If you’re in search of something a little off-the-beaten-track, try heading for the Hidden Lake, somewhere near Eilat!
As you can imagine for such a small country, stunning, hidden lakes don’t stay very hidden for long! However, the Hidden Lake – located in a tricky to find slice of desert in the area of Timna (a must-see desert site in itself) – remains slightly an unknown factor, even for the locals.
Which, to be honest, is quite a surprise, since this stunning lake really is one of the most beautiful spots in Israel. Expect to feast your eyes on a turquoise body of water, surrounded by the famous Jordanian and Eilat mountains that are a part of this stunning landscape, The trek down to this fabulous sparkling isn’t too strenuous, but can be hot, thirsty work, even if you go down late in the day (as we did). But when you reach the lake itself, those sweaty limbs will be crying out for a quick dip in the lush water!
The Hidden Lake isn’t a natural lake – it’s the site of an old abandoned copper mine from the days of King Solomon, although mining continued in the area until the 1980s. Legend has it that an underground well created this stunning body of water – and here we are, enjoying the King’s original work thousands of years later!
Can I swim in the Hidden Lake?
Absolutely! Especially after that trek down to the lake’s edge…but our HOT recommendation: don’t drink the water! The water itself appears to be clean, but I wasn’t entirely convinced, especially after the purple hairs started sprouting from my ears…kidding!
But seriously, you might get a little itchy, so if you’ve got really sensitive skin, I’d stay on the sandy shore and just concentrate on taking some amazing pics. If you’ve got the skin of an elephant, paddle away!
How to get to the Hidden Lake
The quickest and easiest way to get to the Hidden Lake is to stick it in your Waze or other nav sat app, and drive there (it’s about 20 minutes north of Eilat). You’ll get close to it, but then have to start searching. If you’ve got a 4×4 you’ll be able to get a little closer to the top of the pathway down (from the road that leads to the area, you’ll take a right onto a dirt road, probably driveable for most cars (we had a 4×4)).
Park your car as near as you can (you might see the odd car or two in the area, so that’s a good indicator you’re in the right spot!). Then head on down the path to the lake, which will probably take around 10-15 minutes. Just remember that on the way back, it’s uphill!
Check out the map below for directions.