Afula

Afula is medium-sized town in the northern Israel. It is the largest city in the Jezreel Valley and the capital of that region.

Understand
Dating back at least since the 11th century, but possible several thousand more years. Afula remained a small village but became somewhat of a logistics node when the Jezreel Valley railway was inaugurated in 1904. The whole town was bought in 1925 by American Zionist Commonwealth as part of the Sursock Purchase, the largest Jewish land acquisition during Mandatory Palestine. About one hundred Arab families who had lived in the area either accepted compensation for their land and left voluntarily or were evicted. In the following decades Afula saw a large influx of Jewish immigrants and it has grown into a modern and well-developed town, however lacking in tourist sights.

By bus or taxi
You can use buses from Tel Aviv (825, 840), Haifa (300, 301), Jerusalem (953) and Tiberias (541, 840). From other cities in the valley (Migdal Ha'emek, Bet Shean, Nazareth) you can get to Afula by Superbus buses or by sherut (shared) taxis. Sherut taxis also available from Tel-Aviv, Haifa and Tiberias. Note that buses departing from Afula to bigger cities stops at 22:00.

From the West Bank
From Jenin (also applicable to Nablus and Ramallah): Take a shared taxi (sherut/serviis) or hitchhike to the border, and cross on foot. From the Israeli side of the border, taxis to Afula cost ₪40-50. Alternatively, you can take bus 52 from the roundabout after the border into Afula (₪7.40).



By train
There is a train every one hour from Haifa and from Beit She'an. Local buses are synced with train arrivals and departures. Notice that buses from Nazareth does not stop directly at the railway station.



By bus
Superbus operates 10 internal bus lines (2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 11, 13, 14, 19, 20) inside Afula. Lines 10 and 11 have a nearly identical route except the section at city center and both have very high frequency of every 10 minutes combined. Line 20 is a special line to the market and it operated on Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday only. The line's frequency is every 30 minutes. Line 19 has few stops in the city but it continues to the towns Marhavia and Sulam. The line's frequency is every 60 minutes. Line 6 is a special line to the cemetery and it has only 5 trips per day each direction.

Eat

 * Spoons - coffee shop. Located at the center of the city, Near Karmel Hotel.
 * Aroma Espresso Bar - There are two branches of this chain in Afula. One is at the center of the city by the end of Arlosoroff Boulevard (Near the city hall), the second is located inside the G-Ba'Emek open mall (on the road from Afula to Tiberias).More information about Aroma Esspreso Bar. Also inside G-Ba'Emek you will find branches of BBB Burgers Bar, Cafe Greg and other coffee shops and restaurants.
 * Spoons - coffee shop. Located at the center of the city, Near Karmel Hotel.
 * Aroma Espresso Bar - There are two branches of this chain in Afula. One is at the center of the city by the end of Arlosoroff Boulevard (Near the city hall), the second is located inside the G-Ba'Emek open mall (on the road from Afula to Tiberias).More information about Aroma Esspreso Bar. Also inside G-Ba'Emek you will find branches of BBB Burgers Bar, Cafe Greg and other coffee shops and restaurants.

Go next

 * Tel Megiddo is located nearby (10 minutes drive) in the Jezreel Valley.
 * Mount Tabor is a natural site and Christian holy place in the Lower Galilee.