MyWorldReviews.com

Dead Sea

Israel

The water and salt-covered rocks at the beach near Ein Gedi

The Dead Sea is a very salty lake between Israel and Jordan. We visited a public beach on the Israel side of the lake.

On my way down to the water, I was very surprised how sharp the rocks were. The rocks were all covered in a small layer of salt crystals. Some of the larger rocks were covered in a much thicker layer of salt, and the rocks were visibly salty.

After stepping into the water, I was surprised at how "water-like" it felt. I think I expected the water to feel more viscous, like a syrup. However, it felt just like water. Visitors need to be very careful when moving in the water - splashing is dangerous. The salt water has the potential to really burn your eyes, or taste awful if it gets in your mouth.

After lying down to swim in the water, it still felt like normal water. It didn't feel any thicker. However, it's true that you don't need to do any work to float. You can put both your hands and feet out of the water, and still float very easily.

On the day we visited, the water was quite wavy. This made it difficult for us to get out. I ended up cutting my knees and both my feet on the sharp rocks. Be careful!

I've heard that it's bad to shave the day before going in the water. I didn't try it, but be warned. If you shave, the water may burn even more than usual.

We visited the beach around 9:30am on a Thursday, and it was empty! There was one other group that arrived as we were leaving, but it was quite neat being the only group there.

Cost

Although it's free to visit the lake, locker rentals and showers each required a small fee.

Estimated Visiting Time

On the beach near Ein Gedi

You probably don't want to spend more than 15-20 minutes floating around in the water. Although it's a novelty, the water starts to burn after awhile.