Old Jaffa
A four-thousand-year-old port, stone lanes and a flea market, south of the modern city.
Duration
2 hrs – 4 hrs
Best time
Late afternoon
Open
Every day
Entry price
Free
Jaffa is one of the oldest ports in the world, occupied for four thousand years, and Tel Aviv was originally only its suburb, founded in 1909 by residents who wanted out of the old town. The modern city ended up absorbing its elder.
The stone lanes of the artists' quarter are named after the signs of the zodiac. Below, the flea market — the Shuk HaPishpeshim — mixes genuine dealers, restaurants and bars, and it is the liveliest quarter in the evening. The harbour below is still a working fishing port.
Getting there
South of Tel Aviv, forty minutes on foot along the seafront promenade, or ten minutes by bus.
Rules on site
The flea market closes on Friday afternoon and Saturday for shabbat, as does much of the retail. The lanes are cobbled and steep.