Old Jaffa: The Ancient Port Where Tel Aviv Began

Long before Tel Aviv existed, there was Jaffa - one of the oldest working ports in the world, with some 4,000 years of history stacked in its golden stone alleys. The Bible knows it as Joppa: Jonah sailed from here before his encounter with the great fish, cedar logs arrived through this port for Solomon's Temple, and Peter raised Tabitha from the dead on its rooftops. Greek myth placed the chained princess Andromeda on its rocks, waiting for Perseus. Every conquering power in the region landed here at some point.

The view tells the whole story. Stand at the top of the hill in Kedumim Square, by St. Peter's Church, and look north: the entire Tel Aviv skyline spreads along the beach in one glance. That white line of towers grew out of Jaffa's shadow - in 1909, a group of Jewish families just north of the Arab city founded the garden suburb they called Ahuzat Bayit, which became Tel Aviv.

Wander the restored alleys above the port: streets named after the signs of the zodiac, art galleries in old merchants' houses, the famous "wishing bridge" with its zodiac plaques, and the archaeological dig under Kedumim Square that traces Jaffa's layers. The small fishing port itself now hosts some of the region's best seafood restaurants; book a table at sunset.

Then head down into the Flea Market quarter (Shuk HaPishpeshim). For most of the twentieth century it was exactly what the name says - a chaotic bazaar of secondhand furniture, vinyl records, old maps and stuff with stories. Today it is that plus one of Tel Aviv's coolest nightlife and dining districts: vintage shops, courtyard cafes, cocktail bars in stone vaults.

Go in the late afternoon. Browse the flea market, eat at the port, then climb back to the lookout as the sun drops and Tel Aviv lights up. It is the best free view in Israel. Our Old Jaffa & Flea Market private tour combines the history, the food and the shopping in one relaxed walk.