Come Discover the Unique Flavors of the City!

• Sweet and Savory Tour in Ashdod

A sweet and savory food tour in Ashdod. On this tour, you’ll meet people with fascinating stories that inspire their surroundings, visit surprising places, and taste a variety of sweet and savory dishes. The tour lasts approximately 3 hours.

For more details and registration, click here

• Fascinating Culinary Tour Among Restaurants Every Saturday

When was the last time you enjoyed high-quality, exquisite food from various cuisines, with a pastoral sea view, interesting stories from interesting people, all in such a special city – Ashdod? Join us for a delicious tour.

For registration and more details, click here

• Self-Guided Food Tour by Shiran Cohen Shai, a First of Its Kind in Ashdod!!

We invite you to a self-guided culinary tour in one of the most culinary cities – Ashdod.

Ashdod has been a bustling maritime trading center since its early days, thanks to its distinct symbol – the Port of Ashdod! Join us for an innovative and unique tour in the city of Ashdod.

For more details and registration, click here

• Fascinating Culinary Tour with a Variety of Restaurants

Taste tours have become the most successful trend in short tours recently. Here in Ashdod, there is a stunning mosaic composed of 99 different testimonies, visible in various synagogues, clothing, customs, music, spice shops, scents, colors, and of course, exquisite food. You are invited to join this unique experience.

For registration and more details, click here

• Food Tour in Ashdod’s Enchanting Quarter A

Quarter A, which quickly became Ashdod’s “Dizengoff,” hides within it the magical story of the city’s establishment. Join the tour and learn about the place through a sensory experience of flavors, sights, scents, and sounds that have accompanied the quarter since its early days.

For more details and registration, click here

Photo Credits:

Shiran Cohen Shai, Oded Ovadia

Attention:

Access to the fortress is currently blocked due to construction.

Ashdod-Yam Fortress (Kla’at al-Mina) was built in the late 7th century BCE by the historian Abd al-Malik (685-705 BCE) on the remains of a Byzantine settlement. The fortress served as part of a coastal defense system designed to prevent Byzantine invasions from the sea. The system included a chain of Rabatath (fortresses) along the Mediterranean coast, which maintained visual contact and allowed signaling in times of danger through the raising of smoke columns during the day and smoke at night. In 1033, the fortress was damaged by an earthquake and abandoned. During the Crusader period (12th-13th centuries CE), the fortress was renovated and resettled. Its name was changed to ‘Castel Baroar.’ The fortress was finally abandoned after the expulsion of the Crusaders from the land in 1290. In preparation for the fortress’s opening to the public, excavation and preservation were carried out by the Ashdod Tourism and Antiquities Authority, with the assistance of youth and children from educational institutions in the city.

In recent days, the fortress has completed a preservation and development project that will host educational groups, cultural performances at sunset, and, of course, offer various interactive activities. These activities include an inflatable planetarium where visitors of all ages can watch a film that takes them back in time to the early periods of the fortress, “healing” ancient pottery shards, an audiovisual show (video mapping) projected on the fortress walls, special nighttime lighting, and more.

The work on the fortress included reinforcing the supporting walls, removing sand and its filtration, casting a floor, and installing pathways that make the fortress accessible to visitors and individuals with disabilities – in a way that was not available before. Additionally, various safety elements were installed to ensure a proper and safe visit to the site. Diving and lighting work was also carried out to enhance the visitor experience during all hours of the site’s operation, and cameras were installed to prevent vandalism.

Above the fortress structure, a “floating” deck was built, overlooking the site and the nearby coastline with its golden sands and turquoise waters, on an undeclared beach that enjoys tranquility and pristine nature.

The fortress site is planned to host educational and group activities for explanatory and experiential purposes about the site and the area. It will also serve as a starting point for a tour of the ecological park that extends from the fortress to the Leonardo Hotel. No entrance fees will be charged, except for guided tours for groups or for cultural events.

You can visit the fortress site throughout the week, between the hours of 9:00 AM and 10:00 PM, free of charge.

How to Get There?

To reach the fortress, you can use the access road that connects Moshe Dayan Street, Shlomo Square, and the beach. The site is available on WAZE, and there is free parking.

For coordination and further information, you can call 050-2211914.

Link to purchase tickets

Link to purchase tickets

A tour of the dunes during daylight hours. We will explain the origin of the sand in the coastal plain, some of the characteristic plants of the dunes, the formation of the dunes, and we will see and explain the daytime active animals.

We will have a tea break (recommended to bring sandwiches for children).

We will go on a tour where we will explain traces of different animals, and we will tell their story to the children.

What we will see:

Traces of various animals living on the dunes –

Foxes, sand gazelles, reptiles, and insects.

We will meet the active animals in the urban sandy area, and we will explain about them, their ecology, and their role in the ecosystem.

Date: 10/1/2023

Time: 19:00

Meeting Point: Altalena Square, Ashdod

Cost: ₪37 per person

For more information, contact Jenny: 08-8545481

In case of fewer than 20 registrants, the tour will not take place.

Please note: Cancellation of tickets within 24 hours before the tour will be charged 100% of the cost.

Link to Purchase Tickets

Trips are back – there’s a green flag!

Click here to purchase tickets

The municipality of Ashdod and the Tourism Association are constantly working on the development of the river and Park Lachish as a unique tourist center for the city of Ashdod, expected to attract hundreds and thousands of visitors from all over the country throughout the year. At the current stage, a series of blue boats has been set up, from which 10 paddleboats (only) head into the water, operating and paddling for about 1.5 kilometers – around the Challenge Park and near the river mouth in the sea. In the designated area for trips, paddleboats will be available to the public users (under continuous supervision and management), and users must comply with all required safety regulations. All aspects of the trips will be monitored and recorded throughout the activity and beyond.
The river water is regularly inspected and monitored every few days by professionals and has been deemed safe and qualified for paddling trips for years. During the trip activity period, water quality monitoring will be increased daily through independent assessments by municipal environmental quality associations.
In addition to the return of trips, the Ashdod Tourism Association places great importance on continuing to promote “green” activities that combine the enjoyment of the river and its surroundings with environmental conservation and the rich living world in the park.

Questions and Answers about Paddle Trips on the Lachish River

Question: What is the cost of the trip?

Answer: Ashdod residents ₪50, Non-residents ₪60

• The duration of the trip is half an hour.

• Delay in returning the boat will result in an additional charge for another half an hour.

• Payment is for the boat and not per person, regardless of the type of boat.

• The boats can accommodate up to four people.

• Payment is by credit card only at the self-service station.

• People who are one year old and older must climb onto the boat; additional people cannot be added even if they are holding a child in their hands.

• Pets are not allowed on the boat.

Question: Does this work?

Answer: After purchasing the ticket, you must take a number from the waiting position.

You should monitor the number on the screen above the cart and proceed to collect the paddles when the previous number reaches the number on your ticket and proceed to the descent gate to the river.

The person who paid the fee must take an additional number.

Question: What are the days of activity and the operating hours?

Answer: Paddle trips operate every day of the week, with the first trip departing at 10:00 AM.

The last trip departs at 4:30 PM.

You cannot purchase a ticket if it will result in a trip in the dark; if you arrive after 5:00 PM, it is recommended to check in advance with the operator.

We wish you and your family an enjoyable and safe trip.