Floating in the Dead Sea

Following our sunrise hike up Masada and visit to the Ein Gedi nature reserve, our tour group piled back in the van and headed to Kalia Beach. Although it had been a cold morning in Jerusalem and I was all bundled up, we were able to strip down to swimsuits and float in the sea. Turns out the Dead Sea is much warmer because it is so far below sea level.

A path leads your past the entrance and little shops down to the beachfront. All along the way, little dressing rooms dot the path. After quickly changing, I headed down to the water, threw all my belongings into the closest chair and ran for the water. Turns out that Dead Sea mud, which is disappearing at other beaches but still abundant at Kalia, is a bit slippery. I slipped and slid trying to catch my balance, and eventually decided to ditch my flip flops, throwing them back to shore. Once you wad out a bit you simply sit down and find yourself floating.

Rules of the Dead Sea

1. Don’t drink the water

2. Don’t dunk your face, and most importantly

3. Don’t pee in the water

Signs around the beach post a whole host of other rules but those are the three worth knowing. Basically, the salty water getting into any eye, cut, scrape or orifice of your body is not a pleasant experience. It’s also recommended not to shave for a few days before your visit.

While the bottom of the sea is coated in mud at Kalia Beach, there are rocky spots that can scrape you up. I heard there are normally no waves at the Dead Sea but we went on a windy day and the waves and sea spray made for an extra challenge. A group of dumb tourists were splashing each other and then screaming when the resulting sea spray got in their eyes. I don’t recommend this.

After a quick float, we decided to climb back out for a second and cover ourselves in the mud and test out its rumored spa qualities. Supposedly the Queen of Sheba and Cleopatra swore by this stuff. If you want a bit of your own, there’s a factory across from Kalia that is well known for producing high quality products using the Dead Sea salt and mud, and thanks to the world wide web you can buy their products online!

Dead Sea Mud Mask

Essential Day Moisturizer

Dead Sea Minerals Body Lotion

Toning Cleanser

Liquid Dead Sea Salt

Dead Sea Products Gift Set

While the Dead Sea was warmer than the rest of Israel, it wasn’t a hot summer’s day or anything so it was quite a shock to the system when I had to rinse off all the Dead Sea mud with cold water from the outdoor showers.

After rinsing we went in search of the locker rooms for a warm (real) shower. All clean and rebundled, the Dutch friend and I decided to explore the shops while my other new friends, the St. Louis bunch, headed down to have a drink at the world’s lowest bar.

Putting It Together

Here’s a guide for getting to the Dead Sea
The easiest way to visit the Dead Sea is to book a tour
There are many public and private beaches on the Israeli side of the Dead Sea – we went to Kalia Beach which still has loads of mud for you to play with, the entrance fee of about 35 NIS is covered by the tour
Don’t shave for a few days in advance to visiting and try to avoid going into the salty water with cuts and scrapes
Wear an old swimsuit you don’t mind tossing or getting dirty
Bring a warm comfy outfit to change into afterwards

Planning your own trip to Israel and looking for suggestions? Check out my itinerary for one week in Israel plus a second week to visit Jordan and Egypt.

Wondering why I’m in Israel? Read this post here.

A big thank you to Tourist Israel, Abraham Tours, Abraham Hostel, Hayarkon 48, Fauzi Azar Inn and everyone else who has helped plan this trip and make it possible.

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