Old Jaffa

Old Jaffa — known in Hebrew as Yafo — is one of the oldest continuously inhabited port cities on earth, and it sits right on the southern edge of Tel Aviv like a living museum that never closed. While modern Tel Aviv was founded only in 1909, Jaffa was already ancient by then, having hosted Egyptians, Phoenicians, Romans, Crusaders, Ottomans, and everyone in between. The two cities were officially merged in 1950, creating the hyphenated Tel Aviv-Yafo, but Old Jaffa still feels like a separate world — a dense warren of honey-colored stone buildings, Ottoman archways, and sea-facing alleyways that smell of salt and coffee.

The heart of the old city is best explored on foot. Wander through the artists' quarter around Kikar Kedumim, the central square, where galleries and ateliers occupy former Ottoman buildings. The Jaffa Flea Market (Shuk HaPishpeshim) spills across Olei Zion Street with antiques, vintage clothing, and the occasional genuine treasure. Andromeda's Rock sits just offshore in the Mediterranean — according to Greek mythology, the princess was chained there awaiting the sea monster before Perseus saved her — and it's one of those details that makes you realize how old and myth-soaked this coastline really is. The Old Jaffa Port itself, with its bobbing fishing boats and sea-wall promenade, is one of the best spots in the city for a sunset.

Jaffa is genuinely mixed — Jewish, Arab, and Christian communities have shared it for generations, and that plurality shows up most vividly in its food. Abu Hassan on Dolphin Street is arguably the most famous hummus spot in all of Israel, and the line out the door most mornings proves it. If you're coming from the Tel Aviv beachfront, Old Jaffa is an easy 20-minute walk south along the promenade. Come in the morning for the market and hummus, stay for the galleries and the sunset, and give yourself at least half a day.