3.5 The Galilee
The Galilee boasts beautiful scenery, fascinating ancient ruins and sites of religious importance, and great outdoor activities.
The Galilee is a large region of northern Israel, making up one-third of the total land area of the country. Divided into three sub-regions, the Lower Galille, Upper Galilee, and Western Galilee, the Galilee has a hilly landscape with flat fertile plains, and an almost Tuscan-style appearance.
The Sea of Galilee (the Kinneret in Hebrew) is the lowest fresh water lake on Earth, and it, as well as its surrounding area offers phenomenal leisure activities. This area is also of up most importance in Christianity, with the city of Nazareth in the region, and in Judaism, with the holy cities of Safed and Tiberias here.
The Galilee is also an incredibly mixed region, with less than 50% of the population Jewish, and the majority being either Druze or Arab.
Whilst the religious sites of the Galilee are interesting, this region is packed with cool destinations. Many Israelis vacation in the Galilee themselves, taking advantage of its pastoral landscape and relaxed atmosphere. With great spas and wealths of activities, we hope you can take advantage of this too.
The Galilee section of this web site is split into the three sub-regions outlined above, as well as the Sea of Galilee. These are:
The Lower & Western Galilee - The Lower Galilee is the least hilly region of the Galilee stretches from the Jezreel Valley (Valley of the Armageddon in Christianity) on the eastern slopes of Mount Carmel across to the Sea of Galilee. It includes Mount Tavor and Megiddo, and is less than a one hour drive from Tel Aviv. The Western Galilee is a small area, bordering the Mediterranean. It is roughly the region north of Haifa along the Mediterranean, including the cities of Nahariya and Acco.
The Upper Galilee & Golan Heights - The Upper Galilee stretches from the Sea of Galilee north to the Lebanon border. For the purpose of this guide, the Golan Heights will be included in this region, stretching to the Syrian border in the east. The Upper Galilee includes Har Meron, Israel's tallest mountain, and Safed, a holy city in Judaism.
The Sea of Galilee & Surrounds
