Tel Aviv Beachfront Promenade (Tayelet)

The Tel Aviv beachfront promenade, called the Tayelet in Hebrew, is a paved seafront walkway running for several kilometres along the Mediterranean coast of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel, from the area around HaYarkon Street toward Kaufmann Street and on to Jaffa. It links the city's main sandy beaches, including Gordon, Frishman, Banana and Metzitzim, each with its own character: some popular with swimmers and families, others with surfers, volleyball players and sunbathers. The walkway is lined with beach cafes, kiosks, public showers, lifeguard towers and the occasional hotel, and a separate cycle path allows riders to cover the whole length quickly. Visitors can walk, jog, cycle or rent a Tel-O-Fun bike, stopping at beach bars for a drink or a shakshuka breakfast. A walk of one to three hours covers the central stretch comfortably. Sunrise draws joggers, yoga groups and fishermen, while sunset brings crowds to the sand to watch the sun drop into the sea, and many bars hold evening parties. Lifeguards usually work from about 8:00AM until sunset in the swimming season, and swimming is not advised when the red flag is flying or outside lifeguard hours. Summer weekends are crowded, particularly on Saturdays; weekday mornings and the shoulder seasons are calmer. The promenade is free and open at all hours. It is about ten minutes on foot west of Dizengoff Street, and buses 5 and 25 run along HaYarkon Street. Photographers find the best angles from the seafront rails near Gordon Beach looking south, and from the Jaffa end with the old port in the foreground.