Beit Guvrin-Maresha National Park

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Covering 5 sq km of hills and valleys, the Beit Guvrin-Maresha National Park preserves thousands of years of human habitation. For most visitors, the main attractions are the ruins of the biblical city of Maresha, but the site contains nearly 500 caves that are worth exploring. The nearby Sidonian Caves were where the city’s most prominent citizens were interred, its walls covered with murals of animals, fish and urns, and the titillating inscription: ‘I am sleeping with someone else, but it is you I love’. Further into the park, you can find the ruins of the Crusader-era St Anne’s Church, and the Bell Caves, which were carved out during the Byzantine and early Islamic periods. Before leaving the park, you’ll pass the ruins of a Roman amphitheatre and a 4000-sq-metre bathhouse.