Carmel means garden, or vineyard of God, and the mountain has been holy for a very long time. The prophet Elijah is said to have confronted the priests of Baal on its summit, in a story told in the Book of Kings, and the Carmelite order, founded by crusader-era hermits, took its name from the mountain and built its first monastery here. The Stella Maris monastery, with its lighthouse and white church, still stands above the port. In 1891, the founder of the Bahá'í faith, Bahá'u'lláh, visited Haifa and, according to tradition, revealed the Tablet of Carmel on the slopes of the mountain, a short text addressed to the mountain itself.
Today the ridge is a mix of city and forest. Mount Carmel National Park, one of the largest in Israel, covers much of the range, with oak, carob, pistachio and wild olive, scented with thyme and sage, and wildlife such as roe deer, wild boar and jackals. In spring and autumn, huge numbers of raptors pass over on migration, using the thermals along the ridge. A quiet walk on one of the trails is the best way to get away from the city.
For a rider, the roads of the Carmel are a pleasure, if hilly. The road along the ridge from Haifa to the Druze villages of Daliyat al-Karmel and Isfiya passes through pine and oak, with sweeping views, and bends that a motorbike will enjoy. Weekends bring heavy traffic, especially to the markets in the Druze villages, where you can buy pita bread and crafts, so go early. In summer the heat is strong, and the forest fire risk is real, as the mountain suffered a major fire in 2010.
Haifa, with a population of about two hundred and seventy thousand, has everything you need in the way of fuel and food, with Tirat Karmel nearby. Try a late breakfast of eggs and salads, and a coffee, in a cafe with a view of the bay. Dress respectfully if you are visiting religious sites, and check current travel advice before you set out.