Mitzpe Ramon

"Nekarot Curve"

Parsat Nekarot

From near the Saharonim spring (3) departs a 6 km hiking trail of the Nekarot Curve – a deep, dramatic canyon of the Nekarot stream. From the spring, go south along the blue trail that would curve east and then back north. After exiting the canyon, go left on a red dirt road that will take you back to the starting point at the spring.

"The Carpentry" (1)

An interesting geological phenomenon, the "Carpentry" (Minsara in Hebrew) is in fact a hill of black volcanic rock, covered with natural, flat stone slabs that look like man-made planks. The slabs are formed because of a property of basalt rock that causes it to form in sharp geometric shapes. It's nearby highway 40, from where a roadsign leads, and a green hiking trail takes a 15 minute walk around it.

Alpaca Farm

The largest of its kind outside of South America, the farm houses llamas and alpacas the visitors can pet and even ride. The farm also offers bed & breakfast rooms, contains a souvenir shop selling alpaca-related products, and conducts paid tours riding alpaca.

Entry and guided tour of the farm: ₪25 for ages 3 and above, ₪20 for students, senior citizen and disabled people (certificate required)

Ammonite Wall (4)

A rock face inlaid with numerous ammonite fossils. A sign leads to it from route 40, from where it can be reached by an easy 20 minute walk.

Astronomical Observatory

The Wise Observatory, far enough from the town to avoid light pollution, is remotely-operated by the Tel Aviv University. The facility is unmanned so really there isn't much to see or do, except watch the structure from the outside.

Bio Ramon

A museum showcasing the wildlife of the desert and the crater. The rich collection of desert plants and animals displayed is divided into two parts: an indoor interpretation center and an outdoor area reconstructing the Negev desert landscape, with desert loess, hamada, sand, cliffs, riverbeds and even a small spring.

08:00-16:00, during DST 08:00-17:00 on all weekdays, closes 1 hour earlier on Fridays·Entry included in the Visitor Center ticket

CafeNeto

A small café not far from the town center, offers a variety of breakfasts, salads and sandwiches, and also the best coffee in town.

Sun-Thu 08:00-23:00, Fri 08:00-18:00, Sat 09:00-23:00·₪13 mid-size latte coffee, c. ₪56 main course

Ga'ash Lookout

From the JNF grove at Mitzpe departs a dirt road, fit for bikes and 4×4 vehicles, going east along the ridge. It's marked in black and is also a part of the INT. The trail first passes through the outdoor Desert Sculpture Park, then continues above the cliff, offering a great view. About 10 km from Mitzpe Ramon, a "transparent marking" turns right and leads to an observation point directly overlooking Ga'ash Hill (Ga'ash means Volcanic) − a small, black basalt hill outstanding against the yellowish crater ground.

HadaSaar Natural Living

Hadas & Saar's vegetarian restaurant, which also contains a small store for hippie clothing and accessories, every now and then holds lectures, movie nights, performances and the like.

Har Gamal Viewpoint

Sunset Point

Great for sunset if you, for example, stay in The Green Backpackers. Best time is 17:30 in March (Golden Hour).

Ilan Ramon Visitor Center

Renovated in memory of the first Israeli astronaut, whose surname happened to be Ramon, visitors to the center walk through several exhibition rooms. The first ones are dedicated to the memory of Illan Ramon and the crew of space shuttle Columbia, as well as to Ramon's son, Asaf, who died as a military pilot in a training accident. The following rooms are dedicated to the crater – its geology, wildlife and history – and contains an impressive 3D exhibition, showing very clearly the process by which the crater formed.

08:00-16:00, during DST 08:00-17:00 on all weekdays, closes 1 hour earlier on Fridays·₪29 for adults, ₪15 for children and senior, ₪23 for students; discounts for large groups. Ticket includes Bio Ramon (see below)

Khava Stream

Outside the crater and to the north is the Khava stream, offering two main attractions: a small canyon that's filled with deep, cool (and somewhat murky) water all year round, and the "cracks" – trails that climb in narrow crevices in the cliffsides of the stream, which you have to see to believe. It's a difficult 5-hour round-trail hike. The access dirt-road goes through army firing zones so it's only accessible on Saturdays or with prior coordination. If you arrive by car, drive on highway 40 a few km to the north of the Nafha prison (15 minutes north of Mitzpe Ramon), then turn right on a black dirt road (perfectly accessible for normal cars). After about 25 km you'll get to the Khava Stream campground, indicated by Hebrew writing sprayed in black on a big rock. Park your car there and continue by foot, descending into the stream. There, turn left to a blue trail descending into the canyon. Once at the bottom, you can turn left on a "transparent trail mark" to get to the one water source in the area (mentioned above), a 5-minute walk each way; while the blue trail itself goes right inside the canyon. After a few kilometers inside the stream, the trail will take you climbing out through the cracks to the highland, from which you'll get a breathtaking view of Makhtesh Ramon on your south and the Zin valley to the north. The blue trail eventually encounters a red one near a small, unimpressive, ancient stone building, where you should take left to cover the last 1-2 km back to the campground.

