Equipped with gleaming new port terminals and perched neatly on the coast just 70 kilometres directly west of Jerusalem, the ancient city of Ashdod has become one of the premier stop offs for cruise ships making their way through these eastern stretches of the Mediterranean. But after half a century of unprecedented growth and modernisation, Ashdod is much more than just a beeline for tourists looking to explore the heart of Israel; it’s also a bustling, bubbling seaside destination in its own right.
Built on the foundations of one of the world’s oldest settlements, today’s metropolitan centre is an image of modern Israeli town planning. It’s home to the pristine facades of Ashdod City Hall and the MonArt Arts Cente, along with the Ashdod Museum, where visitors can explore the town’s long history of more than 4,000 years.
For nature lovers, Ashdod tourist guides often recommend an escape to the nearby beach, where windsurfers and sunbathers can be spotted all year round. From here, yacht charters allow guests to explore the waters of the Mediterranean, while a growing offering of diving operators is slowly giving the city a reputation as one of the best scuba spots on the whole Israeli seaboard.