Six Senses Shaharut stands in the Shaharut highlands of the northern Arava Valley — a remote red-rock terrain approximately 45 km north of Eilat. It is Israel’s most internationally recognised luxury desert property: listed in the MICHELIN Guide Hotels, recognised by Condé Nast Traveller, and built with an architectural philosophy that treats the desert landscape as the primary amenity rather than something to be screened from.
The Arava Valley itself is one of Israel’s most extreme and visually striking environments — a rift valley running the length of the Israel-Jordan border, bounded by the deep-red Edom Mountains to the east and the Negev Highlands to the west, with skies clear enough that the Milky Way is visible to the naked eye on most nights of the year.
The Six Senses approach to desert luxury
Six Senses built Shaharut on a different premise from the coastal luxury resorts: the remoteness and emptiness are deliberate features. The architecture uses local Negev stone, reclaimed timber, and earth-toned finishes that make the buildings read as extensions of the canyon landscape rather than impositions on it. At night, the property operates under a strict dark-sky lighting protocol — guest pathways use ground-level amber lighting only, preserving the night sky that is one of the main reasons to be here.
The 60 suites and villas are arranged in clusters along the canyon ridge, each with a private terrace oriented toward the desert panorama. Standard suites run approximately 50–70 square metres; the Canyon Villas with private plunge pools are the most private option for couples or guests who want an outdoor bathing option without using the main pool.
Wellness programming
Six Senses Shaharut runs the group’s signature Sleep and Recovery Programme — an evidence-based protocol combining sleep environment optimisation (the altitude, dry air, and darkness at Shaharut are naturally conducive to deep sleep), circadian light therapy, and targeted spa treatments. Guests can book a standalone session or enrol in a 3-night structured programme.
The spa has twelve treatment rooms, a vitality pool, hammam, and a movement studio. Treatments draw on Bedouin desert herbal traditions — arak-wood aromatics, Negev mineral clay, wild herbs foraged from the highlands — combined with the group’s standard biohacking menu.
The Arava Valley: what makes it distinctive
Geology and landscape
The Arava Valley sits on the Dead Sea Transform — the fault line separating the Arabian and African tectonic plates. The geology is read in the canyon walls: layers of Cambrian sandstone in deep red and ochre, capped by Cretaceous limestone, exposed by the same erosional process that carved the Makhtesh Ramon crater further north.
The Shaharut highlands where the hotel sits are at approximately 350–450 metres elevation — higher than the valley floor and perceptibly cooler, with views east across the valley to the Jordanian mountains and west toward the Negev plateau.
Night skies
The Arava Valley has minimal light pollution: the nearest significant urban centres are Eilat to the south (population ~50,000) and Beer-Sheva to the north (population ~200,000), both far enough that their glow does not significantly affect the zenith sky. Atmospheric transparency in the desert air is exceptional — astronomers regularly note that the Arava combines seeing quality comparable to professional observatory sites with the accessibility of a 45-minute drive from an international airport.
Six Senses operates a guided stargazing programme from its telescope terrace, with a resident astronomer on property during peak-season dates. On clear nights — the majority in autumn through spring — the Milky Way core is visible above the eastern horizon from dusk.
Timna Park: ancient copper and geological spectacle
Timna Park lies approximately 25–30 km south of Shaharut on Route 40 — one of the most archaeologically and geologically significant sites in the southern Negev.
The copper mines at Timna were worked from the Chalcolithic period (c. 6,000 years ago) through the Late Bronze Age by Egyptian mining expeditions under Pharaonic supervision, and later by Nabataean and Roman operations. The scale of ancient mining activity is visible throughout the park: smelting camp remains, thousands of ancient mine shafts, and a reconstructed Egyptian sanctuary dedicated to Hathor, goddess of turquoise — the only Egyptian temple structure standing in modern Israel.
The geological formations are among the most photogenic in Israel: King Solomon’s Pillars are a wall of natural sandstone columns 50 metres high, carved by erosion into a colonnade-like facade; the Mushroom is an iconic balanced-rock formation; and the Arches Trail crosses wind-carved sandstone archways in deep red and purple hues.
Timna Park has separate entry ticketing (not covered by the standard INPA pass). Allow 3–5 hours for a proper visit; a car is required. The site operates a dedicated website for current prices and opening hours — confirm before arrival, particularly in summer when the park may close early due to heat.
Getting the most from an Arava stay
Combining with Mitzpe Ramon
The most natural multi-day Negev circuit runs Six Senses Shaharut and Mitzpe Ramon back to back. From Shaharut, Mitzpe Ramon is approximately 1 hour 20 minutes north on Route 40 — through the Negev Highlands with the Makhtesh Ramon viewpoint as the destination. Two nights at each gives a complete picture of the southern Negev: the intimate red-rock canyon landscape of the Arava contrasted with the vast scale of the world’s largest erosion crater.
See the Mitzpe Ramon & Makhtesh Ramon guide for crater hiking, jeep tours, and IDA dark-sky stargazing details.
Combining with Eilat
Eilat is 45 minutes south on Route 40 — easy to combine with a Shaharut stay. The Coral Beach Nature Reserve has one of the most accessible and healthy coral reef systems in the world, with snorkelling available directly from the beach without a boat. The Dolphin Reef (a semi-open lagoon with bottlenose dolphins that interact voluntarily with swimmers) and glass-bottom kayaking tours are popular short additions.
Eilat’s contrasting character — beach-resort commercial atmosphere, extensive watersports, and an active dining and nightlife scene — provides a deliberate counterpoint to the silence and remoteness of the Arava. Many guests split a 5-night southern Negev trip as 3 nights Shaharut, 2 nights Eilat, or vice versa.
Spa-only stay vs wellness retreat
Six Senses Shaharut works as a destination for guests who simply want to decompress in a beautiful desert property — you do not need to enrol in a wellness programme to enjoy the stay. The pool, restaurant quality, and landscape are reason enough for many guests. The structured wellness programmes (Sleep, Detox, Fitness) are an option for guests who want a more directed experience; the hotel’s spa consultation at check-in helps calibrate this.
For travellers interested in the Dead Sea mineral wellness tradition rather than the Arava desert experience, see the Israel wellness, spa & Dead Sea guide — a separate tradition at a different landscape and mineral-water context.
Practical planning
Getting there: Route 40 south from Mitzpe Ramon, or north from Eilat. The turn-off for Shaharut is signposted on Route 40; the hotel provides precise GPS coordinates and driving instructions. Rental car from Eilat Airport, Ramon Airport, or Beer-Sheva is the practical approach — no taxis or buses serve the hotel. See the DiscoverCars CTA above to compare rental rates.
Season: October–April for outdoor activity; summer manageable at Shaharut’s elevation but with heat caveats. See the FAQ above for month-by-month detail.
Booking lead time: Shaharut’s limited inventory (60 rooms total) means popular dates — especially Passover week, Sukkot, Christmas-New Year, and spring-break weekends — sell out months in advance. For flexibility, look at shoulder-month stays (October, March). Check the hotel’s own website for package rates versus third-party booking.
Connectivity and digital detox: the hotel has Wi-Fi throughout, but the remoteness makes poor-signal areas common outside the main lodge. Many guests treat this as a feature. There is mobile coverage (cellular signal from the Eilat masts) in most areas of the property.
Combining with Petra: the Arava Valley border crossing at Yitzhak Rabin/Wadi Araba (near Eilat) is the closest land crossing to Petra. Guests at Shaharut can in principle cross into Jordan, visit Petra, and return to the hotel the same day or next morning — a genuine multi-country luxury desert circuit. See the Petra from Israel guide for border crossing logistics and tour options.
