Atlit Detainee Camp
מחנה המעפילים עתלית
The former camp where the British Mandate authorities held illegal Jewish immigrants. Reconstructed barracks, a disinfection room and a replica immigrant ship tell the refugees' story.
The Atlit Detainee Camp was built in 1939. The British Mandate authorities used it to detain Jewish refugees who arrived without immigration permits, many of them Holocaust survivors. In 1945, Palmach fighters raided the camp at night and freed more than 200 detainees. Today, the barbed wire, barracks and disinfection showers have been preserved, along with a restored immigrant ship. Visits are by reservation with a guided tour, and the atmosphere is somber and moving. The camp is on the coast about 15 km south of Haifa.
Opening hours
Sun–Thu 09:00–17:00, Fri until 13:00 (reservation required)
Nearby sights
- Ein Hod
- Nahal Me'arot Nature Reserve
- Mount Carmel National Park
- Dado Beach
- Hecht Museum
- Dor HaBonim Beach Nature Reserve
- Daliyat al-Karmel
- Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art