South

Eilat

Israel's southernmost city, a port and resort on the Red Sea next to Taba and Aqaba. A VAT-free zone since 1985, with coral reefs, the Dolphin Reef, a desert climate and Ramon Airport since 2019. Tourism is the main industry.

Visit Eilat Local Compare Eilat with other cities

What draws people

VAT-free shopping: a free trade zone since 1985. source ((opens in a new tab))
The Coral Beach reserve, the Dolphin Reef and the Underwater Observatory on the doorstep. source ((opens in a new tab))
Flights from Ramon Airport: about 2 h 30 min door to door to Tel Aviv. source ((opens in a new tab))

What to weigh

Far from the centre: about 4 h 27 min to Tel Aviv by bus 390 and 4 h 14 min to Jerusalem by bus 444. source ((opens in a new tab))
Very hot summers (usually 26–40°C); Yoseftal, Israel's smallest hospital, is the only one in the southern Negev. source ((opens in a new tab))

The facts

Region: South
Population: 56,004 (2024 estimate)source ((opens in a new tab))
English-speaking community: Very small (1 out of 5)· judgment call
French-speaking community: Unknown
Russian-speaking community: Unknown
Religious mix: MixedMixed: state, special-education and religious schools and a hesder yeshiva; tourism and a large foreign-worker population shape the city.source ((opens in a new tab))
Rent (family-size apartment): No reliable figure found
To Tel Aviv: About 4 h 27 min to Tel Aviv by busAbout 2 h 30 min by plane from Ramon Airport, 4 h 27 min by bus 390 or 4 h 23 min by car (Rome2rio estimates).source 1 ((opens in a new tab))source 2 ((opens in a new tab))
To Jerusalem: About 4 h 14 min to Jerusalem by busAbout 4 h 14 min by bus 444, or 3 h 10 min by plane and train (Rome2rio estimates).source 1 ((opens in a new tab))source 2 ((opens in a new tab))
Train station: No
Light rail: No
For families: Medium (3 out of 5)· judgment call
Quiet: Medium (3 out of 5)· judgment call

Why these scores

English-speaking community: No NBN community guide and no documented Anglo community. Judgment call. source ((opens in a new tab))
French-speaking community: No source opened mentions French speakers. Left blank. source ((opens in a new tab))
Russian-speaking community: No source opened gives a figure. Left blank. source ((opens in a new tab))
For families: Judgment: 10 elementary and 3 six-year high schools, but far from the big hospitals. source ((opens in a new tab))
Quiet: Judgment: quiet residential hills, a busy tourist seafront. source ((opens in a new tab))

Some spellings of this name in other languages aren't confirmed by a source yet.

Sources

Checked 11 November 2026

Eilat Local

Listings, guides, neighborhoods and Shabbat times for Eilat, on the city's own site.

Visit Eilat Local

Other cities

South
Carmei Gat
Carmei Gat is a planned neighborhood in the north of Kiryat Gat, built from 2018 with its roads, schools and utilities developed together, and now about 10,000 housing units.
English-speaking community
Medium (3 out of 5)
Facts and sources
South
Be'er Sheva
The largest city in the Negev and the hub of southern Israel, home to Ben-Gurion University and Soroka Medical Center.
English-speaking community
Small (2 out of 5)
Facts and sources
Jerusalem area
Jerusalem
Israel's capital and largest city, with a large English-speaking population and tens of thousands of Nefesh B'Nefesh olim.
English-speaking community
Very large (5 out of 5)
Facts and sources

The 17 cities