Think you have to spend a whopping amount of money to fly to America to see a canyon IRL?
Not if you live in Europe.
Just go to Eilat, take the Hwy12 along the Egyptian border, past the roadblock (drive slow, open your window, wave to the soldiers on guard and yell Shalom! They'll be surprised and wave back!), watch our for a sign on the right side of the road some 10 mins. past the roadblock directing you to Red Canyon and drive a short track to a large parking lot that with any luck (as we had it) is completely deserted.
Forget about the signpost directing you to the official path, go down to the wadi (you'll know a wadi when you see one so no problems here) and just follow the dry riverbed. You'll see beautifully formed rocks in amazing colours and more green that in the rest of the Negev combined. Watch out for some fully grown mimosa trees...
And stand still every now and then to listen to the complete & total silence.
The walls steepen and close in on you. Next you're in a fairylike, orange world and you can only gape at the beautiful rocks, clearly eroded by swirling water. A million years ago. At some places the going gets a bit rough, but then anchors have been made in the rock to help you get through.
It makes your walk even more exciting.
The canyon, because this is a Whopping Real Canyon if there ever was one, ends in a round basin. You can walk on but you've had the most interesting part already. From there on you can retrace your steps - which we did and what we strongly advise because you see the canyon again but from a totally different angle - or hike the official trail back to your car.
It's hot, there. It's an easy walk, especially because you'll most likely be strolling instead of keeping up a normal walking speed. Take enough water with you (!) and go slow - you're there to enjoy yourselves.
You will.
Not if you live in Europe.
Just go to Eilat, take the Hwy12 along the Egyptian border, past the roadblock (drive slow, open your window, wave to the soldiers on guard and yell Shalom! They'll be surprised and wave back!), watch our for a sign on the right side of the road some 10 mins. past the roadblock directing you to Red Canyon and drive a short track to a large parking lot that with any luck (as we had it) is completely deserted.
Forget about the signpost directing you to the official path, go down to the wadi (you'll know a wadi when you see one so no problems here) and just follow the dry riverbed. You'll see beautifully formed rocks in amazing colours and more green that in the rest of the Negev combined. Watch out for some fully grown mimosa trees...
And stand still every now and then to listen to the complete & total silence.
The walls steepen and close in on you. Next you're in a fairylike, orange world and you can only gape at the beautiful rocks, clearly eroded by swirling water. A million years ago. At some places the going gets a bit rough, but then anchors have been made in the rock to help you get through.
It makes your walk even more exciting.
The canyon, because this is a Whopping Real Canyon if there ever was one, ends in a round basin. You can walk on but you've had the most interesting part already. From there on you can retrace your steps - which we did and what we strongly advise because you see the canyon again but from a totally different angle - or hike the official trail back to your car.
It's hot, there. It's an easy walk, especially because you'll most likely be strolling instead of keeping up a normal walking speed. Take enough water with you (!) and go slow - you're there to enjoy yourselves.
You will.
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