The Kinneret's best-kept secret unveiled
(Video: Assaf Kamar, Amir Dror)
Late morning in the parking lot of Tiberias Hot Springs. The Sea of Galilee, or as it’s known in Hebrew the Kinneret, with its deep winter blue, stretches toward the Golan Heights, veiled in mist, reminiscent of a northern Italian lake.
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Only with a careful descent down the stairs to the unsupervised small hidden beach beneath the famous spa site could one witness the marvel - a blackish-brown water pipe, resembling a sauna on steroids, releasing a sizzling cascade of hot water onto the rocks toward the shore.
Shelly Goldschmidt, a veteran travel blogger, who couldn't resist the wintery dip, ventured out onto the secretive Kinneret beach and marveled at the sight.
"This is the first time I've heard about this pipe," she said. "It's going to be an excellent dip. I'm worried about all the soldiers and my daughter, who enlisted, and I've been anxious since October. I hope to relax in nature for a few hours, 'strengthening the home front’s resilience,' as they say in the news."
Galia Yakim Harush, a social activist advocating for the preservation of the Kinneret's shores, didn't wait for anyone and began building her own hot tub in the heart of nature, using rocks and a makeshift digging tool.
“We are at the outlet of the excess waters of the Tiberias Hot Springs,“ she explained. “The piping hot water reaches 60 degrees Celsius or more. It’s really hot, you can't touch it but I'm building a pool here where you can lounge around.”
Right at the spot where the scorching water from the pipe flows into the Sea of Galilee, Galia has arranged two elliptical rows of stones and is seeking the assistance of seasoned groundwater expert Amir Dror. She asks him to help her excavate and deepen the small pool, which will combine the hot waters from the pipe with the cold waters of the Kinneret.
The ultimate goal is to create a luxurious hot tub that cools the scalding waters to 35-40 degrees Celsius, the ideal temperature for winter bathing in nature.
After we finished building the pool, it took several attempts and a slight adjustment to find the spot with the perfect temperature. I personally dug a small trench inside the pool and added a small flow of cold water from the Sea of Galilee – and that's how I reached the perfect balance.
It's an exquisite pleasure, a pampering heatwave enveloping the body and releasing tensions and emotional barriers that tend to arise during this time from every direction. For a brief moment, we focused on the present - here and now. Who would have thought you could dip in warm water in the Sea of Galilee in the middle of winter?
I asked Shelly, our expert, to give her honest opinion on this therapeutic mineral-rich marvel. "It’s a 10 but pay attention not to enter near the pipe because then you will get a burn.”
I asked Galia if she's not afraid that publicizing the place would bring crowds that may ruin this hidden gem.
“I have been here for two years, I just kept it a secret,” she replied. “This place is getting a little famous and more people started arriving, and with the people comes garbage too, and there isn't that much trash disposal here, so everyone who comes, first of all, let them take their garbage back to the bin with them, really close here. And don't litter, leave the beach clean.”
"[My son] has been fighting [in Gaza] for about two months and this place calms me down, and I also invite all the evacuees from the north, and there are many in hotels, to come here, it heals the body. It heals the soul."
Shelly also urged the public to return to nature and enjoy the outdoors. “We also have to make the home front strong,” she said. “A few hours of rest in the Sea of Galilee, I think it would fill all of us. If possible, on my daughter's next break from the army, I'll bring her here to bathe because the wonderful hot tub that Galia dug for us is excellent."
At this point, Galia had to bring us back to reality and remind us that by the afternoon, the waves will have torn down our little makeshift hot tub. “But it’s no big deal, we’ll rebuild it again,” she assures us.
So, how do you get there? From Tiberias, head south for a few minutes, following Route 90 and, according to traffic, or type “Tiberias Hot Springs” on your preferred navigation app. Park in the public parking lot adjacent to the Kinneret, right across from Tiberias Hot Springs, and carefully walk down the stairs toward the beach.
Heedfulness: The beach situated below Tiberias Hot Springs is not officially recognized and lacks lifeguard services or bathing amenities. Responsibility for safety rests with individual bathers. During the afternoon, powerful waves and currents often emerge, rendering swimming in the waters dangerous. Access to the vicinity of the black pipe is restricted, and climbing on the adjacent rocks is strictly prohibited. Please be aware that the water flowing from the pipe is extremely hot and may cause burns.