EL AL | Atmosphere

See the Sights I Eat, Travel, Enjoy

the Negev’s first winery, where he makes Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec unfiltered and unfined wines that have gained quite a following with the years. The winery doesn’t have a visitors’ center but at the entrance to the Midreshet Ben Gurion cabin complex, there’s a café called “Paula” where Ramek sells his wine and organizes guided tastings. negevwine.co.il Teatime at John Krivine’s guesthouse A classic British teatime spread is not what you would expect to be served at a Negev desert guesthouse. John Krivine’s guesthouse is as charming as it is rustic, with vintage furniture, white lace tablecloths and dainty porcelain tableware, and sandwiches, scones and muffins with butter, cream, and jam, are served on a three-tiered tray. Guests can also visit the beautiful garden and/or stay in one of the guesthouse rooms. krivine-guesthouse.com Central Arava Sapir Park: a lake, a pagoda, and a Piper plane Lake Sapir extends over 4 acres of land and serves as an essential natural regional ecosystem. An impressive sculpture garden stands at the entrance to the park - a project carried out by local artists Adama Hotel The Adama Hotel was recently opened in the Spice Route Quarter and offers sixteen rooms and suites. The rooms are spacious, comfortable, and elegantly decorated in desert tones of cream and saddle brown. At the center of the hotel a Bedouin-style tent with mattresses, poufs, and pillows invites guests to gather round a coal pit, and drink traditional Bedouin coffee. Live shows and lectures regularly take place here as well. athotels.co.il

The Ben Gurion promenade, Sde Boker I Photo: Ariela Aflalo

Photo: Ariela Aflalo

Ein Ovdat I Photo: Nava Marton

Midbar Wine, Mitzpe Ramon

million new promenade, named after him, and considered one of the most beautiful in the world. The promenade spreads across 3.5km and is designed to accommodate both pedestrians and cyclists. The promenade includes five observation points with shaded seating and swings. They are perfect for enjoying a relaxing break on your hike, to take in the incredible landscape and views of the Zin Valley, Nahal Zin, Zinim cliff, and the olive trees and flocks of sheep pasturing below. The promenade ends near the gravesite of Paula and David Ben Gurion. Zin Valley and Ein Avdat – natural desert springs The winter rain has been a blessing for Nahal Zin, Ein Avdat, and Nahal Akev. The streams are full, and the valley is beautifully luscious and green. If you come here with an SUV,

you can drive along the streams, through the natural springs. The trail starts at the Serpentina campground at the foot of Midreshet Ben Gurion and descends to the Zin valley. It continues along the cliffs and observation points, the incredible 7 meter-deep Akev natural spring, and Ein Avdat canyon where there are three springs including Ein Avdat (impressively beautiful, but unsuitable for bathing). If you don’t have an SUV, type “Ein Akev” in your GPS navigator and it’ll lead you to the easy 500m walking trail from the campground to the natural springs. negevtour.co.il Sde Boker winery – wine shop and guided wine tastings In 1995 Zvi Ramek flew to California’s Napa Valley to deepen his knowledge of the winemaking process. He came back to Israel in 1999 and established

18 ATMOSPHERE MAY 2026