Romantic Eilat: What Couples Actually Do
Romantic Getaways in Eilat
Eilat’s version of romance is a desert sunset over open water rather than candlelight in a piazza, and the couples who enjoy it most are the ones who came for exactly that, not for a European-style old town that doesn’t exist here.
Before you book: the current picture
Israel sits at US State Department Level 3, “Reconsider Travel” (reissued 26 Aug 2026), though Eilat city itself carries no Level 4 do-not-travel rating, unlike the strip right against the Egyptian border. The UK FCDO lifted its blanket warning against travel to Eilat around June 2026 while still noting Houthi drone and missile risk; drones struck Eilat and Ramon Airport in September 2025, and the Israel-Iran ceasefire in place since April 2026 is holding but both governments still call it fragile. Eilat continues operating as a normal resort city, but check your government’s current advisory close to your travel dates.
Relaxation Pools at Dolphin Reef
Dolphin Reef runs an adults-only area called Stalbet Al HaMayim, set in botanical gardens on the water, with three heated pools (seawater, mineral-rich saltwater, and freshwater), underwater music, guided floating sessions, complimentary wine, and loungers. This is a separate product from the site’s paid dolphin swim experience, and doesn’t involve the dolphins at all. Worth knowing anyway: that swim product exists at the same venue, is contested on animal-welfare grounds (TripAdvisor won’t sell it, welfare groups dispute the operator’s framing), and isn’t something we’d recommend booking here regardless of which pool package you choose.
Sunset on the Water
A catamaran or private charter out on the Gulf of Aqaba at dusk turns the mountains on both the Israeli and Jordanian sides purple and gold, which is a genuinely different view than watching the same sunset from a beach chair. Compare current sunset cruise and boat tour options if you want to book one ahead.
Dinner
The Last Refuge (HaMiflat HaAharon), a Coral Beach institution running since 1973, and Pago Pago on the marina are two named spots for whole baked sea bream, Red Sea calamari, and Israeli wine by the water.
Desert Nights
Eco-cabins and desert lodges in the Arava Valley, such as Kibbutz Elifaz or Six Senses Shaharut, sit about 45 minutes north and trade the resort strip for genuinely dark desert sky. Check rates for desert lodges in the Arava Valley if you’d rather sleep under open sky than in a beachfront hotel.
Twilight Walk
The ridge behind Coral Beach, Mount Zefahot, is an easy late-afternoon climb that puts you above four countries in time for sunset, and it’s a lot cheaper than a boat charter.
Tips
- Book restaurant tables and catamaran slots ahead in winter high season (November to April); good sunset weather is not guaranteed every night.
- From June to August, air temperatures of 38-44°C make the Zefahot walk a sunrise-or-sunset activity only, never a midday one.
- Cards and mobile wallets are accepted almost everywhere, including at the relaxation pools and desert lodges.
The Zefahot trailhead starts near Coral Beach, so see the Coral Beach Nature Reserve page for access details, and check the UK Israel travel advice before you book flights.
If you can only pick one splurge, make it the desert lodge night over the catamaran: Eilat’s beachfront hotels already give you the sea view, but genuinely dark desert sky is harder to find.
For the version of Dolphin Reef and the reef itself built for kids, see family-friendly activities in Eilat .