Dead Sea

The Dead Sea is a place you feel before you understand it. At some 430 metres below sea level this is the lowest point on Earth, a mineral lake so dense with salt that you cannot sink — you simply lie back on the water and float, a rite of passage everyone performs at least once. The rest is a wellness ritual: slathering on the black mineral mud, breathing the thick, oxygen-rich, pollen-free air, and letting the strong, filtered sun do what dermatologists have prescribed here for a century. On the Israeli side almost everything is at Ein Bokek, a compact strip of spa hotels with private beach access, walkable end to end. Days are slow and horizontal; the drama is in the desert around you — the fortress of Masada above the plain, the waterfall canyon of Ein Gedi, the Mitzpe Ramon crater beyond. One or two nights is plenty. Come to float; stay for the strange, silent beauty of the lowest, saltiest landscape there is.

Best For

Where to Stay

Hotels Sherry Recommends