Things to Do at Elijah's Cave

Elijah's Cave sits beneath the Stella Maris Monastery at 230 Allenby Road and charges no entry fee, opening Sunday through Thursday 8:00 to 18:00 and Friday 8:00 to 13:00. A shallow limestone grotto about 14 meters deep and 8 meters wide, it is sacred to Judaism (the prophet Elijah hid here from King Ahab), Christianity (the Holy Family supposedly sheltered here returning from Egypt), and Islam (al-Khidr, the Green Prophet, is associated with the site). Candles burn in wall niches, prayer books in Hebrew, Arabic, and English sit on stone shelves, and written petitions are stuffed into every crack in the rock, the paper yellowed and layered so thick in places it looks like geological strata. The air inside is cool and damp, about 18 degrees Celsius year-round, and smells of candle wax and old stone. The cave sits just off the cable car route from Bat Galim beach (one-way ride 25 ILS / about $7 USD), and a viewpoint outside the entrance overlooks the Mediterranean with container ships moving slowly across the horizon. The space is small enough to see in 10 minutes, but the overlapping devotional traditions make it worth reading about before visiting. Do not photograph worshippers without permission, and women may want a head covering as a courtesy in this shared sacred space. The cave is a 5-minute walk downhill from Stella Maris Monastery, making a natural pairing.

The cave sits at Mount Carmel's base, next to the Stella Maris Lighthouse and Carmelite Monastery. Bus lines 25, 26, or 27 drop you at Stella Maris stop. Easy enough. Walking from central Haifa is pleasant-downhill through the German Colony and along the coast. The return climb kills you. Parking exists nearby if you're driving, and entrance signs appear in Hebrew, Arabic, and English.