Nof Yam, Herzliya.
The Honest Guide from the Tel Aviv Property Index
Nof Yam is Herzliya's quiet seafront quarter, tucked between Herzliya Pituach and the Apollonia national park. It offers sea air, synagogues within walking distance and prices that sit just below Pituach. It also sits on an eroding sandstone cliff, and very few homes change hands.
Where it is
Nof Yam sits on Herzliya's coast, north of the villas and hotels of Herzliya Pituach. The sea lies to the west and the coastal road, Route 2, runs to the east.
To the north is Apollonia National Park, the site of the ancient and Crusader town of Arsuf. Beyond the park lie open land and the kibbutz belt of the southern Sharon.
Tel Aviv is about 15 to 20 kilometres south. Off-peak, the drive is short; at rush hour, Route 2 and the Glilot junction decide your day.
How Nof Yam came to be
Nof Yam grew up in the second half of the last century as a residential quarter on Herzliya's northern edge. It never became a resort strip like Pituach to its south.
The result is a neighbourhood of modest blocks, family houses and gardens. Street names such as HaParsa, Sha'ar HaYam and Tof Miriam appear in the recent sales register.
Its religious character is long established. The Nof Yam Central Synagogue on Sprinzak Street is a local anchor, and other congregations, including a young community's minyan, operate nearby.
What it is actually like today
Nof Yam is quiet. There is little nightlife, limited retail and not much through traffic, which is exactly what many residents want.
The beach is the draw, but it is not a promenade beach. Access in places is down the cliff, and stretches have been closed after collapses.
For shops, schools beyond primary level and most services, you drive. Herzliya Pituach's commercial strip, the city centre and the Seven Stars mall are all a short hop by car, not a comfortable walk.
The housing stock is mixed. Older, smaller blocks sit alongside larger detached homes, and the gap in quality between buildings can be wide.
The cliff: the issue you cannot ignore
Herzliya's coastline is a kurkar (sandstone) cliff, and it is crumbling. Sections have collapsed repeatedly at Sidna Ali beach and elsewhere on the city's shoreline, including twice within one month according to reports.
The Israel Nature and Parks Authority has warned of immediate danger of further collapse at Sidna Ali. Herzliya's mayor has publicly blamed years of government foot-dragging, and the city has threatened to close beaches.
National coverage in 2026 has pointed to State Comptroller warnings and to funding gaps for cliff protection works. A Haaretz editorial in February 2026 urged action before the next collapse.
What this means for a buyer is specific. The risk is greatest for properties on or near the cliff edge, where building restrictions, setback lines and future protection works all matter.
Homes further inland are not in the same position. But the beach you are paying for may be partly fenced off for long periods, and that affects daily life.
Renewal, towers and the Apollonia plan
Much of Nof Yam's apartment stock is ageing, and developers have taken an interest. Feasibility tools already market TAMA 38 assessments for Nof Yam addresses.
That route has largely closed. TAMA 38 expired in most of the country on 18 May 2026, and only projects with a valid permit continue.
New renewal now runs through the Shaked Alternative (Planning and Building Law amendments 136 and 139) or through pinui-binui. Both typically mean taller buildings, and in a low-rise enclave that changes the feel of a street.
Next door, a large plan known as Apollonia has been in the pipeline for over a decade. When it was deposited in 2015 it was reported at about 3,900 homes near the coastal cliff.
It was approved despite objections, and environmental groups later won changes to it. Its final shape and timing are worth checking, because it will bring new residents, traffic and services to Nof Yam's doorstep.
Who lives here
Nof Yam's residents are largely established Herzliya households. Many have been here for decades, and turnover is low.
There is a real religious community, served by several synagogues within walking distance. That makes Nof Yam one of the few seafront spots in the Sharon where a Shabbat-observant family can live by the sea.
English is widely heard across Herzliya Pituach and its surroundings. How large and organised the English-speaking religious community in Nof Yam itself is today is something to check in person, at the synagogues.
