6 Best Sights in Haifa and the Northern Coast, Israel

About 5 km (3 miles) north of Netanya is lovely Beit Yanai, named after ancient Judean king Alexander Yanai. Amenities include barbecue grills, picnic tables, restrooms with showers, and chair and umbrella rentals. There's a seafood restaurant right on the beach, and you can stroll along the Alexander Stream, shaded by eucalyptus trees. Parking is NIS 24 on weekdays and NIS 33 on Saturday. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: walking; windsurfing.

Benches sit among palm trees and surround a large fountain at this lively central square with open-air cafés and restaurants that are crowded from morning until late into the evening. Netanya attracts droves of French visitors, and, in summer, their lilting tones float above the café au lait and croissants. Saturday nights are often enlivened by folk dancing, and the amphitheater hosts free concerts in summer and an arts-and-crafts fair on Friday morning.

Netanya's most popular beach has a broad staircase that leads down to the waterfront. For fitness nuts there's a shaded exercise area with all sorts of equipment, volleyball nets, and a paved basketball court. You can rent kayaks and windsurfing gear in the summer. The beach is wheelchair accessible. There is also a café and two lifeguard stations. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming; windsurfing.

The beach at Mikhmoret, a moshav (small cooperative settlement) 7½ km (4½ miles) north of Netanya, is popular with swimmers as well as those who laze away the day under umbrellas. The huge dirt parking lot, which charges per car, is 1 km (½ mile) after the turnoff from Route 2. There are three lifeguard stations, a restaurant, café, and chair and umbrella rentals. This is a backpacker favorite, and there's a hostel on the beach. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); toilets; water sports. Best for: sunset; swimming.

Also known as "the boulevard," the seaside promenade extends north and south of the city for about 6 km (4 miles) with beautifully landscaped walkways that wind around the contours of the sandstone cliffs overlooking the sea; every angle affords a gorgeous view. It's dotted with pergola-shaded benches, wooden bridges, colorful playground areas, and waving palm trees. An elevator at the center of the promenade eases the climb up and down the seaside cliff.

An elevator takes you down the sandstone cliff to Netanya's main beach, which has the largest stretch of sand in the area. In addition, a paved road allows walkers and wheelchair users access almost to the shoreline, and the lifeguard stand has ultralight wheelchairs for use that can go right into the water. The beach also has two cafés and two drink kiosks with seating inside and out, as well as a parking lot just south of Ha'atzmaut Square. Fridays are filled with salsa and folk dancing. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; swimming.