Herzliya Pituah is the neighborhood on the west of the Israeli city of Herzliya. It is located on the Mediterranean Sea coast and contains a stretch of popular beach front hotels, high-tech business area, busy restaurants and an exclusive residential area housing the residence of the Ambassador of the United States as well as much of Israel's crème de la crème. Herzliya a popular tourist location in Israel and its many hotels, including the Dan Accadia, Daniel, Sharon, and Okeanos have about 690 rooms along the coast, with another 750 planned as part of the marina project.
The marina, built during the 1980s by mayor Eli Landau, is located to the south of the Accadia Hotel, and covers an area of 500 dunams (0.5 km²). The complex includes a shopping complex, marina-side dining, and entertainment and sports fields, as well as high-priced housing. Building of the marina has not been without controversy, as many have argued that it has damaged the beach, blocking sand that moves from the south and thereby narrowing the beaches to the north.
Beaches
Herziya has a 7 km long beach. The beach of Herzliya is known as a very well maintained and popular one. The Beach is commonly divided into several parts (from the northest to the southest):
- Appolonia Beach- A beautiful area with archeological findings from the ancient village of Arshuf, which was settled by Phoenicians in the 6th or 5th century BC. Since 2002, the place is a national park.
- Sidna-'Ali Beach (Nof Yam)- This beach is named after the ancient Sidna-'Ali Mosque which still exist there even though there is no Arabic population in this area today. Thats because Israel declared in its Declaration of Independence that "The State of Israel... will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions".This beautiful beach is calm and quiet and a lifeguard is located there during the whole summer. Perched on a ledge 100m north of the entrance to Nof Yam Beach is an inhabited sandcastle known as Hermit House. Its owner and creator is Nissim Cachlon who has been building the structure since 1978 with natural sea materials as well as tires, bottles, broken plates, and other debris washed ashore. Peevish Israeli authorities have so far been unable to oust him. Hermit House is a spectacular though unconventional example of vernacular architecture.
- The Sharon Beach- This popular beach is sometimes crowded in the summer due to a large amount od restaurants, bars and night-clubs.
- Zvulun Beach- The Herzliya Sea Scouts' center.
- Accadia Beach- Named after Dan Accadia Hotel which is located nearby this beach. The sea shore of this beach is the widest in Herzliya.
- Khof Ha'Nechim- ("The Invalids Beach")This is one of the very few beaches in Israel which is completely accessible for invalid people.
- The Herzliya Marina- A beautiful touristic location with on of the most fancy malls in Israel- The Arena Mall.
- Ha'Khof Ha'Nifrad- ("The Separated Beach") A special beach for Orthodox Jews which is open for women at Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and for men at Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.