 Visitor center and crater rim in Mitzpe Ramon | ||
| Mitzpe Ramon, Mitspe Ramon | ||
| District | Southern | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 4.998 (2015) | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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Mitzpe Ramon (Hebrew: מצפה רמון, about: "Watchtower of Ramon“) Is a small town in central Negev in Israel. The main attraction is the erosion crater Makesh Ramonon the edge of which the place is located.
background
The city is located in the central Negev. After the establishment of the state of Israel, it was created as a development city with the aim of creating an urban center here and extracting raw materials in the area. In Mitzpe Ramon there are Israeli army facilities and tourist facilities, but hardly any jobs. This fact and the remote location have meant that Mitzpe Ramon has only reached a size of 5000 inhabitants to date.
In Mitzpe Ramon it is extremely dry due to the desert location, rain rarely falls; Agriculture is therefore not possible in the entire area. The desert climate is somewhat more pleasant because the place is relatively high (almost 900 meters above sea level); So it doesn't get quite as hot as elsewhere in the desert.
getting there
By bus
The place can only be reached by bus, there is no connection to the Israeli rail network. In Beer Sheva you can change to buses to the center and north of the country. The most important connection there is line 60 of the Metropoline company, which runs once or twice an hour.
| aim | Bus routes | Connection density during the day | Duration approx. | Price NIS | Hints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beer Sheva | 60*, 392 | every 30-60 min | 1:20 | 28,00 | Price: Egged; 392 rarely runs, sometimes takes much longer! |
| Eilat | 392 | 4-5 connections daily | 2-3 hours | 50,00 | Travel time differs considerably for the journey there and back, sometimes includes breaks |
| Notes: In some cases, not all lines to the destination are mentioned here (e.g. with many different lines between two cities or very few journeys on one line). However, the specified cycle density refers to all available connections. Links in the table lead to the mobility information of the respective location. Swell: Egged and Otobusim.co.il; Status: 08/2010 - * Lines with a star are not served by Egged, but by another company. | |||||
In the street
Mitzpe Ramon lies between Beer Sheva and Eilat in the middle of the Negev desert. The place is crossed by the road 40, which winds east of the place over several serpentines into the erosion crater. From Be'er Scheva choose road 40 south, past it Sede Boker and Avdat; the distance is about 80 kilometers. Coming from Eilat, first drive north on road 90 to the level of Lotan and then turn on road 40 in the direction of Beer Sheva. The route Eilat - Mitzpe Ramon leads about 150 kilometers through practically uninhabited desert area.
mobility
Within the village, most of the destinations can be reached on foot in a short time.
Tourist Attractions
The main attraction in Mitzpe Ramon is the so-called Makesh Ramon (Hebrew מכתש רמון; sometimes also written “Makhtesh Ramon”). It is the largest crater that was created by erosion in the Negev. The dimensions of this natural wonder alone are overwhelming: the crater is over 400 meters deep, around 10 kilometers wide and 40 kilometers long on the longest axis. In Mitzpe Ramon there is, among other things, a footpath along the crater rim, lookout points and a Israel National Park Administration Information Center, an exhibition informs about the geological phenomenon of the formation of the Makhtesh on the one hand and about the Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, who with the flight of the space shuttle STS-107 has had a fatal accident, on the other hand. The information center is open Sat-Thu from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fri 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. In winter (Oct-Mar) the center closes an hour earlier. Last admission is one hour before closing. Admission for adults is 25 NIS, for children 13 NIS, there are also various discounts.
For those interested in geology, the Machtesch Ramon is an interesting field of investigation, as rock layers from primeval times have been exposed due to the extraordinary natural conditions. The layman is most likely to notice the colorful variety of the crater floor. If you look down into the valley from Mitzpe Ramon, some areas appear almost colorful due to different rocks.
Despite the drought, there is a diverse flora and fauna in the Machtesch Ramon; In some places in the Machtesch there are smaller oases. If you are lucky, you will also see the native ibex "Capra nubiana", especially in the autumn months, the animals come to the edge of the crater in the evening hours and graze the front gardens of Mitzpe Ramon's houses.
activities
- Mitzpe Ramon is the starting point for hikes in this area of the Negev. Maps are available in the visitor center and you can get good information about Hiking routes around and around the crater (English skills available). Before heading out into the desert, however, you should definitely get advice on suitable routes and safety precautions.
- Highlights in the crater are the "Colored Sands" (children in particular are creative with the colorful sand), the "Carpentry" with peculiar stone prisms and the "Ein Saharonim" oasis.
- Visit to the mini zoo Bio Ramon in which the desert animals native to the crater and also some of the plants in the different habitats can be seen.
- Visit to the alpaca farm
shop
- In the souvenir shop at 1 Makhtesh Ramon Visitor Center snacks and ice cream, but also souvenirs and cards are offered.
- in the 1 Supermarket food, meat, bread and everyday items are available. Everyone Friday morning fruits and fresh vegetables are sold on the square in front of it; on the upper floor, which can be circled from the west, there is a shop with a wide range of spices, nuts and dried fruits. There is also one in the complex Bank and the Post office.
- in the 2 Spice Route Quarter, a complex set up in former industrial buildings, there are galleries, pottery studios, bars and restaurants. The factory and shop from here are worth a visit 3 Faran Cosmetics, Har Ardon 12, 80600 Mitzpe Ramon. Tel.: 972-8-653933, Fax: 972-8-6539666, Email: [email protected]. Production and sale of mineral cosmetics, soaps and personal care products.. It is also worth visiting the 4 bakery, on offer are special breads (including whole grains), cakes and confectionery.
kitchen
A few snack bars are grouped around the central square by the supermarket.
nightlife
accommodation
- 1 Isrotel Ramon Inn Hotel, 1 Ein Akev Street, Mitzpe Ramon. Tel.: 972-8-6588822, Fax: 972-8-6588151, Email: [email protected]. Room with a great desert view in the top price range.
- Mitzpe Ramon Guest House, Nahal Nikrot 4, P.O.B. 2, Mitspe Ramon, 80600. Tel.: 972-8-6588443, Fax: 972-2-5945566, Email: [email protected]. The Mitzpe Ramon Guest House is a house of the Israel Youth Hostel Association Israel Youth Hostel Association.
Further accommodations are available in Beersheba.
security
health
In Mitzpe Ramon there is a health center of the "Magen David Adom", the red Star of David.
Practical advice
- Tourist information is available from the Visitor Information Center on the crater rim.
trips
- North of Mitzpe Ramon, on road 40 to Be'er Scheva, are the remains of the Nabatean settlement in a national park Avdat.
- A little further north is the nature reserve En Avdat with an oasis.
- the kibbutz is located at its entrance Sede Boker, by doing David Ben Gurion, the first head of state of Israel, lived and with whom he is buried.
- is located on road 171, which runs a little north of Mitzpe Ramon in a westerly direction Hemet cistern and the area of the Lotz cisterns; the cisterns were in Nabatean period created.
