Red Sea SwimCup

The Red Sea Swim Cup is an open water swimming race held in the sea at Eilat. Organized by Shvoong, the event offers four courses: 1.5 km, 4 km, 6 km, and 8 km, all laid out in the calm, transparent sea of the gulf. The competition takes place the day after the grueling Israman challenge, turning the shoreline into an energetic gathering of endurance triathletes and distance swimmers. These clear waters have long attracted the international circuit: Eilat previously hosted the LEN Open Water Cup, drawing a field of 70 men and 53 women. Even in the depths of winter, the sea remains remarkably warm and welcoming, allowing swimmers to take on multi-kilometre courses without the biting chill typical of European open water.

The Gulf of Eilat: tectonic rift and clear desert currents

The extraordinary clarity and depth of this water stem directly from the earth's geology. The Gulf of Eilat is part of the Syrian-African Rift, a massive geological tear that plunges the seabed to dramatic depths. Because the arid climate causes intense evaporation over the gulf, a continuous current of open sea water is pulled northward through the Straits of Tiran to replenish the basin. Out at the southern entrance connecting the gulf to the broader Red Sea, the strait narrows to approximately thirteen kilometres between the Sinai and Arabian peninsulas. On the Egyptian side, the Enterprise passage plummets to 290 metres, while the Grafton passage closer to Tiran Island reaches depths of 73 metres. Inside the sheltered northern end where the race is held, the water moves through two daily tidal cycles, creating a gentle fluctuation of roughly one metre that barely disturbs the mirror-like surface.

Pharaoh's Island: ancient anchorages and medieval Red Sea trade

People have lived and navigated along these desert shores for 10,000 years, with late Neolithic tombs excavated at the western edge of Eilat dating between 5410 and 4250 BCE and stretching back to the 7th millennium BCE. By the 8th century CE, a thriving Islamic settlement flourished on the bay, trading goods with caravans of pilgrims making their way along the Darb el-Hajj pilgrimage route. About fourteen kilometres down the gulf coast lies Pharaoh's Island, an imposing outcrop of solid granite rising 250 metres off the Sinai shore. The island holds an ancient artificial harbour measuring 35 by 65 metres, built in the style of a Phoenician cothon, while a shallow lagoon between the islet and the mainland provided a secure anchorage for medieval vessels.

Coral Beach Nature Reserve: the world's northernmost shallow reef

The Coral Beach Nature Reserve is home to the northernmost shallow coral reef ecosystem on Earth. Swimmers and snorkelers access the living reef wall via wooden piers that lead directly into the teeming marine world, where vibrant corals thrive in the warm, sunlit shallows. At the heart of the reserve stands the famous underwater observatory park, established in 1970 as the first facility of its kind in the world. Its original 100-ton observation chamber was lowered six metres below the surface using heavy metal counterweights, and over the decades the structure has become completely encrusted by living coral colonies. The marine park pumps fresh deep-sea water from 42 metres down around the clock to sustain its aquariums, while an outdoor sand island provides a secure nesting area for endangered green and hawksbill sea turtles. Further along the seabed, at depths between 15 and 30 metres, an artificial reef was created in the early 1990s with an underwater sculpture garden and submerged amphibious off-road vehicles.

Eilat South Beach: from Dolphin Reef to Migdalor Beach

Eilat's shoreline divides into two very different coastal worlds: the bustling, sandy resort strip of North Beach and the quieter, pebbly South Beach lined with natural reefs and protected swimming coves. Along South Beach, breakwaters shelter beaches like HaShchafim, creating calm, flat water over soft sand and fine gravel that makes wading into the sea effortless. A short distance away, Dolphin Reef occupies a 10,000-square-metre marine enclosure with a horseshoe-shaped coral reef averaging twelve metres in depth. Founded in 1990 between the local shipping ports, the facility lets visitors observe resident bottlenose dolphins swimming in open seawater that circulates freely with the gulf. Continuing south toward the border, the coast reaches Migdalor Beach, named after the compact hilltop lighthouse erected in 1954 to guide ships into the fledgling port.

Located about seven kilometres southwest of the port, the beach beneath the light is a laid-back outpost frequented by divers and campers, where swimmers can relax by the water's edge and look out across the deep blue gulf after hours in the sea.