In a
recently-published article on the Lonely Planet travel guide
website entitled “Ten Cities with Brilliant Beaches”, Tel Aviv is ranked
seventh, after coastal cities such as Barcelona, Capetown and Rio de Janeiro.
In the
citation, the popular Lonely Planet guide notes that Tel Aviv is a “modern sin
city…the total flipside of Jerusalem”. The guide points out that the locals
flock “en masse” to the beaches when the weather is warm, for sunbathing,
kitesurfing and “knocking back
and forth little rubber balls during friendly matches of matkot.”
“The beaches are safe and
clean, and there are changing rooms and freshwater showers scattered
along its length. The main beaches are packed with people most days,
especially on Saturdays, when the crowds descend to pick a prime spot.”
Tel Aviv continues to
receive citations and accolades from travel sites and guides, including, most
recently, the Gaycities.com website whose members ranked Tel Aviv as one of
the top ten “Ultimate Dream Cities” in the world, coming in third to Paris and
Venice.
In October 2012, Lonely Planet placed the Negev
Desert in the no. 2 slot in its 2013 ranking of the top regions in the world.
The Negev Desert came in second to Corsica, France.