Haifa and the Northern Coast Sights

Shopping Nightlife Performing Arts

1. Rosh Hanikra

Before you get in line for the steep two-minute ride on the Austrian-made cable car down to Rosh Hanikra's grottoes, take a moment to absorb the stunning view along the coast. Bring binoculars. Still clearly visible is the route of the railway line, now mostly a dirt road, built by the British through the hillside in 1943 to extend the Cairo–Tel Aviv–Haifa line to Beirut. (You are now much closer to Beirut than to Jerusalem.) After the descent, you can see the 12-minute audiovisual presentation called The Sea and the Cliff. The incredible caves beneath the cliff have been carved out by relentless waves pounding away at the white chalky rock for millennia. Footpaths inside the cliff lead from one huge cave to another, while the sound of waves—and the squealing of fruit bats—echoes off the water-sprayed walls. Huge bursts of seawater plunge into pools at your feet (behind protective rails). It's slippery, so hang on.