Ein Afek

Ein Afek Nature Reserve is located about 20 minutes north of Haifa. Tel Afek became a nature reserve in 1979 to protect the delicate wet habitats around the sources of Naáman River, rare plant life, and archeological remains. It is home to lush swamplands and waterways plus ancient archaeological remains.

Visitors can walk across the picturesque bodies of water on floating wooden walkways and follow the Swamp Pathway. This is a unique experience when you are virtually walking on water. Other attractions in the park include the ancient two-story flour mill. The foundations of the mill were built by the ancient Romans and the rest of the structure dates back to the Crusaders.

At the visitors center, you can see a display of historic agricultural tools, a short video presentation about the area, and art exhibits. In the southern part of the park is the Tel Afek archaeological mound. Here there are remains from several periods including the biblical town of Aphik, but there are also remains from the Chalcolithic era, Bronze Age, Persian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Crusader, and Mamluk era. The park is home to a garden dedicated to endangered and rare indigenous species. There are several observation points where you can get sweeping views across the tranquil surroundings.