A Visit To Mount Arbel On The Shores Of The Sea Of Galilee

I have passed by the cliffs of Mount Arbel numerous times, (and we even see a sliver from our home 45 minutes away) or rather many many times, and it never occurred to me that the area on the top of the mountain would be a national park, silly me. So grateful to have at last made this realization and taken some of my family for a little visit this past Passover. Wow, wow, wow, a must visit my friends! Mount Arbel is located in the eastern Lower Galilee, with monumental cliffs, and a plateau that offers a breathtaking view of the Jordan Valley, the Sea of Galilee, the Golan Heights, Mt Hermon, and the Galilee.

The site was declared a nature reserve in order to restore and conserve the fascinating heritage sites and antiquities found at Arbel. These sites include Arbel Fortress and the impressive cave village, where historic battles were fought in the days of Herod, called Horvat Vradim (Hamam), as well as the ruins of the Jewish settlement of Arbel, in which the remains of a splendid ancient Galilean synagogue are still to be seen. (Have not been there yet…..) Okay, lets take a look at this special place! And do check out my previous post, which shows the views of Mt. Nitai from Mt. Arbel,and its caves, right here.

Here is the mountain as seen from the car on our way to Tiberius. Arbel rises to a height of 181 m above sea level,  and some 390 m above the Sea of Galilee. The hard limestone and dolomite rocks of which the cliff is made give it its impressive vertical character. Cliffs like Arbel are not commonly found in the landscapes of Israel, and it is home to a diversity of plants, birds, and cliff-dwelling animals.

Here, as seen from the car, we are approaching the nature reserve on the top of Mount Arbel.

From the entrance to the national park there are marked hiking trails that take you around the plateau area as well as down the side of the cliffs to see some of the caves. (We did not have time for this, next time!)  The combination of a visit to a historic and archaeological site and the experience of nature and the breathtaking clifftop views is the uniquely magical secret of the Arbel.

Stunning!Lake Tiberius, or as we call it The Kinneret.
Orchards in the valley below, love the patterns! The climate in this area is warm and there are many banana trees grown in covered areas as well.

Stunning plant life.

Another look at those rocks!


Breathtaking truly!

Do you see a bird in the shape those orchards make?

Signage directs you around the plateau area, plan to spend an hour or so, and the walk is not difficult, but cliffs are dangerous, so do be aware of small children!

That is it, hope you’ve enjoyed our trip to Mount Arbel!