Made in Mitzpe

Ceramics, jewelry, bags, second hand clothes and other handmade products.

Mitzpe Ramon Jazz Club

A performance house with a pretty busy schedule. Unfortunately their website is only in Hebrew (although Google will translate the page), but you can try contacting them and ask about upcoming performances, or simply show up and enjoy whatever you get.

Tue-Sat 21:00-02:00

Mount Ardon

Bordering the crater on the east, this place offer a marvelous view of the crater. The Ardon Basin just south of it, full of colorful sandstone, makes this one of the most fantastic viewpoints in the Negev. The mountain can only be scaled by foot (blue trail ), and it's highly recommended to reach the topmost point of the trail. It can be reached from Mitzpe Ramon on a full-day hike each way. Variably, you can reach the Be'erot campground (2) by any car, following the signs from route 40 to a dirt road, from where the mountain can be reached by a few hours' hike. Using 4×4 vehicle, you can reach right to the bottom of the mountain, from which the ascent is of moderate difficulty and takes less than an hour.

Mount Ramon

Standing tall over the westernmost edge of the crater, this peak is highest point remaining from the massive mountain that turned into the Ramon crater. It can be reached by route 171 from HaRukhot junction (see the above map). The entire crater is well visible from here, as well as the tall, pointy Mount Ariff in the south.

Open-air market

Clothing, toys, local products and all sorts of stuff are available on the various stands operated by the townsfolk as well as Bedouins from the nearby area.

Held once a week during morning and noon hours

Outdoor Desert Sculpture Park

The park contains several large sculptures erected near the crater's edge. The park is on the trail leaving from the small JNF grove; turn to the grove from the central traffic circle of the town, then go on past it on the dirt road (accessible to any vehicle) until you see the sculptures on your right. The dirt road itself goes on along the cliff for about 20 km after that, and is fit for bicycles and jeeps.

Pangea

Offering delicious fare, such as kebabs, grilled chicken, and the ubiquitous entrecote steak. The level of English spoken by the waitstaff is limited, however. As of Dec 2005, their menu was only printed in Hebrew. The place also operates a small clothing store, focusing mainly on the hippie style.

Sun-Thu 08:00-02:00, Fri 08:00-16:00, Sat 17:00-02:00·₪30-50 a meal

Ramon Crater

Mitzpe Ramon's biggest sight, Machtesh Ramon is 500 m deep, 40 km long and 10 km at its widest. The geological erosion that formed it created geological formations unlike any others. Complete with a magnificent panorama, it presents a fascinating story of geomorphologic evolution. Prominent viewpoints from Mitzpe Ramon include:

Ramon Tooth

Shen Ramon

A tall conical hill, part of the southern cliff of the crater, just opposite Mitzpe Ramon. The INT goes there from Mitzpe on a 3 hour hike. You can also reach its bottom by a 4×4 vehicle.

Saharonim Spring and Outpost (3)

The Saharonim spring doesn't hold any water above the ground for most of the year. It is, however, remarkable because of the large moonseed plant the grows above it (Saharon, literally meaning Crescent, is the Hebrew name of moonseed, given because of the shape of the plant's leaves). Nearby are the ancient remains of a small Roman outpost guarding the Incense Route – just four low walls made of piled rocks, creating a fairly small square, with several inside walls as well. This is the starting point of the Nekarot Curve circular trail. The spring and outpost can be reached by dirt road, accessible to any car: departing from highway 40 on a red dirt road following the signs to Khan Be'erot paid campsite; then turn left on a black road and shortly afterwards turn right to another red road, driving for 3 km until you reach a crossroads just near the site.

Shopping center

The town's central shopping center only has one supermarket and various small restaurants.

The Albert Promenade

A trail decorated with impressive environmental sculptures, starting from the Visitor Center and going along the edge of the crater. In its middle is a "bird balcony" which hangs over the crater and offers the best view around. The paved trail is fairly accessible for the disabled, and beyond it a dirt path goes on along the edge to Har Gamal (Mount Camel) – a small observation platform atop a rock resembling a camel.

View point from highway 40

On a small lay-by just where the road passes the town and starts descending into the crater. Offers a great view. Also, it very conveniently faces towards the east, making it a great spot to watch the sunrise.

Deep Desert Israel

Unique desert activities in the Negev: Mitzpe Ramon 4x4 Jeep tours, Rappelling, Stargazing, Israeli desert helicopter tours, outdoor Yoga and more.

Desert Archery

A golf-like game where you shoot arrows towards targets while hiking through desert terrain. Lots of fun!

Desert Eco Tours

Experience the depths of the Negev desert including the Spice Route and Ramon Crater along the most picturesque routes by jeep, camel or hiking. Short Negev tours depart daily.

Desert-Prime

Jeep Tours to the Ramon Crater, Makhtesh Ramon and the Negev Desert, Rappelling and Outdoor Activities Mitzpe Ramon

Guide Horizon

Field activities such as treks, jeep tours and camping. Also operates accommodation and spa.