Today we will present a short and pleasant trip along the beautiful HaBonim beach, which contains a long history, sunken ships and treasures, and unique shore vegetation that makes the hike special.
Dor Habonim Beach Strip is a 4.5 km long beach strip that stretches from Moshav Habonim in the north to the Moshav Dor area, hence its name. The beach strip includes Habonim Beach and Dor Beach, also known to the public as Tantura Beach. The beach is considered the most rugged one along the Mediterranean within the State of Israel. The diversity of coves is due to the process of weathering of the western kurkar ridge of the Hof Hacarmel plain by the waves and winds, which is a continuous process that crumbles the rock and forms the many coves, which can be seen along the entire Hof Hacarmel plain and especially on this coast.
HaBonim Beach Route
The route proposed here is not circular and requires leaving one vehicle at the beginning, near HaBonim Beach, and one vehicle at the end, at Dor Beach. Since the route is short, you can walk it back and forth, thus making it circular. This way you can also go back at any point during it.
From the parking lot, we will go west on foot along the path marked with a red trail marker. After about 200 meters we will reach a cove filled with seashells. The trail continues south to a vantage point overlooking Carmel Mountain and the coves of the Dor-Habonim Reserve. The lookout point at the top of the kurkar ridge affords an extensive view of the rock and indented shoreline and a view of the Carmel range to the north and east.
Our trail passes through the kurkar ridge near the sea, as the waves continue to hit the ridge and form the beautiful bays.
We turn right and walk for about 200 further until we reach a small and special bay, which hikers call the “Blue Cave”. This cave is one of the dozens of crevices and caves the sea waves have made in the kurkar. It was formed over many years by processes of erosion, dissolution, and collapse, which acquired its name thanks to its shades of blue, whose beauty attracts many visitors.
The path goes a little to the east, and after about 100 meters we find ourselves stepping on a rock. It is an ancient and relatively hard rock, formed by shell fragments and sand grains, and is always inclined to a slight slope towards the sea.
We will continue south and pass a sandy bay to reach Kurkar Hill. Kurkar (Hebrew: כורכר) is the term used in Arabic and Hebrew for the rock type of which lithified sea dunes consist. In the kurkar hills near the sea, we will find vegetation that can withstand the saltwater spray drops: Wild leek, Scolymus maculatus, and many others. These flowers prefer to bloom on summer nights (July-August) when the wind is low and the pollinating insects can engage in their work without interruption.
We will continue south, and from the top of the kurkar hill, a small island will reveal itself to us. To its south lies a sunken cargo ship on its side.
The shipwreck rises above the water, at a distance of some 30 meters from the shore and a depth of 2.5 meters. It was carrying a cargo of sacks of cement and sank here 90 years ago. It appears to have come from Turkey or Germany, but its exact identity is not yet clear. In any event, over the years the ship has become an artificial reef, and a wealth of marine flora and fauna has developed around it. It is possible to swim out to the wreck and dive around it.
Further along the path are the remains of an old kurkar quarry.
We continue south for another 1 to 1.5 kilometers between magical coves, islands, and dunes until we reach the remains of the port city of Dar (Dor). The history of the settlement on the shores of Habonim Beach Nature Reserve takes us back thousands of years, to the time between the Bronze (Canaanite) Age and the Arab period. The natural bay attracted ships sailing to the Mediterranean shores, which were forced to anchor in inlets for rest or during storms. As a result, a port city arose here.
Dor grew into a large, fortified city, as evidenced by the public buildings, private homes, and, of course, large walls whose remains are found in the western part of the tel. Remains from the different periods were found in excavations carried out in the place in recent decades, in which interesting and unique items have been uncovered. Among the finds, for example, are vessels from Egypt, which came from the Egyptian ships that anchored in the harbor, as well as mosaic floors, anchors from several periods, and more. The finds are on display in the Mizgaga Museum at nearby Kibbutz Nahsholim, a museum that tells the fascinating story of the city of Dor.
The museum building was erected by Baron Edmund de Rothschild in 1891 as a bottling factory that was intended to supply the needs of his winery in nearby Zichron Yaacov. The project manager at the time was a young chemist – Meir Dizengoff. The business failed and Dizengoff eventually became the first mayor of Tel Aviv. A visit to the museum is highly recommended.
You can visit the museum’s website.
How To Get There
From the coastal road (Kvish HaHof – Road 2), descend at the Atlit interchange or the Fureidis junction to Road 4. Continue until you reach Moshav Habonim, cross the road, and drive to the beach according to the signs (on a road going around the Moshav from the north).
Please note: it is forbidden to stay in the Dor Habonim Beach Nature Reserve during nighttime. There is a campground on the main beach, with toilets, beach showers, picnic tables, and shade, receptacles for lighting campfires, a kiosk, and information about marine mammals and the coastal environment.