Friday morning in Israel is the busiest time of the week; the markets are full of people doing their shopping for the weekend (from Friday afternoon to Saturday evening everything is closed), but at Jaffa’s flea market and surrounding you can let your soul rest and let Shuk Hapishpeshim work its magic on you. In my opinion it is by far the best place to spend your Friday morning, if you get a chance to visit Tel-Aviv.

The market is located in old Jaffa, one of the oldest neighborhoods in TLV, right behind Jaffa port. It is the ultimate flea market with everything from musical instruments, old vinyl records, vintage furniture and authentic carpets, great souvenirs and jewelry, really if you love vintage markets, you will find our flea market an absolute gem. Walk in the narrow alleys, explore leather jackets and boots, but careful not to touch. The moment you show any interest, the vendors will approach you, offering a ‘good price’ and begging you to buy and help them have a good Siftach- Open the work day with luck, since the first deal brings good luck.

So, you really need to be prepared before you going on your shopping spree and what better way to do so then having a morning coffee, do some people watching or listen to great street music? One of .my favorite coffee places is ‘Milk’, a small coffee shop with some amazing pastries. My favorite is Cappuccino with Brownie that is evenly crunchy and soft, and all of this magic in only 22 NIS, which is a pretty awesome deal in Israeli prices.

If you are not a coffee lover, there are plenty of fresh juice stands; pomegranate, orange juice among others. I like getting to Jaffa at around 10am, but the market is open until around 3pm, which also gives you an opportunity to taste delicious classic Israeli food from the Mediterranean kitchen- fresh Hummus, Shakshuka, or perhaps something more serious- complete lunch in one of the Arabic restaurants. You choose your meat and side dish and in addition receive a table full of their homemade salads and fresh Pittah bread with no additional cost-because this is part of the Arabic hospitality! This wonderful meal will cost you between 60-80 NIS, depending on your main dish.

Alongside the flea market, you will find the arts & crafts market-the Greek market. Local Israeli artists present their beautiful artwork, from jewelry, to home decor pieces, all accompanied with great live music.

From the market you can continue to the Jaffa port and explore the narrow streets of Old Jaffa, home to Israel’s most beautiful galleries and talented artists.

Jaffa is one of my favorite places on Friday morning, I Just grab my camera and can easily spend the entire morning there, just exploring the wall art, market, breathing in the sea salty air and enjoying the music. In the evening this place transforms into one of the coolest hangout places, small lights illuminate trendy bars with jazz music like the Container, right at the port. I recommend visiting it in the evening and morning to really enjoy everything Jaffa has to offer!