Photo: Moises Vasquez via Google
The verdict
- Best forSnorkellers who head to the southern reef where the living Red Sea coral and fish are, not the sandy town beaches and the lagoon up north that have none of it
- Top pickThe Coral Beach Nature Reserve, a protected reef with marked snorkel trails and the best coral in Israel
- One thing to knowThe reef is concentrated on the southern shore toward the Egyptian border, so stay south, the North Beach promenade is for swimming and the scene
Published 22 April 2026. Last reviewed 22 April 2026
Eilat is a strange and wonderful piece of geography for a snorkeller. A short, hot strip of Israeli coast wedged at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba between Egypt and Jordan, it sits at the very northern tip of the Red Sea, which means a genuine tropical coral reef grows within a few metres of the shore. That is rare and special, and it makes the town one of the easiest places in the world to swim out from a beach and float straight over living coral. But you have to be on the right beach, and most visitors start on the wrong one.
The reef is all on the southern shore, the stretch that runs down toward the Egyptian border at Taba. The Coral Beach Nature Reserve is the heart of it, a protected reef with marked snorkel trails, buoyed channels and a wall of hard and soft coral just off the sand, and it is comfortably the best snorkelling in Israel. Almog Beach next door shares the same reef, Princess Beach down by the border is the quiet far southern option, and Dolphin Reef adds resident dolphins to a managed cove. Together they are the reason to come.
We have ranked the spots below for the reef and, in our usual way, for where to eat and what else fills a day, because Eilat is also hummus and fresh fish, a duty free promenade and the desert of Timna just inland. We are honest too about the town beaches up north, which are sandy, lively and entirely reef free, so we tell you plainly to head south for the coral. Conditions are typical rather than guaranteed, fees and rules at the reserves change, and anything we cannot verify is marked to be confirmed.
Six of the best beaches for snorkelling in Eilat
The southern Red Sea reef, ranked, and the honest note on where not to bother.
Coral Beach Nature Reserve
The best snorkelling in Israel and the heart of the Eilat reef, a protected stretch of living hard and soft coral with marked underwater trails, buoyed entry channels and dense fish life just metres from the sand. Entry is paid and the rules protect the coral. On the list at the top for the richest, easiest reef in town, with a simple cafe on site and the southern fish restaurants a short hop for lunch.
Almog Beach
Right beside the nature reserve and sharing the same reef, a more relaxed and often free feeling stretch where the coral and the fish come close to shore and the entry is straightforward over the sand. On the list as the easy going neighbour to the reserve, good coral without the full structure, and an unfussy spot to spend a morning before lunch along the southern shore.
Princess Beach
The quiet far southern beach near the Egyptian border crossing, sometimes called Moses Rock, with a healthy patch of reef and a fraction of the crowd of the main reserve for those who drive the extra few minutes. On the list for the calmest, least busy reef snorkel in Eilat, a place to escape the promenade, with the big hotel kitchens of the south the nearest option for a meal.
Dolphin Reef
A managed cove on the southern shore with a colony of resident bottlenose dolphins, where a paid entry buys a relaxed beach, structured snorkel sessions and the chance of an encounter, more an experience than a wild reef swim. On the list honestly as the dolphin option rather than the best coral, with its own restaurant and bars on site for an easy lunch by the water.
Dekel Beach
A calm, sandy beach up near the marina with gentle shallow water, a fine place to try a mask for the first time but with little reef and not much to see compared with the south. On the list with the honest verdict that it is a relaxed swimming and family beach more than a snorkel spot, pleasant for a calm hour, with the marina restaurants and the promenade close by for food.
North Beach and the lagoon
The town's main beach and promenade by the lagoon and the hotels, busy, sandy and entirely reef free, included here only to say plainly that this is not the place to snorkel. On the list as the honest where not to bother, the lively heart of Eilat for swimming, bars and the scene, so enjoy it for that and drive south to the reserve when you want the coral.
Be honest, the town beaches have no reef, the coral is all south
The honest read is that where you stay in Eilat decides whether you see a reef at all. Most hotels cluster up north around the lagoon and North Beach, a sandy, buzzy strip of promenade, bars and big resorts that is genuinely fun but has no coral whatsoever. Plenty of visitors snorkel off North Beach, see a flat sandy bottom and a few stray fish, and conclude Eilat is overrated underwater. They are simply on the wrong beach. The reef does not start until you go several kilometres south.
The southern shore is where the Red Sea does its thing. The Coral Beach Nature Reserve is the standout, a protected reef you can swim over on marked trails with hard and soft coral, butterflyfish, parrotfish, the odd lionfish and sometimes a turtle close in, and Almog and Princess beaches share the same coral with a quieter feel. Dolphin Reef adds the dolphins as a managed experience rather than a wild swim. If snorkelling is your reason to come, base yourself south or plan the short trip down every day, and skip the lagoon for the mask.
The reassuring part is the season. Eilat is warm and snorkellable essentially year round, with the calmest, clearest water in spring and autumn, hot bright summers and cooler but still workable winters. The reserves charge entry and enforce rules that protect the fragile coral, touching and standing on it are not allowed, and fees and opening hours change, so treat those as to be confirmed locally. Conditions are typical rather than guaranteed and worth checking on the day.
Beach clubs and a table after the reef
Eilat's beach scene splits neatly, the lively bar and day beach energy up north around the lagoon and the hotels, and the quieter reef beaches and dive centres down south where the snorkelling is. A reef morning here tends to end at a simple beachside cafe or one of the big hotel restaurants rather than a glossy day club, with fresh fish, hummus and a cold drink after the salt. Operators, opening status and any entry fee shift through the season, so we keep the live list on the directory. Tell us your dates and the kind of day you want and we pass the enquiry on to confirm what is open.
Book a beach club in Eilat
Before you go
Where is the best snorkelling in Eilat?
The Coral Beach Nature Reserve on the southern shore, a protected reef with marked snorkel trails, buoyed channels and dense coral just off the sand, is the best in Israel. Almog Beach next door shares the same reef, and Princess Beach near the Egyptian border is the quiet far southern option.
Can you snorkel at North Beach in Eilat?
There is no coral there. North Beach and the lagoon are the town's sandy swimming and promenade strip, busy and fun but reef free, so you will see a flat sandy bottom and a few stray fish at most. For coral you head south toward the Coral Beach Nature Reserve and the southern reef.
Do you pay to snorkel in Eilat?
At the main sites, usually yes. The Coral Beach Nature Reserve charges entry and provides marked trails and facilities, and Dolphin Reef is a separate paid managed site. Some southern stretches like Almog feel freer but are less structured. Fees and hours change, so treat the exact cost as to be confirmed locally.
What will you see snorkelling in Eilat?
A living Red Sea reef of hard and soft coral with butterflyfish, parrotfish, the occasional lionfish and sometimes a turtle, all close to shore on the southern beaches. The reef starts just off the sand at the reserve. Conditions are typical rather than guaranteed.
When is the best time to snorkel in Eilat?
Eilat is warm and snorkellable essentially year round, with the calmest and clearest water in spring and autumn, hot bright summers and cooler but still workable winters. Conditions are typical rather than guaranteed and worth checking on the day.