Mt. Carmel in Haifa has a flourishing city on its coastal side, a lush forest on the other, and several caves throughout its limestone slopes. Four caves on Mt. Carmel are of special archaeological significance and have earned the status of UNESCO World Heritage site: el-Wad, Tabun, Jamal and Es Skhul.

Excavations of these caves have revealed hundreds of thousands of years of human history. Some of archaeology's most groundbreaking discoveries of Neanderthal remains have taken place on the slopes of Mt. Carmel.

Whether you're a cave-rappelling (or as they call it in Israel, "snapling") fanatic, an archaeology buff or an outdoor adventurer, Israel's caves offer intriguing and alluring settings. These five features barely scrape the surface – there are hundreds more to explore.