بأوقات الفراغ
Free Time
As a participant in a Mount Carmel Arabic Immersion program, you may relax in your beautiful host village itself, or explore the surrounding forests on foot. The nearby city of Haifa and Carmel-Galilee region provide a plethora of activities to do and sights to see, whether you seek mountain or beach, archaeological sites or nightlife. Our staff will happily direct and advise on how to get to specific locations from your host village.
Hiking trails
The Carmel range is full of trails used for hiking and mountain biking, where nature enthusiasts can immerse themselves in trees and meadows, and overlook the surrounding countryside. The Druze villages high in the Carmel range are surrounded by one of the most beautiful natural landscapes in the world. Hiking enthusiasts may obtain a topographical trail map of the Carmel region.
Beaches
Beneath the Carmel, several sandy Mediterranean beaches are in close reach. At the southern edge of Haifa, the beautiful Carmel Beach is easily accessible by public transportation. Within Haifa city limits there are at least eight recognized beaches, and numerous scuba diving sites.
To the southwest of the Carmel villages are Dor and Nahsholim beaches, ideal for a day trip combining beach and history. Between the two, the site of the ancient port city of Dor juts into the Mediterranean, surrounded by sea on three sides.
Sightseeing
For those with a taste for ancient cities, architecture, mosaics, culture and history, the options are nearly limitless. Within the nearby surroundings one may visit prehistoric caves in the Carmel, the imposing biblical city of Megiddo, ancient Jewish catacombs at Beit She’arim, exquisite Greco-Roman mosaics at Tzippori (Sepphoris, Safouriyeh) and various other sites, mostly included within the national park system.
The nearby city of Haifa has numerous streets, sites and parks to explore, as well as fascinating museums, including Haifa University’s nearby Hecht Museum. The heart of Haifa is only about 20 km (12.5 miles) from Daliyat al-Karmel, and even closer from ‘Usfiya.
Arabic is the dominant language in Haifa’s vibrant urban district of Wadi Nisnas, in the tantalizing restaurants and cafes along Ben Gurion Boulevard – the main street of the historic former German Colony - as well as in the Halisa neighborhood and several other parts of the city. Less than an hour away, Nazareth, the cultural and commercial capital of Israel’s Arab population, is another great place to wander the streets, enjoy a range of cafés and restaurants, and soak in the Arabic language. Nazareth has a wealth of historic churches to visit, and a great souq to explore.
While in the beauty and seclusion of the Carmel villages, you are within an hour or so of most destinations in northern Israel and the central coast, and not much further from anything you would like to see in the rest of the country. Jerusalem, with its inexhaustible array of sights and experiences, is about 1.5 hours away by car.
Additionally, we will happily assist you in planning visits to Jordan, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority.
Nightlife
While staying within an Arabic environment, nightlife activities – primarily cafés and restaurants – can be found both in the Carmel villages, and in certain parts of Haifa. The primary Arabic-speaking nightspot in Haifa is along Ben Gurion Boulevard, the main drag of the historic German Colony.
Even closer to the villages is Haifa’s hopping Merkaz ha-Karmel (Carmel Center) district, where there are restaurants, discos, pubs, cafés and other nightspots in which Hebrew is the primary language spoken.
During the summer wedding season, participants will have ample opportunity to stay in the village and party Druze-style, dancing to rhythmic Arabic music at matrimonial celebrations often lasting late into the night.