Mikhmoret Beach (sometimes also referred to as “Banana Beach”) is located north of Netanya and allows families a fun and comfortable camping by the sea with close parking, a variety of essential services and public facilities, and most importantly – a wide strip of beach with clean white sand.
Mikhmoret Beach is located north of Netanya, just before the Alexander River empties into the Mediterranean Sea. The beach has a very wide strip of sand, it contains all the rescue services and public facilities (toilets and showers), and the parking – although not free – is very close to the beach – making it perfect for anyone planning to reach the beach with heavy equipment – families, camping and outdoor cooking enthusiasts, and quite a few kite surfers that fill the place on the weekends.
The water on the beach is very clean and clear. In the southern part of the coast, there is a lovely corner with large kurkar rocks that reach right up to the waterline, and between them, you can dive and meet a large number of local fish (there is good visibility in the water). Alongside them, you can see other marine animals like crabs, mollusks, and even water lilies.
In the sea itself, a few dozen meters from the shore is a large kurkar ridge that produces a kind of natural breakwater that breaks the sea waves and creates a relatively calm sea, even when the weather is not as good. On the other hand, it is advisable to keep a healthy distance from the rocks on the south side of the beach, as well as from the fishermen who roam the rocks and try to catch fish on the spot.
In the northern part of the coast, there is a special mound called Tel Girit, next to a sign marking the boundary of the declared bathing beach. It is important to note that from the summer of 2020, camping in the beach area has been forbidden.
Tel Girit, sometimes also called “Tel Mikhmoret”, is a small mound that rises at the northern end of Mikhmoret Beach. When you climb it you can see the beautiful houses of the settlement of Mikhmoret (and south of there Beit Yanai) and the Mevoot Yam marine school. Tel Girit got its name from the badger (“Girit” in Hebrew) – a predator from the mammal family that lived in burrows and was common in the area.
Public Facilities at Mikhmoret Beach
Mikhmoret Beach is a declared bathing beach with rescue services and a medic (there are two lifeguard posts on the beach), toilets, and public showers.
At the entrance to the beach, there is a restaurant called Banana Beach on a high thin terrace overlooking the sea, a surfing club run by Amit Inbar, and a kayak club run by Eyal Avro.
There is a large parking lot (for a fee) which is very close to the beach (about 20 meters walk).
Additional facilities at the beach: shade sheds, and volleyball nets.
How to Get There
For those arriving from the south, take the coastal road (Road 2) in a northerly direction, get off the road at the Yanai interchange (near the “M HaDerech” mall), and turn west (left) onto Road 5720. Cross the interchange and continue straight with the sign pointing in the direction of Mikhmoret. Continue straight until you reach a parking lot on the beach.
In Waze: “Mikhmoret Beach”
Read about other beaches in Netanya‘s area.