Seagulls Beach
Best for. Active, sociable travellers who want soft sand, a swim, a snorkel, a game of volleyball and watersports all in one easy day, with the promenade and its food a short walk along the bay.
Best spot. The sand near the volleyball nets in the late afternoon, when the heat eases, the games pick up and the marina kitchens beyond start filling for the evening, the best hour to be here.
Know this. It is a recognised public beach with seasonal lifeguards, busier and sportier than a quiet cove, so for clear coral water and calm you still drive south to the reef coast.
Seagulls Beach, which locals call Hof HaShachaf, is the central bay shore I point active travellers toward. This is a clean, roomy stretch of soft golden sand on the northern shore of Eilat, a few hundred metres of beach set up for a busy, sociable day. You can swim and snorkel, play beach volleyball, take to the water with a range of watersports along the shore, and do it all on a recognised public beach with seasonal lifeguard cover, which the unmarked strips beside it cannot match. For a day with movement in it, this is one of the easiest beaches in town.
Read it honestly and you will set your expectations right. Seagulls is a resort beach, not a hidden cove, so it is busy in season and it is about the scene and the sport rather than solitude. The snorkelling is good for the northern shore, with clear water and some reef and fish to find off the sand, but it is not the coral wall of the south coast, and travellers who arrive picturing the famous reef will want to keep driving to Coral Beach, Almog Beach or Princess Beach. Take Seagulls for what it is, a lively, sandy, active shore, and it delivers exactly that.
The food and culture wanderer's verdict is that the real pleasure of Seagulls is how it folds into the town. Spend the morning and the cooler hours swimming, snorkelling and playing on the sand, then walk the bay to the promenade and the marina, where the Red Sea fish houses, the hummus counters and the easy holiday kitchens are the best eating in Eilat, busiest and best as the light softens and the boats slide in. A great Seagulls day mixes sport and sand with a long, late lunch or an early dinner by the water, the desert mountains of Jordan glowing across the gulf. Come for the active day, stay for the supper, and save the mask for the reef coast.
The scene on the north shore
Seagulls is a sporty public beach rather than a row of exclusive clubs, its scene built around the sand, the games and the watersports. We name the real, established features here and mark lounger, hire and food prices, which move by season, as to be confirmed. To reserve a sunbed or a table, start with the Eilat clubs guide.
Photo: Hananya Beach via GoogleThe sand and the volleyball
The heart of Seagulls is the soft sand itself, roomy enough to lie out and laid out for beach volleyball, the sociable game that gives this shore its energy in the cooler hours. Loungers and parasols are for hire on the sand and the games are free to join when a net is open. Any lounger sets and hire are set by the operators and are to be confirmed.
The watersports run
The northern shore is the active stretch of Eilat, with watersports operators running along it in season, so Seagulls suits travellers who want to do as much as lie still. What is on offer changes by operator and season and is to be confirmed, so ask on the day. The clear, calm bay makes for an easy place to learn or to mess about on the water.
An evening on the promenade
The best free seat near Seagulls is the promenade and marina a short walk along the bay, where a Red Sea fish house or a hummus counter and the boats and the Jordanian mountains turning gold make the close of an active day. No lounger and no spend beyond your dinner, just the town at its best hour. Menus and prices are set by each kitchen and are to be confirmed.
The northern shore, central bay
Seagulls runs along the northern shore of the central bay in Eilat, within easy reach of the main hotel district, the promenade and the marina, so it is a short walk or a few minutes by car from most central rooms. The airport and bus station are minutes away, and the reef beaches of the southern coast, Coral Beach, Dolphin Reef, Almog Beach and Princess Beach, are a ten minute drive south, which makes the central bay the natural base for a trip that mixes sport and scene with snorkelling.
You need little here beyond sun cover, water for the desert heat and a mask if you fancy a snorkel, since the food, bars and shops of the promenade are close by. Use the cooler morning and the long golden evening for swimming, volleyball and watersports, and the hot middle of the day for shade and a slow lunch. Come in spring or autumn for the kindest weather, stay on the recognised beach for the lifeguard, and save the serious snorkel for the coral coast. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
Photo: Hananya Beach via GoogleBook a beach club
Tell us your dates and party size and we will help line up a lounger or a table near Seagulls Beach, the active heart of the northern shore. We reply by email.
We are an independent editorial resource. Booking requests are passed to clubs and operators, and some may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Prices, availability and opening status are set by the venue and are to be confirmed at the time of booking.
Common questions about Seagulls Beach
Is Seagulls Beach in Eilat worth it?
Yes, for an active, sociable day on soft sand. Seagulls Beach, known locally as Hof HaShachaf, is a clean northern shore stretch of golden sand by the central bay, good for swimming, snorkelling, beach volleyball and watersports, with seasonal lifeguard cover and the promenade close at hand. The honest note is that it is a busy resort beach rather than a quiet reef cove, so for clear coral water you still drive south. Come for the easy day, the games and the food nearby.
Is the snorkelling good at Seagulls Beach?
It is one of the better snorkelling spots on the northern shore, though it is not the southern coral coast. The water is clear and there is reef and fish life to find off the sand, enough for a pleasant snorkel between swims and volleyball, and the cool morning gives the clearest view. For the headline reef walls, Coral Beach, Almog Beach and Princess Beach to the south are the places to go. Treat any reef gently and never touch it, and conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
Where can I eat near Seagulls Beach?
Very well, since the central bay is the heart of Eilat eating. The promenade and the marina, a short walk along the shore, are lined with Red Sea fish houses, hummus counters and easy holiday kitchens that come alive in the late afternoon and evening. Plan a long lunch or an early dinner by the water after a morning of swimming and volleyball, and the town does the rest. Some beach bars and kiosks on the sand cover drinks and a light bite, with menus and prices to be confirmed.
Can you do watersports and volleyball at Seagulls Beach?
Yes, it is one of the active beaches of the central bay. Seagulls is set up for beach volleyball and the northern shore offers a range of watersports along its run, so it suits travellers who want to do as much as lie still. Operators and what is available change by season and are to be confirmed. The sociable, sporty feel is the draw, so come for movement and the scene rather than for a quiet, secluded shore.
Is Seagulls Beach free and does it have lifeguards?
Seagulls is a recognised public beach with seasonal lifeguard cover, so it is a safer, more organised choice than the unmarked stretches nearby. It is free to walk onto, with a charge only for a sun lounger, a parasol or food and drink at the bars on the sand. The neighbouring unrecognised strips can be tidy but lack lifeguard services, so for a watched swim stay on the recognised beach and follow the flags.
When is the best time to visit Seagulls Beach?
Spring and autumn, roughly March to May and October to November, give a warm sea and bearable heat, the sweet spot for the central bay. Winter is mild and popular with sun seekers, with the Red Sea still swimmable, while high summer is very hot and busy, so the morning and the long golden evening are the best hours for swimming, volleyball and a snorkel. See our Eilat season guide for the month by month detail.
