Carmel Range

The Carmel Range, often referred to simply as "Mount Carmel" (though this more properly refers to the hills immediately above Haifa), is a compact region of hills in Israel extending westwards from the Central Hill country to the Mediterranean Sea.

Cities

 * – An interesting and busy metropolis, containing the beautiful Baha'i gardens.
 * – A romantic town on the south-eastern end of the Carmel Range, overlooking the Mediterranean.

Other destinations
Although hardly qualifying as "cities", the settlements of the Carmel Range are nonetheless fascinating:


 * – the largest and southernmost Druze town in Israel, located in the heart of the Carmel National Park, southeast of Haifa. Established 400 years ago, Daliyat el-Carmel has a population of 13,000 Druze residents, tracing their ancestry to the hill country near Aleppo (Halab) in northern Syria (reflected in their strong Aleppo accent and the name of the largest family in the village - Halabi). A large market in the center of the town sells traditional Druze and Arab products and draws tourists from Israel and from abroad. A memorial center for fallen Druze IDF soldiers also exists in the town. The shrine of Abu Ibrahim is located in Daliyat el-Carmel, and the ruins of several Druze villages are located in the vicinity.
 * – built on the ruins of a Byzantine settlement, the village's many Crusader ornaments and relics found on the walls and in the houses lead historians to believe that the village was once a Crusader center. The remains of the fifth-century Jewish settlement of Husifah were unearthed in the village in 1930 and include a synagogue with a mosaic floor bearing Jewish symbols and the inscription "Peace upon Israel". Some 4,500 gold coins dating from the Roman Period were also found. The modern village was founded in the early 18th century, when residents made their living from the olive oil, honey and the excellent grapes growing in the region. Some 9,000 people live today in Isfiya: 70% Druze, the rest Christians and Muslims. The tomb of Abu Abdallah is located here.
 * There are also a few small Jewish villages and towns which mainly serve tourists, notably . Much of the Carmel has been declared a nature reserve/natural park to protect it from further development.

Understand
Dividing the Coastal Plain from the Jezreel Valley, the Carmel Range retains its own unique landscape and culture. The hills are home to a number of Druze villages, the focus of many travelers' visits to the region. There are also sites of Jewish and Arab cultural/historical interest, and many beautiful mountains and forests.

Get in
The Carmel is bounded by Road 4 (the old Tel Aviv-Haifa road) on the west, and road 70 (Zichron Yaakov-Yokneam-near Haifa) on the south and east.

From Tel Aviv, leave the freeway (road 2) at Zichron Yaakov. Then either turn left on road 4, or continue straight on road 70, depending on your destination.

There are frequent buses going up and down roads 4 and 70. Buses and service taxis also travel from Haifa to the Druze villages.

Get around
Several roads go through the Carmel and they are pretty scenic.

See




Hiking
In general the Carmel has lots of beautiful forested landscapes which are great for hiking and biking. Some of the more popular ones are:

Eat
Pita, in the Druze villages.

Sleep
Your best bets are Zikhron Ya'akov, Haifa and nearby Caesarea or Nazareth.



Stay safe
The Carmel is perhaps the safest place in Israel. Watch out for the usual dangers, like dehydration in summer and swimming at the beach without a lifeguard.

Go next

 * The Western Galilee at the coast, the Lower Galilee with Nazareth and of course the Sea of Galilee region are must sees closeby.
 * Jezreel Valley and from there into the West Bank