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Red mountains and turquoise waters
During an MSC Grand Voyages cruise, Elat will reveal itself a must destination of a holiday to Israel, while being gently rocked by the waves of the Red Sea.
This city, rising at the edge of the Negev desert, has become over the last fifty years a first rate holiday destination for locals and tourists from all over the world. While your MSC cruise ship waits for you in the port, you will visit the Bay of Elat and enjoy the contrast between the turquoise waters and the palm tree-bordered, green shoreline of the city center, and the red, barren mountains rising behind the buildings. Strolling along the streets of Elat, you will find everything you will need to relax and enjoy your excursion on solid ground: stores selling typical products, shopping centers, ice cream shops, pubs, coffee shops and restaurants to satisfy every whim.
A short distance from Elat, in the middle of the desert, there are also unexpected destinations such as the Timna Geological Park with its bizarre rock formations, and the fascinating desert landscapes – among which the ravines of the Red Canyon stand out – through which nomadic populations such as the Bedouins travel to this day. However, if you prefer staying close to the sea, MSC Cruises offer an excursion to the Underwater Observatory Marine Park with its shark tank and aquariums full of rare fish typical of the Red Sea that it overlooks. This park is the ideal location for spending a few hours on land by yourself or with kids. At the Dolphin Reef and its protected bay, on the other hand, dolphins are the absolute stars.
The memory of swimming next to these fascinating mammals will remain in your heart forever. Finally, in the Coral Beach Nature Reserve, you will be able to get your first close look at the coral reefs that have made the Red Sea famous.
