Ga’aton Boulevard

Ga’aton Boulevard or Sderot Haga’aton serves as the central road through downtown Nahariya. The Ga’aton River, or at this time of year, the trickle that used to be the Ga’aton, runs through the middle of the road enclosed in a concrete causeway around which and even above people can sit, have a coffee, and chat.

The road is filled with restaurants and shops catering to both residents and tourists. If you are hungry for pizza, then Ga’aton Blvd. might be the place for you. I counted 7 pizza shops over the course of 5 blocks. There were also 3 Mexican restaurants, which I found to be surprising, since Israel in general and Nahariya in particular do not seem like meccas for Mexican cuisine, but if you have a craving for fajitas or tacos, you can get your fix in downtown Nahariya.

There are several places serving yogurt, ice cream or gelato. There are also at least 2 sushi bars. No street in Israel would be complete without bakeries or coffee bars of some sort. I counted four coffee shops, and three bakeries.

In addition there were a few felafel and kebab places, small grocery stores, several jewelers, a few clothing shops, some electronics stores and more.

The most famous site along the boulevard is the Penguin restaurant. The Penguin is the oldest restaurant in Nahariya, and one of the oldest surviving businesses in the town, as well as being one of the oldest restaurants in the country. The Penguin was founded by German immigrants in in 1940 and the Oppenheimer family has operated it ever sense. It began by serving German fare and today its signature dish is its chicken schnitzel along with a more Israeli style menu.

At the opening edge of Ga’aton Blvd., is a sculptor of a ship, reflecting that Nahariya in the northernmost coastal town in Israel. The street, like the river in its midst, ends as it flows into the boardwalk of the Tayelet Nahariya and then on to the sea.

One can either walk from the middle of town onto the promenade and explore the beach or conversely, return from the beach right into the middle of town. The compact nature of this community makes it possible to experience the urban and the recreational within mere moments of each other.