On the coastal plain of western Galilee, between Nahariya and Akko, a small garden known as Junayn is one of the Bahá'í holy places in Israel. Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, spent his final years in exile in this region in the late nineteenth century, after being banished by the Ottoman authorities from Persia and then from Baghdad, Istanbul and Edirne. Once his confinement in the prison-city of Akko was relaxed, he would visit gardens around the town, and this was one of them. The Bahá'í holy places in Haifa and western Galilee, including the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh at Bahjí and the terraced gardens on Mount Carmel, were listed by UNESCO in 2008. The gardens are tended with remarkable precision by Bahá'í volunteers from around the world, and the atmosphere is serene.
The region is rich in history. Akko, a few kilometres south, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, a walled port that was the last stronghold of the Crusaders in the Holy Land until 1291. Its Crusader halls, Ottoman mosques, caravanserais and markets are a UNESCO site, and its fish restaurants by the harbour are excellent. Nahariya, to the north, is a coastal town founded in the 1930s by German Jewish immigrants, with a promenade and beaches. Further north, at Rosh HaNikra, white chalk cliffs plunge into the sea, with grottoes carved by the waves, reached by cable car.
The riding is coastal and relaxed. The main road runs along the coastal plain, flat and busy, through fields, orchards and towns. Inland, the roads climb into the hills of western Galilee, with villages, olive groves and pine forests, and the views over the sea are lovely. The surface is generally good, but traffic is dense and driving can be aggressive.
Nahariya and Akko have fuel, shops and restaurants. Spring, when the hills are green and covered with wildflowers, is the best season; summer is hot and humid. This area lies close to the Lebanese border, and the security situation in the region has been volatile, so check current travel advice carefully before planning a visit and follow local instructions.