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Dead Sea, the lowest point on Planet Earth
Dead Sea is actually a lake and has been an outlet to the Sea of Galilee. The water evaporated thousands of years ago making it the lowest point in the world at 394.6 m (1269 ft) below sea level. To give you the comparison, California’s Death Valley is just 85.5m below sea level.
Dead Sea facing the Judean desert
After fun hikes around the seven waterfalls in Ein Gedi, we drove to indulge ourselves in the floating experience of the Dead Sea. From Ein Gedi, it was a short 8 minute drive to Ein Gedi Spa, which is a great spot from which to take trams to the Dead Sea. If you are driving from Jerusalem, it takes around 1 hour 30 minutes to reach Ein Gedi Spa.
Salts and Minerals of the Dead Sea
With high atmospheric pressure and high temperature all year round, the sea evaporates very fast. Although it is constantly fed by fresh water from the Jordan River and nearby springs like those at Ein Feshkha, the evaporation is such that the Dead Sea’s salt content is over 30% than Atlantic Sea. Hence, Dead Sea is famous for the salt content and huge quantities of minerals deposits which are trapped in the lake bed.
Hard salt deposits of Dead Sea
Dead is the lowest point on planet earth
Dead Sea’s salt content is over 30% than Atlantic Sea
The salts are actually a mixture of many minerals so dense that they keep a person afloat.
Video of our Floating Experience of Dead Sea
Ein Gedi Spa and why it can be a good choice
Although, Dead Sea run stretches along the Judean desert, it is not advisable to walk in to any random spot to get into the Dead Sea. The reason being, the Dead Sea has many sinkholes, which are not safe. So we cannot go just any where in the Dead Sea for a bath. At many places along the road, there are signposts in the area of Ein Bokek pointing to the bath areas. We chose to go to Ein Gedi Spa for the total unique experience.
Ein Gedi Spa offers transportation and great facilities to experience the Dead Sea
Entrance to Ein Gedi Spa
Beautiful flowers of Judean desert welcomes at Entrance to Ein Gedi Spa
Vibrant colors of these flowers at the entrance of Ein Gedi Spa
Ein Gedi Spa is a wellness center along the Dead Sea, Israel, fed by the waters of the Dead Sea.It provides health by the four elements of the area: water, air, sun, and mud. The spa has hot pools that are filled with sulphur water. It is a famous attraction on the shore of the Dead Sea.
The spa is known for its unpleasant odor resulting from the sulphur springs. However, it still draws large crowds who believe in its health benefits.
At Ein Gedi Spa, they give enough lockers (separate rooms for men and women) to keep your things safe and you can change to swim wear before going to the Dead Sea. There was a small tram that runs between Dead Sea and Ein Gedi Spa. We hoped in that and it was around 5 minutes ride. It was bit cooler that afternoon as we had rains earlier in the day.
Ein Gedi Spa offers swimming, mud bath, sulphur pool facilities
Ein Gedi Spa offers swimming – non-salt content water ideal for swimming after or before going to Dead Sea
Ein Gedi Spa swimming pool
Wild desert plant species also found in the premises of Ein Gedi Spa
We were excited to get in to the Dead Sea . It was an incredible feeling to be able to float. The salt deposit was super hard underneath and can cause cuts/bruises . So make it a point to wear good footwear. Our son, who goes to swim class was flipping his legs and got water into his eyes, which really stings. But there are fresh water shower stands right on the shore to wash off .
Mud Bath facility of Ein Gedi Spa
Waiting for the tram, which runs between Dead Sea and Ein Gedi Spa
On the tram to Dead Sea
Other than that it was just fun floating in the Dead Sea.
We came back to the Ein Gedi Spa for mud experience and sulphur water pool. We immensely enjoyed both and felt really rejuvenated post the experience . The locker rooms have clean and well maintained showers and restrooms. We showered off and then spent time shops of Ein Gedi Spa, which had amazing collection of Dead Sea products and cosmetics.
Dead Sea in windy conditions with waves
Everyone having fun floating in Dead Sea
Not too crowded on this slightly cool April day
Be careful not to splash water on your eyes, because of high salt content
The facilities at EIn Gedi Spa was good
Dead Sea reference in the Bible
Called the Salt Sea in the Old Testament, this is the basin of the northern section of the Great Rift Valley that begins in Syria and eventually reaches Kenya and Tanzania in Central Africa.
Lot’s wife turned to a pillar of salt
Across Dead Sea, are the mountains of Moab, to the west are Judean Desert (which had amazing waterfalls we just drove from). To the south of Dead Sea is Sodom, center of the mineral industry located in an area of strange salt formations. These bring to mind the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, and how Lot’s wife was turned to a pillar of salt.
Genesis 19:23-26
The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens. So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
Other Biblical reference
Deuteronomy 4:49
and included all the Arabah east of the Jordan, as far as the Dead Sea, below the slopes of Pisgah.
Zechariah 14:8
On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter.
Genesis 14:3
All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea Valley).
Joel 2:20
“I will drive the northern horde far from you,
pushing it into a parched and barren land;
its eastern ranks will drown in the Dead Sea
and its western ranks in the Mediterranean Sea.
And its stench will go up;
its smell will rise.”
Surely he has done great things!
Ezekiel 47:8
He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh.
Deuteronomy 3:17
Its western border was the Jordan in the Arabah, from Kinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea), below the slopes of Pisgah.
Joshua 3:16
the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
Numbers 34:12
Then the boundary will go down along the Jordan and end at the Dead Sea.
“‘This will be your land, with its boundaries on every side.’”
After spending almost 3 hours in Dead Sea and Ein Gedi Spa, we were on our way back overlooking these beautiful date trees
Date tree plantations in the Judean desert
Tips for Dead Sea
1. We were advised not to shave before entering the water as salt water could cause skin itchiness
2. Try not to splash water on the eyes, high salt content in water can cause severe burning/stinging
3. Ein Gedi Spa and similar spas give you the total experience of the Dead Sea
4. Ein Gedi Spa shop had a wide variety of cosmetic products. However they might be pricey, and you can probably get for half the price at the Old City in Jerusalem.