Israel’s Dead Sea is one of the country’s most unique attractions that’s spawned an incredible range of resort/spa properties, which provide an exceptional leisure vacation experience. And despite its name, this area is also home to a wealth of natural wonders, including waterfalls and freshwater springs, desert wildlife and tropical foliage. Here, too, is Israel’s second most popular tourism site, the 1st century fortress at Masada, the mountaintop fortress where religious Jews called “Zealots” made a last stand against the Romans in A.D. 66. Visitors can also see the nearby caves of Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947.

Health & Leisure

The Dead Sea is probably most famous for its health aspects thanks to its unique minerals, as well as the enriched atmosphere that comes from being at the lowest place on Earth (the air has between 10 and 25 percent more oxygen) and the warmth of the climate. The Dead Sea area of Ein Gedi is a rich green oasis in the desert across from the Dead Sea. The Ein Gedi Nature Reserve has a number of hiking trails and swimming spots and one of the reserve’s most famous inhabitants is the nubian ibex. The sailing vessel, Lot’s Wife, sets out from Ein Gedi for cruises on the Dead Sea. There’s also a sports center at Ein Gedi with a gym, running track, football field, modern sports hall, tennis courts, swimming pools, one open, the other a semi-Olympic, and covered and heated pool.

The Ein Gedi Spa is centered on the mineral springs in Ein Gedi. The water temperature at the spa’s hot springs is a steady 38C degrees (about 102F) and the concentration of salts and minerals provides swimmers, the spa says, with “a sense of weightlessness and soothing warmth.” The water at the Ein Gedi Spa has the highest percentage of bromine of any similar hot spring in the world—both in the air and in the water, according to the spa’s website—which “reduces blood pressure and relaxes the nervous system.” The spa has six separate pools available—the largest is a mixed-gender pool; but there are segregated pools for men and women. Massage and mud treatments are done with a black mud that’s supposed to be a very effective cosmetic treatment.