MAKHTESH RAMON (RAMON CRATER)

Makhtesh Ramon is a spectacular 500-metre deep geological formation, stretching 40 km long and 9 km wide in the middle of the Negev, next to the city of Return Ramon. It is one of the five makhteshim in the region (Makhtesh Ramon, Makhtesh Gadol, Makhtesh Katan and two minor makhteshim). Commonly known as craters, they are actually circuses of karst erosion that all fall under the same training process.

Originally, there was a mountain where the summit, following the seismic activity of the African Syrian fault, found itself in an asymmetrical way. The rains entrainèrent surface erosion and sides and created, by infiltration, underground cavities. The movement of water inside the cavities thus formed façonna a karst landscape whose tender rocks under the cap were gradually evacuated. The hard rocks of the summit écroulèrent under their weight and were swept by a oued, the Nahal Ramon. The soil contains a wide variety of rocks, minerals and colorful sands, but also fossils. In the crater and surrounding area, some plants extract from quartz, clay, but mainly gypsum. The fauna and flora, desert type, are very diverse.

A leaflet named Makhtesh Ramon Nature Reserve, available at Return Ramon Visitor Center and also downloadable on the park site, contains details of the walks and hikes that make it possible to discover the crater. Durations vary from 1 hour to 3 days and relate to all levels of difficulty. About 12 km from Return Ramon, in the heart of the crater, a nomadic camp welcomes visitors, including for the night.