Bat Yam & Jaffa ‘Border’ Beach: An Insider’s Guide

Q: What Exactly is the Bat Yam & Jaffa Border Beach?

This isn’t an official name on the map. The “border beach” is the stretch of Tel Aviv coastline between Givat Aliya (Ajami) Beach, the southernmost declared beach in Jaffa, and the northern edge of Bat Yam. It is not a declared bathing beach: there are no lifeguards and swimming is prohibited on the Tel Aviv side. What you will find is wide sand with fewer crowds, an official off-leash dog zone, a fishing zone, views of the Old Jaffa cliffs to the north and good sunsets. The nearest lifeguards and facilities are at Givat Aliya Beach, about 800 metres north of the city line.

Q: What Makes It Unique?

Unlike the tourist-heavy Tel Aviv beaches, this spot feels unpolished in the best way. You’ll see locals playing matkot, ultra-Orthodox families swimming in full attire, Arabic music blending into techno from beach bars, and fishermen casting lines into the surf at dusk. It’s a real cross-section of Israel, and much more low-key than you’d expect. And the sunsets? Underrated. With the Old City of Jaffa as your northern backdrop and the open southern horizon stretching into Bat Yam, this is one of the best sunset spots along the Gush Dan coastline.

By Solomon Wiesen, TLV Beaches. Last reviewed October 2026.

The Bat Yam and Jaffa Border Beach is the unofficial name for the open shore between Ajami (Givat Aliya) Beach and the Bat Yam city line, at the southern edge of Tel Aviv-Yafo. It is not a declared beach: there are no lifeguards and swimming is prohibited on the Tel Aviv side. People come for the empty sand, the fishing, the off-leash dog zone and the sunsets. If you want to swim, walk north to Ajami or south into Bat Yam.

At a glance

What it is: an unofficial name for the shore between Givat Aliya (Ajami) Beach in Jaffa and the Bat Yam city line
Swimming: not a declared beach; no lifeguards; bathing prohibited on the Tel Aviv side
What is there: open sand, an official off-leash dog zone, a fishing zone and sunset views
Nearest lifeguards and facilities: Givat Aliya Beach, about 800 metres north of the city line
Distance: about 3 km south of the Jaffa Clock Tower
Bus: Yefet/Yotvat stop on Yefet Street

This page is part of our guide to Tel Aviv beaches, covering every beach from Tel Baruch in the north to Jaffa in the south. Lifeguards only work at the city’s declared beaches, so swim in front of a staffed lifeguard station. Check the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality’s official list of declared beaches and lifeguard hours before you go in.

Best for: peace and quiet, far from the bars and the crowds. Try the beach finder to compare it with every Tel Aviv beach.

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What Exactly is the Bat Yam & Jaffa Border Beach?

This isn’t an official name on the map, but ask any local who’s spent time between Givat Aliya Beach and the first beaches of Bat Yam, and they’ll know what you mean. The “border beach” is the stretch of Tel Aviv coastline between the southernmost part of Jaffa (Ajami) and the northern edge of Bat Yam. You’ll notice the difference in architecture, crowd, and pace the moment you walk from one to the other.

Here’s 5 things you’ll find on this underrated coastline:

Wide, clean sands with fewer crowds, even in peak season.
No lifeguards and no beach services on the Tel Aviv side: the city marks the shore between Givat Aliya Beach and the Bat Yam line as closed to bathing.
An official off-leash dog zone just south of Givat Aliya Beach, and a zone set aside for fishing.
Dramatic views of the Old Jaffa cliffs to the north. Seriously!
A long promenade perfect for running, biking, or just watching the sunset without elbowing through tourists.

There are no lifeguards on this stretch at any time of year, and swimming is prohibited on the Tel Aviv side. For a swim with a lifeguard, go north to Givat Aliya (Ajami) Beach, about 800 metres from the city line. On the Bat Yam side, the first stretches past the border, by the Sea Palace and the surfers’ beach, are not bathing beaches either; Bat Yam’s first beaches with lifeguards, Jerusalem Beach and HaSela Beach, are roughly 1.3 km south of the line. Bat Yam’s list changes, so check the Bat Yam Municipality’s site before you go. You’ll often see windsurfers and paddleboarders out in the afternoon.

5 Quick Facts & Stats about the Bat Yam and Yafo Border Beach

Distance from Jaffa Clock Tower: about 3 km / roughly 40 minutes on foot
Nearest lifeguards: Givat Aliya Beach, about 800 metres north of the city line, in the bathing season
Length: about 800 metres of shore between Givat Aliya Beach and the Bat Yam line
Best time to visit: Sunset on weekdays or early mornings on weekends
Facilities: none on this stretch; the nearest toilets, showers and kiosk are at Givat Aliya Beach

What Makes It Unique?

Unlike the tourist-heavy Tel Aviv beaches, this spot feels unpolished in the best way. You’ll see locals playing matkot, ultra-Orthodox families swimming in full attire, Arabic music blending into techno from beach bars, and fishermen casting lines into the surf at dusk. It’s a real cross-section of Israel, and much more low-key than you’d expect.

And the sunsets? Underrated. With the Old City of Jaffa as your northern backdrop and the open southern horizon stretching into Bat Yam, this is one of the best sunset spots along the Gush Dan coastline.

Bat Yam & Jaffa Border Beach cliff hilltop view point

How to Get There:

From Jaffa Clock Tower:

Head south on Yefet Street through Ajami.
Go down to the shore at Givat Aliya Beach (the same beach many people call Ajami Beach) and keep walking south.
You’ll hit the “border zone” where the buildings of Bat Yam start to rise. Total trip: about 3 km, roughly 40 minutes walking or 12 minutes by bike.

From Bat Yam:

Walk or cycle north along the Bat Yam seafront promenade.
Where the Bat Yam promenade ends and the open shore begins, you are at the city line.

By bus:

Take a line that runs along Yefet Street, such as line 10, and get off at Yefet/Yotvat, the closest stop to this stretch.
Walk west to the sea. Routes change, so check Moovit or Google Maps on the day.

Bat Yam & Jaffa Border Beach sand view

Bat Yam & Jaffa Border Beach trees and bushes

This beach sits on the Tel Aviv and Bat Yam border. For every region of the Israeli coast, see our guide to all 55 beaches in Israel.

Sources: the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality’s list of declared beaches and lifeguard hours, price list and beach services table (Hebrew), the city’s beach zoning map, Ministry of Transport bus stop data, and the Bat Yam Municipality. Checked October 2026.

Solomon Wiesen

Solomon (Shlomo) Wiesen is the author and photographer behind TLV Beaches. Originally from New York, he moved to Israel in 2011 and lives in Tel Aviv, a short walk from Frishman and Bograshov beaches. Every guide on the site is written from the beach, with more than 200 of his own photos of the Tel Aviv coast. He works in marketing, SEO and startups.