Israel and You Spaces and Places in Israel
Beautiful red sandstone, in which floods passing in the stream carved a lovely narrow path, decorated with wall paintings created by nature itself. The Red Canyon – הקניון האדום, which is located 15 kilometers north of the city of Eilat, at the height of 700 meters, is undoubtedly one of the most charming and impressive places in Israel.
The Red Canyon, which is a part of the Nahal Shani (Shani Stream), was created by the delving of the stream’s water into the local reddish Nubian sandstone that contains iron oxide, and hence its name. The Red Canyon offers an adventurous trail that is suitable for the whole family.
The walk inside the crevice here passes among impressive rock formations painted in strong red and the memorable climb down into the picturesque crevice is done with the help of metal ladders. It is pleasant to walk in the Red Canyon also during the summer in the early hours of the morning, but during the winter there are strong winds here, sometimes even too strong. One can arrive at the Red Canyon through road number 12.
Free admission
If you’re feeling a little adventurous and fancy some hiking in amazing desert scenery, head out of Eilat to the Red Canyon (head out west on Road 12). You’ll probably want to book a tour just to be on the safe side, and the tour will likely include a number of other sites, depending on what you want, but of course, you can always go solo (but please take lots of water with you!).
The Red Canyon itself is approximately 150 meters long and 2-3 meters wide, reaching a height of some 30 meters. And why is it the Red Canyon? Well, the canyon is mostly deep red sandstone, with additional shades of red, purple and white. Any tour of the Red Canyon takes about two hours, possibly more if you’re out of shape!
