Rosh HaNikra is a kibbutz (communal agricultural settlement) in northern Israel, located on the Mediterranean coast right at the Lebanese border.
The kibbutz was founded by groups of de-mobilized Palestine soldiers on January 6, 1949. The soldiers had just relocated there from another kibbutz, Hanjita, along with members of the Zionst youth movement and Holocaust survivors.
As a point of interest, one of Rosh HaNikra’s famous residents was Sacha Baron-Cohen, known for his comical title role Borat, who lived here as a volunteer for a short period.
Rosh HaNikra grottos
The main attraction is a set of caves and grottoes carved out by the sea in the cliffs that can be reached by cable car. It is a real experience to explore the beautiful caves and feel the sea roaring into the grottoes.
The grottos and caves are the results of thousands of years of the strong sea waves beating against the soft chalk cliffs on the Mediterranean Sea. The total length of the tunnels reach up to 200 meters, branching off in various points with some interconnecting segments. Since the discovery of these lovely caves in the later years, they had been open only to those with skill and equipment to approach these unique formations in the sea.
But as the Rosh HaNikra grottos grew in popularity, the locals had to devise a new solution to cater to the growing number of tourists clamoring the see the grottos. A short (but steep) cable car was installed to bring tourists down to the site to check out these amazing sea caves. The cable car coaches carry the visitors from the top of the white cliffs to the bottom, covering 200 feet in about two minutes. Because of the stark slope of the cable lines, the cable car system in Rosh HaNikra is one of the steepest cable car systems in the world.
Rosh HaNikra is more than just the sea grottos. Being close to the Lebanese border, there is also a train tunnel that can also be visited. But the gorgeous blue waters in the grottos make the feat of human engineering seem less impressive.
A short but breathtaking cable car ride allows the visitors to take in the splendor of these natural grottos, exploring them for themselves, taking pictures of them for posterity and following the trails.
They are only meters from another country, Lebanon; the caves are so beautiful that you will not regret visiting it.
Visit the sound and light show, walk on the sea promenade and learn about the history of the “Night of the Bridges.”
There is also a promenade along the coast and the pre-State train track route to Damascus — with plenty of history and wildlife viewing opportunities
Rosh HaNikra has partial access for the handicapped – see the site link below for more details. Rosh HaNikra is an exciting location for children and is also recommended for photographers.