In honor of Independence Day and with the completion of restoration and development works at Kinneret Beach, funded by the Ministry of the Interior at a total cost of 7 million shekels, the Kinneret Municipal Association has opened the eastern part of the beach to the public.
The works at Kinneret Beach included landscape development, renovation of service buildings and changing rooms, installation of high-quality play equipment, restoration of a beach volleyball court, creation of paths and walkways, planting, landscaping, and lawns.
The Decision That Led to the Closure of Kinneret Beach
Kinneret Beach spans an area of 35 dunams, in the southern part of the Sea of Galilee, near the Tzemach Junction. The beach opened with great fanfare in 1985, after Kibbutz Alumot invested $2.7 million in its establishment. This was a significant step for the kibbutz, located in the Poriyya mountain range, which had been dispersed and resettled at the end of the 1960s due to economic and social crises and struggled to find a significant source of income. Its limited agricultural land could not sustain the settlement, so it was decided that the kibbutz would operate Kinneret Beach.
At Kinneret Beach, a successful water park operated with long water slides, and all the giants of Israeli rock performed there as part of the "Night of Love at Kinneret" festival. After the Night of Love, the crowd would move to Kinneret Beach, continue the celebrations, and stay overnight. As a result, the beach also began hosting music events and various festivals.
The enactment of the Kinneret Law in 2008 severely impacted the beach’s economic viability, contributing to the decline of the area. The law, which aimed to regulate the operation of Kinneret beaches and make them accessible to the public, cemented the right of pedestrians to enter the beaches for free.
For Kinneret Beach, this was a decision that immediately severed its main source of income, as entry was only allowed on foot after vacationers parked their cars in a parking lot located across the Tzemach Junction. This prevented the beach operators from charging entrance fees, as they could not charge for parking.
As a Bistro-Bar and Dairy Café
Most of the works were carried out in the eastern part of the beach, with the beach remaining active and open to the public throughout the construction period. As part of the project, the National Roads Company of Israel carried out treatment and painting of the nearby underground passage to provide another entrance to the beach from the parking areas near the Bandel House.
Additionally, the old kiosks, whose access had been blocked due to safety concerns, were renovated to operate as a bistro-bar selling meat dishes and a dairy café, which will open soon for the benefit of visitors to the beach and the area.
The restoration and renovation, funded by the Ministry of the Interior, took place after Kinneret Beach had been closed and abandoned for over four years. It was then decided by the Kinneret Municipal Association, the Israel Land Authority, and the Emek HaYarden Regional Council, with the approval of the Knesset Interior Committee, to transfer the responsibility, management, and development of Kinneret Beach to the Kinneret Municipal Association, which removed the fences that had enclosed the beach, allowing direct and free access to the beach from all surrounding areas. After engineering efforts and rapid restoration at a cost of about 2 million shekels, the association succeeded in opening the western part of the beach to the public in 2021 and simultaneously began works on the eastern part, which has now been completed.
It should be noted that next May, Kinneret Beach will receive the "Blue Flag 2025" international certification for the second year in a row, awarded by the international environmental organization Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), through the EcoOcean association. This prestigious environmental certification, one of the most recognized and esteemed worldwide, indicates that Kinneret Beach meets strict environmental criteria: maintenance, safety, and accessibility.
For Swimmers' Information
At Kinneret Beach, the following are prohibited: Overnight stays and lighting fires, including gas stoves and hookahs. Like other beaches under the association’s management, it is designated as a quiet beach where noise creation and the operation of sound systems are prohibited.
Throughout the year, Kinneret Beach hosts many sports events such as the Kinneret Crossing, the Kinneret Circumference bicycle race, and the Kinneret Triathlon, as well as free yoga lessons and dance classes open to the public, led by the Emek Hayarden Regional Council.
Keep the beach clean and protect its beauty.