Jaffa, or Yafo (in Hebrew), was one of my favorite places to visit during the weekend when I was in Tel Aviv. I loved to cycle around the cost for a while and end up walking on the streets of Jaffa. They are full of life and street art! And I simply loved to lose myself on those charming winding streets and alleyways! I also love to go to Jaffa to photograph. It’s a wonderful spot to take nice shots and get inspired by so many beautiful scenes!
A little bit of history
Jaffa has a fascinating and turbulent story behind. This ancient port city is famous to be related to some biblical stories of Salomon, Jonah and also Saint Peter. It’s also known for some mythological story too. If you look straight to the sea when you’re in the port, you’ll see a rock with Israel’s flag. This rock, also known as Andromeda’s rock, is where Perseus, with his winged horse, saved Andromeda from the monster of the sea...
In 1948, Jaffa becomes part of Tel Aviv officially. For this reason, the name of the city since then is Tel Aviv-Yafo. During a long time, Jaffa was inhabited by Arabs, however, after the independence of Israel, the city started to receive more and more immigrants that were Jews. After the incorporation, a lot of social problems happened and during some decades Jaffa was known asthe city of the crime, or, the dangerous part of Tel Aviv.
Today the reality is pretty different. Jaffa is a touristic hot spot, especially on weekends, and you can see many Israeli families enjoying their free time on restaurants, galleries, and the famous flea market.
Shuk Hapishpeshim (Jaffa Flea Market)
As I mentioned here , I really loved to go to the markets in Tel Aviv and also in the Middle East! In Jaffa, it wasn’t different! The flea market there is pretty funny and you can find all kind of stuff that you don’t need (or need). From clothes to antiques, everything is available for affordable prices and if you’re looking for an authentic souvenir, this is a place to go for sure!
The market is also surrounded by trendy cafes, restaurants, and bars. The market is open every day, except Saturdays and public holidays. It’s a nice place to visit and also eat something.
The Abouelafia Bakery
Another place that you must visit when you’re in Jaffa is the Abouelafia Bakery. Those guys are making pita bread since 1879! So, you can imagine how experient they are in the art of making these delicious breads! You can try hot, fresh and tasty pitas and, yes, they are simply amazing! You can also try some traditional Arabic pastries like kunafeh, basbousa, baklava, among others. The place is full of people most of the time. So, probably you’ll have to wait some minutes in the line to taste the amazing breads and pastries. But it worth every second to wait! I swear it!
The wishing bridge and the old town
One of the things that I love to do in Jaffa was exploring the winding streets and the alleyways. Many of them are named with the zodiac signs and since I’m Sagittarius I was pretty curious to know more about “my alleyway”. And what I discovered was that it was a kind of place to change money in ancient times. Sailors and pirates come to this place to first change money, then pay for prostitutes.
On the upper part of the old city, there’s also a beautiful garden, full of families, groups of friends and artists, where you can see Tel Aviv and the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. In this part also you will find the Wishing Bridge, where according to the local legend, you must walk into your zodiac sign which is the bridge railing and make a wish. I’m still waiting for my wish to come true, but I still have faith that all those local legends are not fake.
Art, music and more
It’s impossible to walk around Jaffa and not be enchanted with so much art. Graffitis, performances, and musicians. All these art give more movement and life to the streets of Jaffa.
(Tel Aviv, 2017)
