Jaffa (Yafo in Hebrew, Yaffa in Arabic, archaically Joppa), now absorbed into the Israeli coastal metropolis as a southern suburb of Tel Aviv, represents the most ancient city centre and port within the Tel Aviv region. Before the foundation of the new Jewish city of Tel Aviv in 1908 in the sand hills north of Jaffa, Jaffa was the main settlement for Arabs, Jews and the various waves of occupiers (Turks, British, etc...) alike. Today, it is the main concentration of Arab population in the Tel Aviv area. Like other nearby areas, it is beginning to undergo gentrification from downtown Tel Aviv.

Get in

Jaffa clock tower

Foot: Walk south from central Tel Aviv along the beach promenade, until you reach the clock tower at the northern outskirts of Jaffa.

Get around

• Wheel Bee Bike Rental, Hahalfanim 7 (corner of Yeffet 12. Get to the clock tower, and with the clock tower in your back, turn away from Tel Aviv, follow the road for some 100m and turn right to hahalfanim. 1 minute from the beach and the promenade.), ☏ +972 3-6838080. Wheel Bee offers various kinds of bikes for rent, electric & regular, for all ages. 

See

• Old Jaffa — just south-west of the Yarkon street is the old port of Jaffa, which in the past was the biggest seaport in Israel. Today the port itself and the area close to it have become a renovated district. Some of the most interesting places in the city are found in this small area, for example, St. Peter's Catholic Church, a Franciscan church, built in the 19th century on the remains of Crusaders' fortress, which serves also as a hostel. It is told that Napoleon stayed in that church while it was a hostel.
• the Wishing Bridge in Old Jaffa. The myth says if you touch your zodiac sign and face the sea, your wish will come true.
• the Ramesses Gate
• the Zodiac alleys — a network of restored alleys, full with art galleries, which lead to the Jaffa seaport.

Do

Tourists flock to Jaffa mainly to wander around and enjoy the picturesque views and the local food joints and hunt for bargains in the shops and markets. If you would like to understand the history and significance of particular places in Jaffa better, a guided tour may be a good idea. There are many on offer, and per Wikivoyage policies, we do not recommend any in particular.

Buy

• Flea Market and Bazaar — Enjoy an outdoor flea market with all you can buy for less. Around is yet another bazaar indoor, with goodies to buy. Finely crafted hookahs can be bought at some corner on Yeffet St. near the clock tower.

Eat

• Abouelafia and Sons (In the main street, at the bottom of the hill as you approach from central Tel Aviv: Get to the clock tower, and with the clock tower in your back, turn away from Tel Aviv, follow the road for some 100m, and you see the green marquees on the left-hand side of the road.). 24/7. the most famous bakery in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, if not in the entire country. Mounds of pastries and confectionaries.... the best! Israelis drive for miles to visit this bakery. An absolute institution and not to be missed! 
• Aladin. In the heart of Old Yafo. 
• Ali Karavan Abu Hasan (Abu Hasan), 14 Shivtey Yisrael Street (Corner of Yehuda Ha'Yamit and Ha'Dolphin), ☏ +972 3-6828355. Sunday-Friday, 7:45-14:45 or until the hummus runs out. Famous for its hummus, massabaha (coarsely textured hummus with whole chick peas), and ful (cooked spicy fava beans). Many Israelis claim it to be the best Hummus in Israel. 
• Cordelia, 30 Yefet Street, ☏ +972 3-5184668, fax: +972 3-5183418, cordelia@netvision.net.il. Near the flea market and the busy clock square, there is a plaza full of surprises, waiting for you. Chef Nir Zook offers an outstanding combination of culinary experience and personal hospitality to everyone. 
• Yoezer Bar Wine, 2 Ish-Habira Street, ☏ +972 3-6839115. 
• Rak Basar, 19 Salame, ☏ +972 3-6813590. 12:00 till last customer. A great Meat & Wine place. The meat is selected personally by the customer and is cooked to perfection and the wine is unlimited. The entire meal is quite cheap compared to the quality. 

Drink

• Leo 5, Mazal Dagim Street. Located beneath the Ilana Goor Museum on the top of the hill, this bar is a great place to hang out. The owner is most generous and boasts a wide array of rock and roll memorabilia. You'll probably be able to hear the bar before you see it. 
• Jaffa Bar, Yefet 30. Belongs to Nir Zook, the famous Israeli chef and located in his "plaza" near Cordelia and Noa. IT's a place for the older crowd with great food. 
• Saloona, 17 Tirza St.. 21:00-Last Customer Leaves. A local neighborhood bar with an art orientation. Often art of local artists is presented on the walls. 
• Shmone, Eilat 8. A very beautiful place located in an old Jaffa style building, it's kind of a private membership club with many older richer people that the usual hangout. 

Sleep

• Old Jaffa Hostel, Amiad 13 St. Jaffa-Tel Aviv 68139, Israel, ☏ +972 3-6822370, fax: +972 3-6823328, ojhostel@shani.net. Check-out: 12:00 noon. In the heart of the flea market, the Old Jaffa Hostel is a funky-bohemian type place in all the right ways; eclectic decor in the rooms, chirping birds in the hallways, rooftop patio and kitchen with a view of Tel Aviv and free coffee, tea and cookies in the morning. An excellent choice, very good location, and a great value -- but not a party hostel. Single 180 shekels, dorm 50 shekels.