Biking Around the Dead Sea & LOT spa hotel

Eyal Skuza on a bike ride in the desert (courtesy of Menachem Zibziner Blog.) The spring is a great time to go out to the desert, perfect biking weather awaits the ones who like wide open spaces / © 2010

Spring is here and the weather in Israel is cool. In the desert and dead sea area the weather now is optimal for biking. All around the dead sea and the Masada area, there are paved and dirt roads for biking. The terrain is both smooth and rough, depending on where you bike. If you like open spaces, there are many areas where you can have the land to yourself. If you want to see more of the dead sea, stick to the paths around the resorts. The dead sea area, with it's lunar like landscape, is one of the most beautiful areas in Israel. On clear days, you can see for miles. To the east of the main road (route 90) from the Dead Sea hotels areas towards Eilat, is the Jordanian mountain range. The view is typical of the Arabian deserts. To the west of the main road is the Israeli desert. On this side are hundreds of dry river beds carved from winter flash floods. Further west are craters and messas, Masada, the famous Israelite rebel fort from the Roman rebellion is a few miles away. If you are a history buff, biking around Masada is a cool experience.

Biking in the desert is easy if you are prepared and equipped well. Even in the spring the sun can be bright and humidity low. Always carry more water or mineral drinks than you need. If your skin is sensitive, apply sun block a few times during the day. Make sure you have spare tubes or tire repair kits, even if you planed on a support person to come for you, it may take time. Make sure someone knows where you are going, even leave your information with your hotel or tour operator. The Dead Sea area is one of Israel's bigger resort destination, there are buses and cars on the main roads. This makes the area well suited for day rides. Finally, most of all: E N J O Y !

A great hotel to say in while at the dead sea is the LOT spa hotel. From the hotel you can bike on local roads or drive a short distance to hundreds of trails in the areas. Stay and extra day and enjoy the scenery and amazing salt water in the dead sea.

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picture from Menachem Zibziner Blog [Hebrew] from his blog