Plan Your Visit
Tel Aviv has many beautiful parks, but Charles Clore Park is special. It stretches along the southern end of Tel Aviv’s beachfront promenade to Jaffa, Tel Aviv’s joint municipality. The park’s charm comes from its location, between modern Tel Aviv, and ancient Jaffa, facing the Mediterranean Sea.
Alma Beach and Charles Clore Park
This means that you can watch the sunset over the sea from Charles Clore Park. The park is one of the best parks in Tel Aviv: It's about 1.5km long, 50-100 meters wide, and covers about 30 acres of reclaimed land, dried up from the sea. Enjoy the green lawns, the sea views, and the tranquil atmosphere.
Around the time of Israel’s establishment in 1948, the land where the park stands today was the Al-Manshiyya neighborhood. The residents were relocated, and by the 1960s all that remained was a slum. Discussions took place about how to clean the place up, and it was eventually decided in 1963 to demolish the crumbling buildings. However the contractors responsible for the demolition failed to remove all of the rubble and debris and instead, the remains of the buildings were dumped in the sea.
It polluted the beach and the sea to the point where something had to be done. It turned out that it was cheaper to plant grass over the debris and dirt than to clean up the beach. And so a park was established on top of the demolition debris and to expand the park to cover the area where the sea had been dried up by the dirt and remaining building materials.
The landscape architect, A. Hillel was brought in to design the park which had limitations. First, it was a long strip of land, not like the regular wide areas used for urban parks. Second, the earth beneath the grass was mainly building debris and dirt soil that was not suitable for growing trees, only low shrubs. He also had to take into consideration the sea winds and the salt content of the air and soil which further limited the type of plants that could be used.
The entrance to the Park (Image source: Dr. Avishai Teicher CC BY 2.5)
He planned to plant only bushes and low shrubs and to use palm and Tamarix trees on the eastern side of the park where the soil beneath the surface was not a dry sea area. On the western side, the designer placed a wall to prevent the park’s infrastructure from being washed away by the sea. Along the length of the wall is a wide promenade directly on the shoreline which has become popular with fishermen.
In 1971, British businessman and philanthropist Charles Clore made a donation that brought the vision of the park to fruition in time for the city’s centennial celebrations in 2009. The Clore Foundation continues to care for the park and make regular improvements like adding barbeque areas, a playground, and outside exercise facilities. The park was opened to the public in 1974.
This park and beach are used mainly by locals, and a few curious tourists. There is often an activity or special event in the park as well as families having a barbeque, couples sitting on a blanket and having a romantic weekend in Tel Aviv, elderly residents taking their daily walk, joggers, and fishermen.
The lovely water fountains around the park (Image source: www.fountain.co.il CC BY 2.5)
The focus of the park is the sea, and apart from any particular attraction in the park, it is popular simply as a great place to relax and enjoy the view. Charles Clore Beach (Alma Beach) is best united to those who want to get away from the larger, more crowded beaches along Tel Aviv’s beachfront promenade.
Pro Tip: You can walk the entire length of the Tel Aviv promenade from Tel Aviv Port in the north down past the Tel Aviv beaches to Charles Clore Park and beach, then cross the Charles Core Bridge into Jaffa.
The best way to see Charles Clore Park is to follow the beachfront promenade that connects Tel Aviv to Jaffa and takes you straight past the park. Pro Tip: There is a 24/7 paid parking lot adjacent to the northern part of the park. The parking lot has charging stations for electric cars.
There is a state-of-the-art playground with a rope pyramid for climbing, and water fountains to keep you cool. Like many parks around Israel these days you can find several outdoor gym machines.
Workout station in the Park (Image source: Avi1111 dr avishai teicher)
There Is also a yoga platform where you can do your own thing, or join one of the regular classes. There are bike-share stations along the promenade so you can rent a bike for a few dollars and explore the city.
Positioned throughout the park are works of art by Israeli artists including a sculpture by Ilana Goor, entitled Woman Against the Wind.
This unique museum focuses on the history of the Zionist paramilitary organization Irgun, also known as Etzel. The museum is housed in one of only two surviving structures from the Manshiyah neighborhood. The other structure that survived is the Hassan Bek Mosque.
The Etzel Museum in the park
The museum building has been transformed by glass panels that cover the facade, and join seamlessly with the remains of the ancient stone building. Pro Tip: If you’re interested in the history of Etzel there is a second Etzel Museum on King George Street.
The beach adjacent to Charles Clore Park is also known as Alma Beach. It is a small Blue Flag Beach, and there are lockers for leaving your belongings while you swim.
You can also bring your dog to the central part of this beach, and participate in non-motorized water sports to the south. There are lifeguard services daily from 07:00 to 18:00 and changing rooms at the beach.Pro Tip: One of the best restaurants in Tel Aviv, Mantra Ray is located on Alma Beach and offers an excellent Mediterranean menu and a laid-back atmosphere.
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