Hi,
We planned to hike with our friends in Nahal Sfunim and Sfunim Cave, but Dub got sick and I only took his two elder brothers for the hike, as Atzva stayed home with him.
The stream goes down from the Carmel mountain and it is usually dry, unless its rain. The Cave is about half way up the trail and you can just come back the way you came on the red trail. You can keep climbing all the way to Beit Oren, and find a way to go back to where you started.
Another option is to go back, but in a bit longer trail (the blue) one, that keep climb to the top of the ridge and then go slowly down to where you started. Just keep in mind this trail has no shade and it is not suitable for hot days. You can also go the other way: first blue to climb up and then red to go down.
We took the longest one (red and then blue) and it is the longest hike I did with my kids – 4.5 km.
We did not got in the cave, as it is closed between November 1st and April 1st as the bats are sleeping. I think we did disturb them as they were screaming out while we were sitting in the cave mouth.
Take Care
Gad
The trail from the road till the mountain
The remains of a building of a quarry used to operate here and supply materials for the colors industry. The quarry stopped its worked for the demand of the National Parks and Nature reserve authority
Climbing up in the red trail mark up to the cave
The trail from the road till the mountain
Looking west from the top of the mountain, where the blue trail took us, over Nahal Sfunim and the sea
Looking east from the top of the mountain to mount Carmel
Looking up on the cliff of mount Carmel, where the Gyps nests
Nahal Sfunim hike trail in Israel hike trail: 141m up, 141 m down, 4.54 km in total