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The grottoes at Rosh Hanikra are one of the most spectacular natural sites in Israel. They’re located at the northwest corner of the country on the border with Lebanon.
We visited Rosh Hanikra on a guided tour from Tel Aviv, including stops at Caesarea, Haifa, and Acre. Rosh Hanikra was easily the highlight of the tour.
Visiting
Adult admission to Rosh Hanikra is ₪48, which includes a two-way ride on the cable car. The grottoes are open daily.
Cable Car
The cable car is advertised as the steepest in the world. It runs for 70 meters on a 60º angle. It was built by Doppelmayr/Garaventa Group of Austria. The original plan was for our group to ride the cable car down to the grottoes, but it was extremely crowded on the day we visited.
Railway Tunnel
Instead, our guide took us down to sea level for a different way in. We walked to the grottoes through a historic railway tunnel.
The tunnel was constructed during the British Mandate period as part of the line from Haifa to Beirut and on to Tripoli. It was built to connect Cairo and Istanbul by rail through Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey.
The railway tunnel was built between 1941 and 1942, and opened to freight service on August 24, 1942. The British had plans to implement passenger service in 1947, but due to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, this never happened.
Another tunnel on the northern side of the property leads from Israel to Lebanon. A third tunnel entirely in Lebanon is further north.
Grottoes
Once through the tunnel, we could see the lower cable car station and the entrance to the Rosh Hanikra grottoes. The grottoes are naturally formed by the sea crashing against the soft chalk rock, which is visible on the cliffs in the area.
The tunnels were completed in 1968 and run for a total of 200 meters. Visitors can follow the path through the tunnels to see the beautiful grottoes.
Before 1968, the grottoes were only accessible by sea. They were popular with local swimmers and divers, who were the only people able to visit.
At the end of the tunnels, the path continues along the chalk cliffside for views of more beautiful rock formations. Looking north, it’s possible to see the border between Israel and Lebanon.
