Tel Aviv Promenade and Beaches

The Tel Aviv Promenade, known in Hebrew as the Tayelet, runs along the Mediterranean from the old port of Jaffa in the south to the Tel Aviv Port in the north, and paths continue on to Tel Baruch Beach — about 14 kilometres of seafront in all. Hotels, cafés and restaurants line its central part along Herbert Samuel and HaYarkon streets.

The city has more than a dozen beaches of fine sand, most of them sheltered by breakwaters. From north to south they include Tel Baruch, Metzitzim, the religious beach with separate days for men and women, Hilton, Gordon, Frishman, Bograshov, Jerusalem, Banana and Charles Clore beaches, and Jaffa Beach below the old town. Entry is free; you only pay for sunbeds and umbrellas. Lifeguards are on duty from about May to October — swim only at guarded beaches, as rip currents are common.

The promenade is busy from dawn till late: joggers, cyclists and matkot (beach paddle) players in the morning, swimmers during the day and crowds watching the sunset in the evening. The sea is warmest in August, at about 30 °C, and coolest in February, at 17–18 °C. The central section was renovated in the early 2010s with wide terraces, ramps and seating that lead down to the sand; the seafront hotels and restaurants are among the most expensive in the city.