The setting sun seems particularly intense, throwing saturated colours into the Mediterranean. The beach is filled with people, lounging, sunbathing, reading or playing beach volleyball. There are scores more in the water, swimming or just treading water. To one side are surfers trying to catch the waves. As soon as the sun sets, an outdoor stage comes alive with loud, thumping music, and an air of revelry is in the air. Tel Aviv’s reputation as the party capital appears to be intact.
This is so different than the morning. Tel Aviv is a young Mediterranean city, just a hundred years old or so. It has taken on the mantle of a new-age capital and is the hub of finance, commerce and technology.
Yet, Tel Aviv is all business during the day, and roads are crowded with people. In Carmel Market, locals and tourists mingle amidst a lively bustle. There’s everything here—groceries, vegetables, fruits, baked goods, souvenirs and jewellery, and much more.
To understand Tel Aviv’s beginnings, the place to start is Jaffa, south of Tel Aviv, mostly undulating with stunning vantage point views of the sea and of the city. Estimated to be over 9,000 years old, it has been continuously inhabited ever since. The most fascinating story goes back to Greek mythology; this is where Andromeda was chained and then rescued by Perseus. Its popular associations, however, are relatively recent, with Biblical connections to Solomon and St. Peter.
At Jaffa’s entrance is a clock tower, behind which the old town spreads out. It is a maze of narrow cobbled streets and alleys, interspersed with arched passages and little nooks and corners that open into lovely stores and boutiques. The Jaffa Museum of Antiquities is housed in an eye-catching Ottomon building where an ancient fortress stood earlier, or the Alana Goor museum with its quirky and creative exhibits. At one end of Jaffa , on a vantage point, stands the beautiful pink and white 17th century St. Peter’s Church, a Roman Catholic basilica. From here, there are unhindered and breathtaking views of the Mediterranean as well as Tel Aviv’s skyline. This is also a comparatively quiet place and offers serenity.
Come evening, and the place to be is Tel Aviv’s Beach Road, when the beach transforms into one big party zone and the glitzy lights add a strange allure. But that’s not to say that there’s no action elsewhere. Especially in summer, open squares and in parks, marquees come up and makeshift bars and dancing areas pulsate with energy and revelry. Elsewhere, on Rothschild Boulevard, the Neve Tzedek section and the Port area are filled with snazzy bars and chic clubs. But no matter where you are, there’s usually music and good cheer well past midnight and almost into the early hours.
And yet, it’s back to business the next morning. There are hardly any signs of the night before, and it’s as if the morning has swept clean everything only to make way for another day and another night of festivities. All of which gives ample credence to Tel Aviv’s party-city reputation.