Prices and what you get
Nof Yam trades rarely, so its own numbers need handling with care. Our registered data show only 12 sales in almost three years, so we set them against Pituach and the city.
| Neighbourhood | Median price | ₪/m² | Registered deals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nof Yam | ₪4,170,000 | ₪51,698 | 12 |
| Herzliya Pituach | ₪5,050,000 | ₪57,143 | 101 |
| Herzliya (city-wide) | ₪3,746,000 | ₪38,923 | 2,908 |
Registered sales, Jan 2023 – Aug 2026 (Nof Yam's latest registered sale: Nov 2025)
Recent registered deals give a feel for the market:
- Tof Miriam 8 (March 2025): 4 rooms, 82 m², sixth floor, ₪4,140,000.
- HaParsa 15 (February 2025): 4 rooms, 86 m², second floor, ₪4,550,000.
- Sha'ar HaYam 20 (December 2024): 7 rooms, 189 m², ₪7,242,000.
- HaNasi Yitzhak Ben Tzvi 11 (November 2024): a 9-room, 348 m² property registered at ₪29,000,000, showing what large plots near the sea command.
Several other registered deals do not fit their stated size, such as partial shares or land-heavy plots. We have left them out.
What the money buys: roughly ₪4m–₪4.5m gets a 4-room flat of 80–90 m² in an older building. Detached houses start well above ₪7m, and seafront plots reach into the tens of millions.
The honest risk is liquidity. With a dozen sales in three years, the median can move sharply on one deal, and resale may take longer than in Herzliya's busier neighbourhoods.
Purchase tax at the ₪4.17m median works out as follows:
- Single home: about ₪104,038.
- Oleh under Regulation 12A: about ₪10,956.
- Foreign resident or additional home: ₪333,600.
Buying here: what to check before you sign
The cliff and the coastal zone.Establish exactly how far the property sits from the cliff edge. The Protection of the Coastal Environment Law 5764-2004 and the national coastal plan restrict building near the shore, and a surveyor should map setback lines and any protection works planned.
Registration and rights.Pull the Tabu extract and check for cautionary notes, mortgages and attachments. In older buildings, confirm the flat matches the registered condominium plan and that any garden or roof rights are genuinely attached to it.
The building file.Inspect the municipal building file for enclosed balconies, extensions and basement conversions. Unauthorised works under the Planning and Building Law 5725-1965 can block a mortgage and fall to you to fix.
Renewal status.Ask whether the building has signed with a developer, and on what route. With TAMA 38 expired from 18 May 2026, an unsigned or unpermitted scheme will need to restart under the Shaked Alternative or pinui-binui, which changes timing and terms.
Purchase tax.Tax is charged under the Real Estate Taxation (Appreciation and Purchase) Law 5723-1963. If you are an oleh, confirm you fall within the Regulation 12A window, one year before to seven years after aliyah, before you fix the completion date.
Mortgage limits.Under Bank of Israel Directive 329, the loan-to-value cap is 75% for a single dwelling, 70% for a replacement home and 50% for an additional home. With the Bank of Israel rate at 3.5% and prime at 5%, stress-test repayments at today's rates.
Betterment levy.If the Apollonia plan or a renewal scheme raises your property's rights, a betterment levy may arise under the Third Schedule to the Planning and Building Law. Your contract should say clearly who pays it.
Who it suits
Works well for
- Religious families who want to live by the sea and walk to shul.
Harder to recommend for
- Anyone buying a home close to the cliff edge without an expert survey.
- Families without a car, or teenagers who want independence.
- Short-term investors who need a quick, predictable resale.
- Buyers who want new-build specification without paying Pituach prices.
The verdict
Nof Yam is a rare thing: a genuinely residential seafront neighbourhood with an established religious community. Its setting beside Apollonia is beautiful, and prices sit meaningfully below Pituach.
The downsides are equally real. The cliff is failing, public funding for protection has been slow, and the market is too thin to price with confidence.
Buy here for the life, not the trade, and survey the ground before you fall for the view.
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