|  Located
on the Red Sea coast, yet in the Negev Desert, and just
minutes from the Jordanian city of Aqaba and the Egyptian
city of Taba, Eilat is one of Israel’s major tourist
destinations. Every year, tourists from all over the world
come to the Eilat region to partake of the many activities
made possible by the pleasant climate, clear water, fine
dining, and by the fact that the region spans three countries.
Eilat's unique location
 One
of the great things about Eilat's unique location is that
several cross-border tours originate there. One such tour
that is particularly popular is the Coral Island cruise.
Located in the Red Sea, Coral Island was once part of Israel
but has since come under Egyptian control, in accordance
with the Israel-Egypt peace accords. The water surrounding
the island boasts beautiful tropical fish, as well as hard
and soft corals, making the island an ideal spot for divers.
Cruises to Coral Island can be booked for both divers and
non-divers (including those who wish to simply swim or snorkel.)
Although passports are required, there are no border taxes
involved in a round trip cruise between Eilat and Coral
Island.
Tour opportunities
 Another
popular tour package is called the "Red Sea Triangle,"
which takes participants to Israel, Jordan, and Egypt, thereby
taking full advantage of the potential for tourism that
has been created by the establishment of full diplomatic
relations between all three countries. Participants cross
the border from Eilat into Aqaba, where they are given the
option of going for two boat dives. They are then taken
to the ancient city of Petra,
where they visit ancient caves, temples, and an amphitheater,
returning to Eilat in the evening. The following day, they
are taken on a one-day cruise to Coral Island. The next
day, they formally cross the Egyptian border and are taken
into Sinai for a tour of the villages located on the peninsula,
including the Bedouin village of Dahab; they are also afforded
the opportunity to dive along the reefs of Dahab, among
other locales in Sinai.
"Living Rock"
 Coral
is best thought of as "living rock." The death of millions
of tiny animals have created this limestone formation over
many years. Coral "grows" very slowly and a single accident
can destroy hundreds of years of growth. In
1998 a yacht broke away from the buoy it was tied to and
crashed on the reef. It will take the reef at this spot 100 years
to recover from the damage inflicted from this accident.
Nature Reserve
 Israel
controls about six kilometers of shoreline from Eilat to
the border crossing to Egypt at Taba. Technically all of
Israel's waters are a nature reserve, but the Coral Beach
Reserve is only four kilometers long and much of this is
not open to visitors. The temperature of the Red Sea at
Eilat remains between 21-24 degrees C (70-76 F) year-round.
Over 100 kinds of coral and 800 species of fish live in
these waters
With careful planning and total cooperation , the Red
Sea will be able to compete with resort sites around the
world. The area known as the Red Sea Riveria will run from
the Sinai and Negev deserts to Eilat and Aqaba, and will
run from there to Israel’s Mediterranean coast. These
areas will offer activities and sites for both leisure and
cultural tourism, including many sea activities along the
coasts.
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