AviaTel Aviv has many parks, shaded areas, and beaches galore. On a hot summer day it’s the best place to escape from the blazing sun. If, on the other hand, you prefer enjoying the sun to the fullest, the beach is where you should go.
It was a very hot, humid summer day and we were walking between two very known parks in Tel Aviv – Independence Park and Hayarkon Park. Starting in Independence Park, we knew it would be a hot day, but the many shading trees covered most of the sun and protected us from the heat. Looking around and seeing friends resting with their dogs next to a public open library, a family laying on a blanket and birthdays being celebrated in the open air (it is, still, corona time), we couldn’t but assume it was a perfect day.
But for us the journey only started and we kept on going, walking toward the trail along the seaside. Hilton hotel to our right giving us shade, the beach to our left and us, being pushed by an amazing light breeze to keep us going. Nevertheless, here we stopped and enjoyed the views. A small marine on one side letting a random white sailboat leave its premises, right in front us many surfers trying (and mostly failing, was it a study beach?) to catch a perfect wave. On the other side people are tanning and relaxing on their towels and chairs as close as possible to the water.
We finally decided to continue our walk and leave the breeze and the view. We passed a few statues and monuments and met a gecko on a rock looking restless, the sun was too much even for him and soon he disappeared under that rock. The port of Jaffa behind us and the port of Tel Aviv in front of us, we reached the end of Independence Park and turned back to the street.
After walking a bit more we reached Hayarkon Park. It’s a huge park surrounding a river and we were only on the western side. We didn’t need more than that, walking between bikers, runners and along the river we found the perfectly shaded bench. It wasn’t too hard, this park is full of picnic tables and benches. But here we decided to end our day. The sun was too strong and we learned the hard way how to appreciate those Tel Avivian parks.
We don’t recommend traveling at all costs and on those kind of days we think it’s best to plan ahead. Here are some tips we think can help you travel in summer:
Check The Weather
Before going out of the house check the weather at the place you want to visit and prepare accordingly. Maybe even decide on a different destination with better temperatures or more shade. And remember–even slight temperature increases can make a huge difference, so take that into account!
Time
Going on the right time is so crucial in the summer. Usually between 12 to 4 in the afternoon the sun is the strongest, but it may change depending on where you are. If you are able to get out early you may be able to avoid the hottest hours, if it’s not too long of a trail maybe even choose the later hours and as a bonus enjoy a nice sunset.
Water
Bring a lot of water with you to stay hydrated but also maybe choose going to a more refreshing destination like a stream or the beach. Places where you can cool off and not feel too much of the heat.
Hats and Sunscreen
There are so many options to choose from but do choose! Not just because it’s a great way to get some portable shade but also it protects your skin from the sun. Getting direct sun on your skin for too long can increase the risk for skin cancer and if that’s not a good enough reason, exposing your face to the sun for too long can cause wrinkles. So putting a hat on and applying some sunscreen can help a lot in the long run.
Rest
Listen to your body, rest when you can and remember: drink a lot of the water!
Travel Indoors
One last thing to maybe consider is travel to an indoor destination like a museum or an art gallery. It can be just as fun and lets you travel without depending on the weather.
On that day, we went out fairly early and finished our day early as well. We did our best to cover ourselves in sunscreen and wore a hat but we still might have chosen the wrong destination to travel since it was barely shaded. Fortunately we finished in the park and were able to cool off.
