Yarkon Park 5.98

Yarkon Park is a large park in Tel Aviv, Israel, with about sixteen million visits annually. Named after the Yarkon River which flows through it, the park includes extensive lawns, sports facilities, botanical gardens, an aviary, a water park, two outdoor concert venues and lakes.HistoryPlanning of the park began in 1969. When it was opened to the public in 1973, it was called Ganei Yehoshua, honoring Yehoshua Rabinovich, the mayor of Tel Aviv between 1969-1974.LandmarksThe park has six gardens: Gan HaBanim, Gan Nifga'ei HaTeror, Gan HaSlaim, Gan HaKaktusim, Gan HaGazum, and Gan HaTropi .The Rock Garden, one of the largest of its kind in the world, reflects Israel's geological diversity. In its 10-acre enclosure the rocks are interspersed with some 3,500 species of plants, including over six acres of cacti. The five-acre Tropical Garden has a wooden walkway shaded by palm trees leading to a small lake. The rainforest-like microclimate supports a large variety of orchids and vines.The Yarkon River runs through the park and reaches the Mediterranean Sea at the park's western edge, then connects into the Tel Aviv Port, an entertainment and tourism center. Despite clean-up efforts in the last few years, the river is still polluted. Despite its polluted waters, on July 2011 Tel Aviv's mayor, Ron Huldai, jumped into the water and swam in the lake. Nevertheless, the region has retained its biodiversity. It is home to an abundance of insects, water fowl, golden jackals, porcupines and mongoose.