shade, under the sun, and with an open or closed mouth. Thus, another plus of visiting this place in the winter is that you will see them nearby on land.

After petting a baby crocodile and visiting ponds, we went to the nursery. There, we saw crocodiles of different ages. At this stage, the approximately forty-minute tour ended. Then, we asked several questions, and our visit ended.

Who Manages the Farm?

Crocoloco Crocodile Farm is managed by a married couple who spent their younger years in Africa. And for almost twenty years, they have operated this farm by themselves.

Should I Join a Tour?

According to the security instructions sign, you can visit this farm only as a part of a group accompanied by their guide.

How Much Time Does a Visit at Crocoloco Crocodile Farm Take?

On average, the tour took us about forty-five minutes. And the whole visit will take about an hour since you will probably wait until the tour starts.

Summary

We enjoyed the tour. I learned many new things and got to pet a crocodile. It is a lovely place. Both adults and children will like the visit. However, due to its location and size, it is not the day’s main attraction but rather a stop on the way to Eilat or the Dead Sea.

Have you ever been to the Crocoloco Crocodile Farm? 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.