Extreme sports in Israel are ever popular and wide ranging, and from sea to land, high to low, and even beneath ground, almost every extreme sport conceivable is possible in Israel. With its varied geography and good year-round climate, Israel is well suited for many sports: watersports are immensely popular on the Mediterranean, Red Sea, and Sea of Galilee coastlines, caving, canyoning, and the like, take advantage of the rocky Negev Desert, especially in the Dead Sea area, as well as the Galilee and Judean Hills, whilst you can also ski, paraglide, snowboard, sandboard, kayak, dive, climb, mountain bike, ATV, and even more.

Israel has become a country of surfers since the first surfboard was brought to Israel by a Californian doctor in the 1950′s. Whilst surfing in Israel is a popular sport, windsurfing and kitesurfing in Israel are also incredibly popular, with Israel having won Olympic medals for windsurfing. Windsurfing and kitesurfing take place along Israel’s Mediterranean coastline where a number of prestigious centers operate, as well as at the Sea of Galilee and in Eilat.

Horse Riding in Israel provides a unique perspective over a unique land. From the saddle of a horse, whether it is along a trail in Mount Hermon’s alpine summer meadows, overlooking the Sea of Galilee in the region’s stunning terrain, at sunset, riding along the beach or cliffs of Israel’s dramatic and beautiful Mediterranean coastline, or the ridge of the amazing Ramon Crater in the Negev Desert, Israel’s “Grand Canyon,” a horseback rider gets an amazing experience in incredible surroundings.

Mount Hermon Ski Resort is Israel’s only winter ski and snowboard resort located in the Golan Heights in the far north of the country. Mount Hermon Ski Resort has snow for up to 50 days in the winter and is incredibly popular with Israelis and tourists alike who take a day or two to enjoy the skiing and snowboarding activities. In the spring, summer, and autumn, the resort takes on a different role with huge amounts of other outdoor activities taking advantage of the amazing landscape including a mountain bike park and hiking.

The Mediterranean Coastline gives rise to loads of opportunities for surfing in Israel, ranging from urban surfing in Tel Aviv to surfing in the rural parts of the Mediterranean Coastal Plain. As well as traditional surfing, windsurfing in Israel is especially popular, with a number of recent Olympic medal winners coming from the country, whilst kitesurfing in Israel is also popular. Since the first surfboard was brought to Israel by a Californian doctor in the 1950′s, it is safe to say that Israelis have developed into a country which has embraced surfing, and as soon as the waves get good, the beaches become dotted with surfers of all abilities.

Israelis love to hike. And with more than 6,000 miles of trails crisscrossing the country, Israel is a true trekker’s paradise – all the more so because in such a small space (less than 300 miles from its northernmost to southernmost tips), you can walk through green forests, desert moonscapes and everything in between. Israel offers an over-abundance of gorgeous and challenging hikes, from the waterfalls of the Golan Heights to the breathtaking views overlooking the Red Sea.

With such diverse geographies, Israel is a center for all types of adventure or extreme sports, and canyoning is no exception. Both in the Negev Desert in the south of the country, and the rugged Galilee in the north, the diverse landscapes make opportunities for canyoning, a sport in which you climb down a cliff-face (harnessed in of course) abundant. Of course, because of the nature of this activity, you need to go with an organized group or licensed guide, however that’s a little mountain to overcome when compared to the descent…

Kayaking or Rafting on the River Jordan might not quite match with the initial image people have of a Biblical stories, but once you’ve seen the Jordan from a kayak on a hot summers day, you’ll have a totally different take on the matter! And its not an activity reserved for those into extreme sports. The kayaks on the Jordan come aren’t really conventional kayaks but more like large inflatable rafts for two to five people. The two main kayak centers are at Kibbutz Kfar Blum and Kibbutz HaGoshrim.

For a majestic, less physically demanding way to see Israel, from above try a hot air balloon. From 500 meters far above the land, standing in a basket, the romanticism of flying in a hot air balloon is uniquely infectious. Hot air balloons in Israel are increasingly popular with Israelis and tourists alike and take place in both the Galilee and Negev regions, with some of the most breathtaking rides taking you high above the Galilee hills in the Mount Gilboa area.

Mountain biking is particularly popular at Mount Hermon with special facilities in place at Bike Park, a biking site at the Hermon Ski Resort which has three bicycle trails: a relatively easy one, for learning how to mountain bike and practicing technique; and two 4.5-kilometer downhill trails that go from the top to the bottom of the ski site and include jumps and other features. Bikers use the ski chairlifts to take them to the top of the trail. An all-day lift ticket costs NIS 135.