Spread directly along the Mediterranean, Tel Aviv’s must-do activity is clearly the beach from April to October. Arrive early to beat the stifl ing heat and rent a chair from one of the numerous vendors spread along the sands (NIS12). Bring plenty of water and a few Shekels to buy one of the ubiquitous afternoon ice lollies.

In Jaffo, the ancient (or at least ancient feeling) Flea Market is both great for bargains – clothes, furniture and nearly everything else – as well as for fun. Head by Friday mornings when additional vendors appear with their wears and stop for a falafel and lemonade at one of the numerous onsite snackeries.

Rent a bike (Shuli and Mike’s Bikes; 280 Dizengoff) and ride along the Mediterranean waterfront up to the new Tel Aviv port and then along the pathways lining the recently cleaned-up Yarkon River. Tel Aviv was recently made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of its distinct Bauhaus architecture. See it up close on a Bauhaus walk and tour in English organized by the Bauhaus Center (155 Dizengoff; www.bauhaus-center.com). Weather permitting, get above it all on a paraglide ride above the city and sea from Paradive (HaBonim Beach; Moshav HaBonim north of Tel Aviv;www.paradive. co.il).

Or, indulge in a day of pampering at one of the City’s new haute spas. Among the best is Atlantis (Sheraton City Tower Hotel; 03-7544444) and Sea Breeze in the Tel Aviv Port (03-5444214).

Jewish travellers looking to trace their heritage should head for the Diaspora Museum at Tel Aviv University in Ramat Aviv (Klausner Street), just north of the city. The museum houses 3,000 years of Jewish culture from nearly every corner of the globe. Their genealogical section allows visitors to look for long-lost relatives both in Israel and around the world.

Sculptor and furniture maker Ilana Gur (4 Mazel Dagim Street) lives and works in a massive, stunning, century-old mansion originally built by wealthy Turks. She’s filled the space with her eclectic personal art collection and opened it to the public. While the works may not be to everyone’s taste, the home itself is an unquestionable knockout.

Experience your inner mystic – or Madonna – with a visit to Tel Aviv’s recently renovated Kabbalah Studies Center (14 Ben Ami Street). Located just off Dizengoff Circle, the center offers extensive Kabbalah classes in both Hebrew and English as well as sells inspirational cassettes and literature.

Take a stroll down around the city centre to view the latest in local art, both traditional and contemporary. Most of Tel Aviv’s top art galleries are located within minutes of each other near Dizengoff Street. Some of the best include Alon Segev (23 Shaul HaMelech Ave) near the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center, Engel (26 Gordon Street) for figurative work, Rozenfeld (147 Dizengoff ) for cutting-edge light-based installations and Zman LeOmanut (36 Montefiore), which serves as a quasi cultural center for Israel’s young artistic guard. Also worth a peek is GINA, the Gallery of International Naive Art (255 Dizengoff ) for its top collection of important works from the developing world