About Lake Kinneret and Jordan Valley

About Lake Kinneret and the Jordan, Beit She'an, Harod and Jezreel Valleys with touring map

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The Jordan Valley is part of the Great Rift Valley or Syrian African Rift, which extends from Mozambique in Africa to Lebanon in the north, a distance of about 3,700 miles. It results from the moving apart of two tectonic plates – the African Plate and Arabian Plate – which led to a thinning of the earth’s crust. These plates are, in fact, still moving apart. The Arabian plate on the east side of the Jordan River is shifting north, while the African plate on the west side of the Jordan River is moving to the west. The movement is only several millimeters a year, but over 15 million years it adds up. Hence, the rivers, gullies, and even copper mines on the two sides of the Jordan River and Arava no longer align, with a distance of 65-miles between them.

About 3.7 million years ago, oceanic water from the Mediterranean poured into the Jordan Rift Valley via the Jezreel Valley. Subsequently, the intervening mountains rose up, leading to the isolation of a large lake called Lake Lissan. Lake Kinneret in the north and the Dead Sea are all that remain of this giant lake. The Jordan River meanders through the length of the Jordan Valley and connects the two lakes. The distance covered as the crow flies is 65 miles, but the twists and turns of the river more than double this.

The Beit She’an Valley is a wider part of the Jordan Valley in northern Israel. At its center is the modern-day town of Beit She’an. It is bordered on its southwestern aspect by the Gilboa Mountain Range. The Beit She’an Valley opens westward into the Harod Valley, and this, like the narrow shaft of an arrow, leads westward to the wide Jezreel Valley.

The Beit She’an Valley is endowed with many springs and flowing rivers. Some of these are popular swimming and picnic areas such as Gan HaShlosha (Sachne) and Park HaMa’ayanot. In the Harod Valley is the Harod Spring (Ein Harod) in Harod National Park.

Note that sites around Lake Kinneret are located in this section, while those around the northern shore of Lake Kinneret are described in the Eastern Upper Galilee section.

Vacationing in the Beit Shean Valley and around Lake Kinneret

There is a lot to see and do in the Beit Shean Valley. Many people head straight to the fabulously beautiful Gan HaShlosha (Sachne). But don’t forget the adjacent Park Hama’ayanot, which contains the three most abundant water sources of the valley. Entry is free. For kids' swimming, the Harod National Park is a good choice. Gan Ugam is a kids-friendly version of Gan HaShlosha. Kids and even adults will enjoy Gan Garoo Zoo, which is next to Gan HaShlosha. To appreciate the splendid architecture of an ancient Roman city, ancient Beit She'an is the place to go. Consider also visiting Naharayim at Gesher to capture some inspiring pre-state history. This can be seen with a tour and you will need to pre-arrange the best timing. Crusader castles often seem as if they are one to the dozen in Israel, but the castle and views at Kochav Hayarden are very impressive. Two interesting, easy walks just below Lake Kinneret close to the mouth of the River Jordan are described on this website. There is also a very nice, not-difficult hike described on the Gilboa Mountain Range. Many people drive through Tiberias without giving it much thought, but a number of places there are worth visiting.

1. Tel Megiddo National Park; 2. Tel Jezreel; 3. Ma’ayan Harod National Park; 4. Har Sha’ul; 5. Beit Alpha Synagogue; 6. Gan Garoo Zoo; 7. Gan HaShlosha National Park; 8. Park HaMa’ayanot; 9. Beit She’an National Park; 10. Ganei Huga; 11. Kochav HaYarden National Park; 12. Naharayim at Gesher; 13. Jordan River; 14. Kibbutz Kinneret; 15. Tiberias; 16. Hamat Tiberias National Park; 17. Magdala; 18. Sussita National Park.

Links to the HOME PAGE and best family activities, hikes and historic sites in the GOLAN, EASTERN GALILEE, UPPER GALILEE, LOWER GALILEE, JORDAN VALLEY & LAKE KINNERET, the SHEFELAH, TEL AVIV-YAFFO and surroundings, NORTH of TEL AVIV, and SOUTH of TEL AVIV.