The Ein - Gedi Nature Reserve

To get to the trail, enter the Ein Gedi Reserve, and park near Tel Goren, at the entrance to the Nahal Arugot car park. We will climb up along the black path with the farming terraces, towards the Ein Gedi spring. On the trail we will see the remains of a large flour mill, next to a beautiful pool adorned with plantlife and shaded by large trees. This is the Ein Gedi spring, which flows with water all year round. Rock hyraxes and ibexes can be seen at most times of day.

After a visit to the gushing spring, we will turn right onto the black path towards the path marked in green. Very shortly we will reach the ancient Chalcolithic temple.

In this area we will see the remnants of an ancient ritual centre (around 5,000 years old), which is situated on a hill overlooking the Dead Sea, facing the mountains of Moab. This is an excellent place to open Genesis and try to get to know Chapter 14 (the war between the five kings of the square near the Dead Sea), as well as Chapter 19 (the birth of Moab and Ammon, who were born from the coupling of Lot and his two daughters after the destruction of Sodom).

From the Chalcolithic temple we will follow the signs down to the Shulamit Spring and Nahal David. Our trail will bring is to the stream flowing beneath us, and we will follow the stream out to the parking area.

After visiting this trail in the Reserve, we very much recommend completing the trip with a beautiful tour of the Ein Gedi botanical gardens. A spectacular garden on the Ein Gedi Kibbutz, containing more than 1,000 species of unique plants from across the world. A unique landscape with many stories about the plants, which also tell the story of each of the five continents. 

Author: Shahar Shiloh, specialist in desert tourism